Gianni Infantino Cleared by IOC as Donald Trump Complaint Rejected

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has declined to investigate FIFA president Gianni Infantino after a complaint accused him of breaching Olympic rules on political neutrality through his relationship with US President Donald Trump.

The complaint, filed by human rights campaign group FairSquare, stemmed from Infantino's interactions with Trump during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the controversial suspension of Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban following a phone call from the US president.

Why was the complaint filed?

FairSquare alleged that Infantino had violated the Olympic Charter by failing to maintain political neutrality, arguing that his conduct amounted to "clear expressions of support" for Trump.

The complaint centred on an incident during the World Cup when Trump publicly revealed he had called Infantino to request a review of Balogun's red card.

The United States striker had been sent off during a group-stage victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina and was due to miss the Round of 16 clash against Belgium through an automatic suspension.

However, FIFA later suspended the one-match ban for 12 months under a disciplinary provision that allows sanctions to be suspended. No further explanation for the decision was provided.

Balogun subsequently played in the knockout match, which the United States lost 4-1 to Belgium.

Why did the IOC reject the complaint?

The IOC said the matter did not fall within the jurisdiction of its Ethics Commission because it related to FIFA's governance and sporting decisions rather than conduct covered by the Olympic Code of Ethics.

"The current complaint, with regard to the FIFA president, refers only to the international federation's decisions on its governance and its management, including its relations with government, and to the international federation's implementation of the rules of its sport, which are both outside the scope of application of the IOC Code of Ethics," the IOC said in a statement.

Infantino has served as an IOC member since 2020.

Norwegian FA considering FIFA complaint

The IOC's decision comes a day after the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) confirmed it is considering submitting its own complaint to FIFA's Ethics Committee over Balogun's suspended ban.

NFF president Lise Klaveness said the federation viewed the decision with "strong concern", adding that its board will decide at its next meeting whether to proceed with a formal complaint.

The Norwegian federation has already lodged a separate complaint regarding FIFA's decision to award its inaugural Peace Prize to President Trump.

What does the Olympic Charter say?

Section 2 of the Olympic Charter states that IOC members "will not accept from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote."

While FairSquare argued Infantino's conduct breached that principle, the IOC concluded that the issues raised concerned FIFA's internal governance and disciplinary processes rather than matters governed by Olympic ethics rules.

The decision means the IOC will take no further action, although scrutiny of FIFA's handling of the Balogun suspension could continue if the Norwegian Football Federation proceeds with its proposed ethics complaint.