Rights group FairSquare accuses world soccer governing physique of ‘brazenly flouting’ its personal guidelines on political neutrality.
Printed On 10 Dec 2025
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s effusive reward for Donald Trump and the choice by the world soccer governing physique to award a peace prize to the US president have triggered a proper criticism over ethics violations and political neutrality.
Human rights group FairSquare stated on Tuesday that it has filed a criticism with FIFA’s ethics committee, claiming the organisation’s behaviour was towards the widespread pursuits of the worldwide soccer group.
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The criticism stems from Infantino awarding Trump FIFA’s inaugural peace prize throughout the December 6 draw for the 2026 World Cup to be performed in the USA, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
“This criticism is about much more than Infantino’s help for President Donald Trump’s political agenda,” FairSquare’s programme director Nicholas McGeehan stated.
“Extra broadly, that is about how FIFA’s absurd governance construction has allowed Gianni Infantino to brazenly flout the organisation’s guidelines and act in methods which are each harmful and immediately opposite to the pursuits of the world’s hottest sport,” stated McGeehan, head of the London-based advocacy group.
In accordance with the eight-page criticism from the rights group filed with FIFA on Monday, Infantino’s awarding of the peace prize “to a sitting political chief is in and of itself a transparent breach of FIFA’s responsibility of neutrality”.
“If Mr. Infantino acted unilaterally and with none statutory authority this ought to be thought of an egregious abuse of energy,” the rights group stated.
FairSquare additionally pointed to Infantino lobbying on social media earlier this yr for Trump to obtain the Nobel Peace Prize for his function within the Israel-Gaza battle. Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado in the end acquired the prize.
FairSquare stated it needs FIFA’s unbiased committee to evaluate Infantino’s actions.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch additionally criticised FIFA’s awarding of the prize to Trump, saying his administration’s “appalling human rights file actually doesn’t show distinctive actions for peace and unity”.
Disciplinary motion from the FIFA Ethics Committee can embrace a warning, a reprimand and even a high quality. Compliance coaching can be ordered, whereas a ban might be levied on participation in football-related exercise. But it surely stays unclear if the ethics committee will take up the criticism.
Infantino has not instantly responded, and FIFA stated it doesn’t touch upon potential instances.
Present FIFA-appointed ethics investigators and judges are seen by some observers to function with much less independence than their predecessors a decade in the past, when FIFA’s then-president, Sepp Blatter, was faraway from workplace.
Trump was readily available for the World Cup 2026 draw ceremony on Friday, together with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
But it surely was Trump who acquired probably the most consideration throughout the occasion on the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
In the course of the occasion, Infantino introduced Trump with a gold trophy, a gold medal and a certificates.
“That is your prize; that is your peace prize,” Infantino informed Trump.
FIFA additionally performed a video that touched on a few of Trump’s efforts in direction of so-called peace agreements.
