IOC Rejects Complaint Linking Infantino to Trump Intervention, Emphasizes Lack of Jurisdiction

The International Olympic Committee has formally dismissed a request to investigate a complaint against its member, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, over allegations that his interactions with U.S. President Donald Trump violated the Olympic movement's neutrality.

The trigger for the incident was the temporary suspension of a World Cup ban for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. Human rights organization FairSquare submitted a complaint to the IOC earlier this month, stating that the decision came after Trump personally called Infantino to request a review of a red card decision. Infantino is an IOC member, but an IOC spokesperson explained that since the complaint directly relates to FIFA's decision-making process and internal governance, the ethics committee found it lacked the jurisdiction to handle the matter.

“The IOC Ethics Committee has fully reviewed the FairSquare complaint,” a spokesperson said. “The Committee notes that, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, each International Federation retains its independence and autonomy in its governance. The IOC Code of Ethics applies to International Federations and their officials only in relation to their links with the IOC.”

“The Committee notes that the present complaint, including the part concerning the FIFA President, only concerns the Federation’s decisions regarding its governance and administration, including relations with governments, and the enforcement of its own sporting rules, none of which fall under the scope of the IOC Code of Ethics. Therefore, this complaint does not fall under the jurisdiction of the IOC Ethics Committee. FairSquare has been informed of this decision.”

“Beyond this complaint, and as recently reiterated by the IOC Session, the IOC will continue its efforts to strengthen good governance in the Olympic Movement and to work towards a clearer definition of the roles, responsibilities and accountability of each constituent body.” FairSquare was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.

In December, FairSquare also submitted another complaint against Infantino to the FIFA Ethics Committee’s investigatory chamber. That complaint involved four incidents, alleging that Infantino publicly expressed support for Trump's actions and policies. It also asked the ethics committee to investigate Infantino's role in promoting the establishment of a FIFA Peace Award and awarding it to Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony, and to verify whether these procedures complied with FIFA's rules of procedure. FairSquare said earlier this month it had received an acknowledgment of the complaint from the FIFA Ethics Committee but no further information since.

The complaint was filed before the Balogun incident caused an uproar. On July 5 local time, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced it had suspended the automatic one-match ban for the Monaco forward. The next day, Trump revealed he had personally lobbied Infantino to review the decision. Infantino insisted that FIFA committees operate independently, but the disciplinary committee did not explain the specific reason for the suspension. Foreign media reported that committee chairman Mohammed Al Kamali made the decision alone. UEFA issued a statement calling the handling of the Balogun case “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustified,” and its president, Aleksander Ceferin, reportedly skipped the final on Sunday in protest, expressing deep concern over several serious governance issues within FIFA.