The International Olympic Committee has declined to investigate allegations that FIFA president Gianni Infantino violated Olympic rules on political neutrality through his interactions with United States President, Donald Trump.
The complaint, submitted earlier this month by human rights organisation FairSquare, accused Infantino of breaching ethical standards. It cited FIFA’s decision to postpone a World Cup suspension for United States striker Folarin Balogun after Trump reportedly urged Infantino to review the player’s red card.
Although Infantino is an IOC member, the organisation said the matter falls outside the authority of its ethics commission because it concerns FIFA’s internal governance and disciplinary processes rather than its relationship with the IOC.
“The IOC ethics commission thoroughly analysed the complaint by FairSquare,” a spokesperson said.
“The commission noticed that, pursuant to the Olympic Charter, each international federation (IF) maintains its independence and autonomy in its governance.
The IOC Code of Ethics’ scope of application vis-a-vis the international federations and their officials is specifically limited to their relations with the IOC.
“The IOC ethics commission noted that the current complaint, including with regard to the FIFA president, refers only to the IF’s decisions on its governance and its management, including its relations with government, and to the IF’s implementation of the rules of its sport, which are both outside the scope of application of the IOC code of ethics.
“Consequently, the complaint falls outside the IOC ethics commission’s jurisdiction. FairSquare has been informed accordingly.
“Separately from this complaint, as reaffirmed at the recent IOC Session, the IOC will continue its efforts to strengthen good governance across the Olympic Movement and to promote greater clarity regarding the respective roles, responsibilities and accountability of its constituent organisations.”
FairSquare has been approached for comment.
The organisation had also lodged a separate complaint with the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee in December.
In that submission, FairSquare highlighted four occasions on which it alleged Infantino publicly backed Trump’s actions and policies.
It also called for an investigation into Infantino’s involvement in creating FIFA’s Peace Prize and the decision to present its inaugural award to Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw, questioning whether the process complied with FIFA’s own procedural rules.
Earlier this month, FairSquare said FIFA’s ethics committee acknowledged receipt of the complaint but had not provided any further update.
The complaint predated the controversy surrounding Balogun’s suspension.
On July 5, FIFA’s disciplinary committee announced that the automatic one-match ban imposed on the Monaco striker had been suspended. A day later, Trump disclosed that he had personally appealed to Infantino to reconsider the sanction.
Infantino maintained that FIFA’s judicial bodies operate independently, but the disciplinary committee has not explained why the suspension was deferred in Balogun’s case.
According to The Times, disciplinary committee chairman Mohammad Al Kamali made the decision independently.
UEFA later described the ruling on Balogun as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
Its president, Aleksander Ceferin, is understood to have boycotted last Sunday’s final in protest over the decision and wider concerns about FIFA’s governance.
