FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing a formal ethics complaint after handing Donald Trump an inaugural “peace prize” during the 2026 World Cup draw, a move human rights groups say is a blatant breach of football’s rules on political neutrality.
The complaint, lodged by rights organisation FairSquare, accuses Infantino and FIFA of “openly flouting” their own statutes by showering the former US president with praise at a globally televised ceremony in Washington, DC on December 6.
According to FairSquare’s eight page submission to FIFA’s ethics committee, the mere act of awarding the honour “to a sitting political leader” is itself a violation, with the group arguing that Infantino acted without any proper authority and in a way that “should be considered an egregious abuse of power”.
Rights groups say FIFA has crossed a red line
Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s programme director, didn’t hold back:
“This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino’s support for President Trump’s political agenda. It’s about how FIFA’s absurd governance structure has allowed him to flout the rules and act in ways that are dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”
He pointed to Infantino’s previous lobbying for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize over his role in the Israel Gaza conflict an effort that ultimately failed, with Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado taking the award instead.
Human Rights Watch also slammed FIFA’s decision, saying Trump’s administration had an “appalling human rights record” and hardly represented “exceptional actions for peace and unity”.
Ethics committee’s next move unclear
FIFA’s independent ethics body has a wide range of disciplinary options, from warnings and fines to bans from football activity, but there’s no guarantee the committee will even take on the case.
Infantino has yet to comment, and FIFA issued the standard line that it “does not comment on potential cases”.
Critics argue that the current ethics system is weaker than the one that oversaw the downfall of Sepp Blatter a decade ago, with investigators now seen by some observers as having far less independence.
Trump steals the show at World Cup draw
Trump, who was present alongside Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, received by far the most attention at the draw ceremony.
Infantino presented the former US leader with a gold trophy, gold medal and official certificate, declaring:
“This is your prize; this is your peace prize.”
FIFA even aired a highlight reel of Trump’s claimed “peace” initiatives, prompting further criticism that the world governing body has drifted into political theatre.
A row that won’t go away
The controversy lands at a sensitive moment for FIFA, which has spent the past decade insisting it is politically neutral following corruption scandals and global scrutiny.
With the 2026 tournament set for the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Infantino Trump spectacle has already raised uncomfortable questions inside the football world and FairSquare is determined that those questions won’t be brushed aside so easily.
