Gianni Infantino accused of breaking Fifa’s neutrality rules after awarding Donald Trump peace prize

FairSquare, which gained prominence as a vocal critic during the Qatar 2022 tournament, submitted an eight-page letter outlining four separate alleged breaches by Infantino.

The non-profit organisation argues bestowing such an honour upon a sitting political leader represents a "clear breach of Fifa's duty of neutrality".

The letter added: "The Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values."

The complaint specifically highlights Infantino's public declaration in October that Trump "definitely deserves" the Nobel Peace Prize, posted on his Instagram account.

During an appearance at the American Business Forum in Miami last month, the Fifa president said: "We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the US] because I think it's looking pretty good."

FairSquare's submission also references an Instagram video from January, following Infantino's attendance at Trump's inauguration.

They claim the attendance demonstrates backing for the president's political agenda.

The organisation has requested an investigation into how the peace prize came into existence and whether its creation adhered to Fifa's procedural regulations.

Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare's programme director, said: "This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda."

He added: "More broadly this is about how Fifa's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport."

The complaint also asserts that "the Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values."

GB News has approached Fifa for a comment.

The relationship between the two presidents has intensified ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The US President was awarded the new prize from football’s global governing body, which recognises individuals who have made "exceptional contributions to peace and unity".

Gianni Infantino praised President Trump’s role in the Middle East peace negotiations, while the US is also working to bring an end to the conflict sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In a speech that lasted exactly two minutes, the President described the award as "[one of] the great honours of my life".

Trump praised the cooperation between the US, Mexico and Canada and the enthusiasm of the organisers.

He also paid a heartwarming tribute to his wife, Melania, and Infantino.

Speaking to the audience, Infantino said: "Like everyone here in the room, we see images of war all over the world.

"And like everyone, we suffer for every child that dies, we cry with every mother who loses someone she loves, and we want to see hope and unity, we want to see a future.

"I was lucky, Mr President, to witness the Abraham Accords signatures, the peace in the Middle East agreement regarding Gaza, yesterday here in Washington, the Washington peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC.

"This is what we want from a leader, a leader who cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, a safe environment. We want to unite. You definitely deserve the Fifa Peace Prize for your actions. You can always count on my support and the whole football community."

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