FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Awarding Peace Prize to Donald Trump

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under scrutiny following allegations that he violated FIFA's principle of political neutrality by awarding the FIFA Peace Prize to former U.S. President Donald Trump. This controversial decision has prompted the nonprofit organization FairSquare to file a formal complaint against Infantino, accusing him of breaching FIFA's Code of Ethics on multiple occasions.

FairSquare highlights that Infantino publicly supported Trump at least four times, including advocating for Trump's Nobel Peace Prize candidacy in an Instagram post, participating in the America Business Forum where he criticized Trump's adversaries, justifying the Peace Prize during the World Cup draw by stating Trump had "stopped seven wars," and attending a Republican rally supporting Trump's presidential return.

The awarding of the Peace Prize itself was contentious, notably lacking a jury or clear regulation, with many top FIFA officials reportedly unaware of the award until it was announced. Under FIFA's governance structure, the independent Ethics Committee has the authority to investigate and possibly sanction Infantino, potentially imposing a suspension of up to two years from football-related activities.

This episode raises pressing questions about FIFA's commitment to political neutrality and the processes behind its honors. The Ethics Committee's forthcoming actions will be closely watched by the global football community.