Skip to the story
All stories

FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties

Human rights group FairSquare alleges abuse of power and breaches of duty linked to Donald Trump.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Ist als FIFA-Präsident umstritten: Gianni Infantino. (Archivbild) Foto: Sam Hodde/AP/dpa

What this story says

  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces a new complaint filed by the human rights organization FairSquare with the FIFA Ethics Commission.
  • The complaint, signed by over 100,000 people, alleges Infantino abused his power and violated his duties of political neutrality and loyalty.
  • FairSquare claims the allegations are linked to Infantino's interactions with former US President Donald Trump, citing the Balogun affair and a proposed investor deal.
  • Infantino has denied any influence from Trump on his actions.

Who covered it

Left 40%(8)Centre 20%(4)Right 40%(8)

Percentages are shares of the 20 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 37 of the 57 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

59/100

Hype

65/100

57 sources · methodology

The human rights organization FairSquare has lodged a complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the FIFA Ethics Commission. The complaint alleges that Infantino has abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and breached his duty of loyalty. Over 100,000 individuals have signed the complaint.

According to FairSquare, the allegations stem from Infantino's interactions with former US President Donald Trump. The complaint references specific incidents, including the Balogun affair and a proposed investor deal for the marketing of World Cups. Infantino has consistently denied that Trump influenced his actions.

Disagreement on specific allegations

Saarbrücker Zeitung, citing the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, reported that four of the eight incidents mentioned were part of a previous complaint filed in December 2025. This earlier complaint was submitted after the controversial awarding of a FIFA peace prize to Trump. Saarbrücker Zeitung also detailed Infantino's role in the Balogun affair, where a US striker's ban was withdrawn after a call from Trump, and a plan to sell World Cup marketing rights to private investors, including Joshua Kushner, whose brother is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka. This plan was halted due to public outcry. Other reports do not detail these specific incidents or the history of previous complaints.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the specific details of the Balogun affair or the proposed investor deal that were included in the full report from Saarbrücker Zeitung. Similarly, none of the centre-rated digests provide these specific details. The right-rated digests also do not mention the Balogun affair or the investor deal.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 8 Sept 2026, 22:00, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

8 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports led on the number of signatures and the core allegations against Infantino. Multiple outlets highlighted that over 100,000 people signed the complaint. The accusations of abuse of power, violation of political neutrality, and breach of loyalty were consistently mentioned. Several reports also specified that the complaint was related to Infantino's ties with Donald Trump. The Hindu noted that 'more than one lakh people want FIFA to investigate Infantino-Trump ties'. Breaking News and The Independent stated that the Fifa president 'has abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and violated his duty of loyalty' through his interactions. Irish Examiner reported that the letter alleges the Fifa president ‘has abused his power’.

Centre

4 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the complaint filed by FairSquare and its connection to Donald Trump. Reuters reported that 'More than 100,000 people have signed a complaint demanding that FIFA investigate President Gianni Infantino for alleged breaches of the world soccer governing body's code of ethics related to his connections with U.S. President Donald Trump'. Saarbrücker Zeitung and Volksfreund.de reported on the complaint to the Ethics Commission against FIFA boss Infantino, with Saarbrücker Zeitung providing more detail on the specific allegations and historical context, including the Balogun affair and the investor deal. WZ.de also reported on the complaint to the Ethics Commission.

Right

8 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports highlighted the large number of signatures and the accusations against Infantino, often linking them directly to Donald Trump. The Sun stated that 'More than 100,000 people have signed a complaint against Fifa boss Gianni Infantino'. Sapo reported that the 'Relationship with Trump Puts Infantino Under Pressure: over 100,000 Demand Investigation From FIFA President'. Il Tempo's headline read 'Fifa, over 100,000 Signatures Against Infantino: "He Abused His Power with Trump"'. Libertad Digital reported that Infantino 'Is Denounced Before the Ethics Commission for Abusing His Power to Please Trump'. BT noted that Infantino 'Receives New Complaint After Trump Episodes'. Die Presse and Kronen Zeitung also reported on the complaint to the Ethics Commission, with Kronen Zeitung quoting 'Convincing Evidence!'.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties?
Of the 20 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 40% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 40% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 57. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 20 rated outlets on this story, 40% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 40% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties biased?
FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties is one event reported by 57 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered FIFA President Infantino Faces Ethics Complaint Over Trump Ties?
57 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is the complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino?
The human rights organization FairSquare has filed a complaint with the FIFA Ethics Commission against Gianni Infantino. The complaint alleges that Infantino abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and breached his duty of loyalty, with the allegations linked to his interactions with former US President Donald Trump.
How many people have signed the complaint?
Over 100,000 people have signed the complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This large number of signatures underscores the significant public backing for the allegations raised by the human rights organization FairSquare.
What specific incidents are mentioned in relation to the complaint?
The complaint references incidents related to former US President Donald Trump, including the Balogun affair and a proposed investor deal for the marketing of World Cups. Infantino has denied any influence from Trump on his actions.

Read it at the source

57 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

8

Centre

4

Right

8

Not rated

37
Show 29 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Infantino ethics complaint | MediaBias News