FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s public support for Donald Trump and a peace prize awarded to the US president are the subjects of formal complaints to the global soccer body’s ethics investigators.<\/p>\n
FairSquare, a London-based human rights nonprofit, said on Tuesday it filed requests for investigations into Infantino’s alleged breaches of FIFA’s statutory duty to be politically neutral.<\/p>\n
FIFA said its ethics committee did not comment on potential ongoing cases, and could not confirm receiving the complaint.<\/p>\n
FIFA’s ethics code calls for a ban from soccer of up to two years for violating the duty of neutrality, though it is unclear if the case will be taken up.<\/p>\n
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Infantino and Trump take a selfie together during the World Cup draw last week. (Getty Images: Emilee Chinn)<\/p>\n
The FIFA-appointed current ethics investigators and judges are seen by some observers to operate with less independence than their predecessors a decade ago when then-president Sepp Blatter was removed from office.<\/p>\n
Infantino has expressed views this year backing Trump and his policies, including suggesting the US president deserved to get the Nobel Peace Prize, which he did not win.<\/p>\n
The FIFA leader also has closely aligned soccer with the United States government ahead of the men’s 2026 World Cup being co-hosted with Canada and Mexico. The tournament should earn more than $US10 billion for FIFA.<\/p>\n
Political leaders of all three co-hosts joined Infantino on stage to begin the World Cup tournament draw last Friday in Washington after Trump got the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.<\/p>\n