GENEVA (AP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be referred to Olympic ethics investigators for possible violations of political neutrality after U.S. President Donald Trump helped block the Olympics, human rights groups said Wednesday. world cup Players are prohibited from participating.
Trump took credit on Monday. That’s in response to FIFA’s unprecedented decision in modern World Cup history to let American forward Folarin Balogun play in Monday’s game against Belgium despite receiving a red card in the team’s previous match. belgian team obviously furious and excited They won 4-1 in Seattle.
of IOC claims neutrality It is one of the “Fundamental Principles of Olympism” of sports bodies like FIFA, which has ruled Infantino ever since he joined that exclusive group. Over 100 invited members In 2020.
“Fairsquare is filing a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s repeated violations of its political neutrality rules,” the London-based sports and human rights NGO said in a statement on Wednesday.
The promise to lodge a formal complaint with the IOC ethics committee was announced a day after the Olympic body’s president, Kirsty Coventry, told reporters that nothing had yet been received.
Asked about the Balogun controversy, which was fueled by the Trump administration’s lobbying of FIFA and Infantino, Coventry said in an online press conference on Tuesday: “Obviously, if that’s the case, we’ll look at it.”
“Yes, we have obviously been following all developments,” the IOC president said earlier when asked about interference in field-of-play issues by World Cup co-hosts, who also host the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
FIFA was asked to comment on the complaint to the IOC regarding its president.
Infantino and Trump relationship
Infantino is Forged a close relationship with Trump Since 2018, when the United States, Canada and Mexico won votes to host this year’s Soccer World Cup.
FIFA leaders have regularly visited the White House since attending President Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, and in November said the president’s efforts were “so great” that “we should all support them.”
Famous works created by Infantino FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump This happened at the World Cup draw held in Washington, D.C. last December. Soccer executives said the secret creation of the Peace Prize was a business decision by Coach Infantino.
Ethics litigation at FIFA
FairSquare also officially I have filed a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee. In December, about Infantino and political neutrality. This is backed by the Norwegian Football Federation and around 50 members of the European Parliament.
FIFA has not provided any updates in the seven months since the incident.
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