September 9: Rights group FairSquare has gathered the support of more than 100,000 people to file a new FIFA ethics complaint against world soccer boss Gianni Infantino.
In filing the complaint on Tuesday, the NGO wrote that eight incidents involving Donald Trump provided “convincing evidence that the FIFA president has, at a minimum, abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and violated his duty of loyalty in his efforts to ingratiate himself with the President of the United States. Adding to this pattern of personal behavior is evidence that he sought to achieve serious behavior.”
FairSquare argues that Infantino has breached FIFA’s Code of Ethics in several respects, including Articles 15, 16 and 26.
The group had launched its ‘Reboot’ campaign ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that provided the NGO with even more ammunition following the Folarin Balogun saga and Infantino’s plans to sell a stake in the World Cup, a move that has sparked widespread backlash and growing calls for the football manager to resign.
Infantino has so far resisted these calls, instead confirming that he wants to run for a fourth term at the 2027 FIFA Congress. He has so far refused to hold an emergency meeting with the FIFA Council or the FIFA Office to discuss the crisis with FIFA members.
FairShare’s filing follows an original complaint last year, which was supported by the Norwegian Football Association.
FairSquare’s latest attempt to hold FIFA’s boss accountable through the world federation’s own mechanisms has garnered popular support.
“The fact that 100,000 people have added their names to this call for accountability is clear evidence of growing public concern,” FairSquare said. “As an independent judicial body charged with the critical task of upholding the ‘integrity and reputation of football’, the ethics committee must not only act, but be seen to act with appropriate promptness, transparency and rigor.”
FairSquare argues that Infantino has failed to maintain political neutrality, citing FIFA leader Donald Trump’s awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize, his participation in Trump’s Middle East Peace Council and his pledge to work with the former president to “make not only America new, but the whole world.”
Often at the forefront of issues of good governance, FairSquare ended its complaint with Infantino’s FFE plans, writing: “Mr Infantino’s efforts in relation to the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative constituted an abuse of his position as FIFA President, with ordinary decision-making processes being circumvented and FIFA’s own leadership and member associations’ fiduciary duty, as he acted in a manner to the detriment of financial interests of FIFA, confederations and member associations”.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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