Gianni Infantino Under Fire: FIFA's "Donald Trump Peace Prize" Has Kicked Up A Global Storm

Gianni Infantino has never been a stranger to controversy, but this one is hitting differently. Barely a week after he stepped onto a glittering stage at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and handed Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, the FIFA president is now staring at a formal ethics complaint that goes right to the heart of the organisation's biggest rule: stay out of politics. The complaint comes from FairSquare, a well-known human-rights advocacy group, which has accused Infantino of "four clear breaches" of FIFA's neutrality code. Their point is straightforward: giving a peace prize to a sitting, polarising political leader-who is also actively campaigning-crosses a line FIFA has long claimed to police with ferocity.

The Complaint: A Direct Shot At Infantino's Authority

FairSquare's eight-page submission to the Ethics Committee isn't subtle. It alleges the award was created without proper approval, that Infantino had no authority to hand it out, and that doing so amounts to an "egregious abuse of power."

What's made it worse are Infantino's own words. On stage, with Trump beside him, he said, "You can always count on my support, Mr President," and "This is what we want from a leader."

For critics, that wasn't diplomacy-it was endorsement.

Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare's programme director, was blunt:

"This is about how FIFA's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways dangerous to the world's most popular sport."

Why It Matters - And Why It Looks Bad For FIFA

1. Neutrality Isn't Optional

FIFA loves to remind players and member federations that politics must stay out of football. Players have been fined for shirt messages. Teams have been warned for gestures. The stance has always been strict.

2. Timing That Couldn't Be Worse

The award came less than 24 hours after the Trump administration launched a deadly airstrike in the Caribbean. Critics immediately pointed out the clash: how does FIFA celebrate "peace" on the heels of military action?

3. This Didn't Come Out of Nowhere

Infantino has praised Trump publicly before. He's said on Instagram that Trump "definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize." He's spoken at a business forum saying, "We should all support what Trump is doing." He even posted a video after Trump's inauguration that FairSquare says signals political support.

4. The World Cup Needs Neutral Leadership

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico. With so many stakeholders-governments, federations, sponsors-FIFA's leadership is expected to stay above political currents.

What Happens Next

Now the ball moves to FIFA's Ethics Committee. FIFA's internal probes are rarely swift, and even more rarely dramatic. But this one has real traction-global coverage, major advocacy groups involved, and a growing chorus questioning how much power Infantino really wields.

Infantino, predictably, hasn't backed down. But the backlash this time feels sharper, more sustained, and more threatening to FIFA's credibility than anything he has faced in years.