Gianni Infantino accused of breaching FIFA ethics rules over comments involving President Trump

A non-profit organization has submitted a formal complaint to FIFA following the World Cup draw. The two-hour ceremony on Friday, Dec. 5, included multiple references to U.S. President Donald Trump, among them the presentation of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. During the event, FIFA said the award recognized Trump’s commitment to “promote peace and unity around the world.”

FairSquare, which filed the complaint, stated that the presentation of the prize, along with other actions during the ceremony, may breach FIFA’s political-neutrality policy. In its letter, the group asked the ethics committee to “investigate the circumstances surrounding the decision to introduce and award a FIFA Peace Prize and their conformity with FIFA’s procedural rules.”

The two leaders have met on several occasions in recent years, and it is common for FIFA presidents to meet with political leaders in different countries. During the draw, Infantino made several remarks about Trump from the stage.

“I’m a bit surprised sometimes when I read some negative comments [about President Trump]. I am not American, but as far as I understand, President Trump was elected in the United States of America and was quite clearly elected. When you are in such a great democracy as the United States of America, you should first of all respect the results of the election,” he said.

FairSquare’s complaint to FIFA said these remarks represented a political position and that they violated FIFA’s neutrality code.

The FIFA ethics code states that football’s governing body should remain politically neutral. It says: “FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion,” and “requires that all persons bound by the code remain politically neutral … in dealings with government institutions.”

Infantino has met with Trump on several occasions. He was invited to the presidential inauguration and has made visits to the Oval Office during Trump’s term.

The Peace Prize, presented to Trump during the draw, has come under consistent scrutiny, as it appeared to have been awarded unilaterally, without consultation of senior FIFA officials. According to reporting in The Athletic, numerous high ranking FIFA officials had no idea that the award existed, and has no role in its distribution before it was announced on Nov. 4. The award was revealed on the same day Infantino spoke at an event in the United States.