The human rights organization Fair Square announced plans Wednesday to file an ethics complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The move represents a significant challenge to Infantino's leadership, as it alleges a direct violation of the governing body's own rules regarding political neutrality. Such a breach could jeopardize the perceived impartiality of the organization as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup.
According to the organization, the complaint centers on allegations that Infantino breached FIFA's political-neutrality rules by publicly supporting the U.S. president [1]. Fair Square said this public alignment undermines the sport's required apolitical stance.
The effort has gained substantial political momentum within Europe. More than 50 members of the European Parliament have backed the complaint [2], signaling a broad dissatisfaction among European lawmakers regarding the intersection of football governance and international politics.
Letters detailing the grievances were sent to FIFA’s Ethics Committee [1]. The committee is tasked with investigating whether the president's actions constitute a conflict of interest, or a failure to adhere to the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Fair Square said the action is necessary to ensure that the leadership of the world's most popular sport remains independent of national political agendas. The organization has not specified the exact nature of the support Infantino provided to the U.S. president, but the complaint argues that any public endorsement of a head of state contradicts the organization's mandate to remain neutral in political matters [1].
FIFA has not yet issued a formal response to the letters sent by the European Parliament members and the human rights group [1].
“Fair Square announced plans to file an ethics complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.”
This complaint highlights the growing tension between FIFA's official policy of political neutrality and the public actions of its leadership. By involving more than 50 European Parliament members, the challengers are attempting to apply diplomatic and legislative pressure on FIFA's Ethics Committee, potentially forcing a transparency review of how the organization manages its relationships with world leaders ahead of the 2026 tournament.
