Gianni Infantino is facing accusations of rule-breaking after presenting the first FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump during the World Cup draw in Washington, DC, last Friday.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been accused of violating the organization’s rules on political neutrality over his relationship with US President Donald Trump.
Mr. Infantino and Mr. Trump have developed a close bond in recent years, with the United States being one of the co-hosts of next year’s men’s World Cup. Infantino also presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., last Friday.
FairSquare, an organization that seeks to increase accountability in sports, has filed a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee, alleging that Infantino’s comments about Trump and the process leading up to awarding him the Peace Prize violate FIFA rules. In October, Infantino took to his Instagram account to say that Trump “definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”
After a video about President Trump was played in the drawing prior to the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize, Infantino said: “This is what we look for in a leader… You definitely deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize for what you did and what you did, but you earned it in an incredible way. Mr. President, you can always count on my support.”
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“I think what[President Trump]is doing in the United States is a very good thing and we should all support him,” Infantino said in a November interview at the American Business Forum in Miami.
Fair Square’s letter, first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by the Press Association, also referenced Infantino’s Instagram post on January 20, the day of President Trump’s inauguration. “Together, we will make not only America great again, but the entire world,” Infantino said at the end of his video message.
FairSquare also called on the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate the circumstances that led to Trump winning the FIFA Peace Prize. “Awarding such an award to a sitting political leader is itself a clear violation of FIFA’s neutrality obligations,” FairSquare’s letter said.
Fair Square said that, based on FIFA’s own regulations, the introduction of such an award should have been decided by the FIFA Council. “The FIFA President does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organization’s mission, strategic direction, policies or values,” the letter added.
“This complaint goes far beyond Mr. Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda,” said Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s program director.
“More broadly, this is about how FIFA’s absurd governance structure allowed Gianni Infantino to openly disregard the organization’s rules and conduct actions that were dangerous and directly against the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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