FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a formal ethics complaint after awarding the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., with critics saying the move breached football’s strict rules on political neutrality. A London-based rights group, FairSquare, has asked FIFA’s Ethics Committee to investigate what it calls repeated breaches of the governing body’s code, potentially exposing the FIFA chief to sanctions including a ban from the sport.
A complaint lodged with FIFA’s Ethics Committee alleges that Gianni Infantino broke the organization’s neutrality rules by creating and awarding a Trump Peace Prize-style honor, deepening scrutiny of the world football chief’s ties to the U.S. president.
Key development
FairSquare, a human rights organization based in London, submitted an eight-page complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee this week, arguing that Infantino violated FIFA’s duty of political neutrality by inventing and bestowing a peace prize on President Trump. The award was presented at the 2026 World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in early December 2025, where Infantino praised Trump’s role in diplomatic efforts, including a ceasefire deal linked to the Israel–Gaza conflict. The complaint contends that the FIFA Peace Prize — widely dubbed the Trump Peace Prize — was rushed through without proper approval from FIFA’s governing bodies and amounted to a personal political endorsement of a sitting head of state.
What the complaint says
FairSquare’s filing alleges that Infantino committed four clear breaches of FIFA’s Code of Ethics, all tied to public support for Trump and the decision to honor him with the new peace prize. The group says these actions cannot be treated as private opinions because Infantino was acting as FIFA president and using official platforms, including World Cup events and social media channels, to promote a political leader.
Alleged breaches outlined in FairSquare’s complaint
| Alleged incident | Approx. date | Description of conduct | Source |
| Nobel Peace Prize lobbying | 9 October 2025 | Infantino posted on Instagram saying Trump definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in an Israel–Gaza ceasefire, which FairSquare calls an overt political endorsement. | |
| Miami business forum remarks | 2025 (earlier in year) | At a U.S. business event in Miami, Infantino reportedly described Trump as a really close friend and encouraged support for his policies, according to the complaint. | |
| FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup draw | 5–6 December 2025 | During the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, Infantino awarded Trump the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize on stage, praising his leadership and echoing White House claims about ending conflicts. | |
| Post-inauguration video message | January 2025 | In a video thanking Trump for inviting him to a pre-inauguration event, Infantino used language mirroring the Make America Great Again slogan, which FairSquare says aligns FIFA with Trump’s political brand. | |
FairSquare also questions whether Infantino had the authority to create the FIFA Peace Prize without a formal decision by the FIFA Council, arguing that such a move oversteps his powers under FIFA’s statutes. Reports cited in the complaint say several senior FIFA officials only learned of the prize from media coverage, suggesting they were neither consulted nor asked to approve criteria for the award.
FIFA’s neutrality rules
FIFA’s statutes state that the organization must remain neutral in political and religious matters, and Article 15 of its Code of Ethics requires officials to avoid promoting particular political leaders or causes in their official capacity. Violations of the neutrality obligation can lead to suspensions of up to two years from football-related activities if ethics investigators decide to open a case and uphold the complaint.
The complaint asks FIFA’s Ethics Committee to examine both Infantino’s public statements and the internal process that led to the creation of the peace prize, arguing that the award itself to a sitting political leader is inherently incompatible with neutrality. As of publication, FIFA and Infantino have not publicly confirmed whether the Ethics Committee has agreed to take the case forward or have offered substantive comment on the accusations.
Reactions from rights groups
FairSquare’s move follows days of criticism from human rights organizations, which argue that honoring Trump clashes with his record on human rights, migration, and foreign policy. Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups have said that FIFA is openly flouting its own rules and values by presenting Trump as a symbol of peace and unity on a global football stage.
Nicholas McGeehan, director at FairSquare, said the case is about more than Infantino’s personal support for Trump, arguing it exposes broader weaknesses in FIFA’s governance that allow the president to act without sufficient checks and balances. Commentators in European and U.S. media have warned that the episode risks further eroding public trust in FIFA’s reforms after past corruption scandals, just months before the politically sensitive, multi-country World Cup kicks off in North America.
What happens next
If FIFA’s Ethics Committee decides the complaint is admissible, investigators could open a formal case, gather evidence, and eventually recommend sanctions ranging from a warning to a temporary ban on Infantino taking part in football activities. Any action against the FIFA chief would carry major consequences for preparations for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where Infantino has positioned himself as a central figure in commercial, political, and logistical planning.
Even if no sanctions follow, the controversy has already intensified scrutiny of the relationship between FIFA and powerful political leaders, especially when football events are staged in their countries. The Trump Peace Prize furore ensures that questions about neutrality, governance, and human rights will continue to shadow FIFA well beyond the final draw of the 2026 World Cup cycle.
