BRUSSELS — Fifty members of the European Parliament called on FIFA to respond to an ethics complaint regarding President Gianni Infantino’s decision to award Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize. The MEPs sent a letter on Monday, June 29, 2026, urging FIFA to address allegations that Infantino breached the organization’s rules on political neutrality.

Gianni Infantino personally presented the FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2025. This action is central to the ethics complaint filed by the advocacy group FairSquare with FIFA’s Ethics Committee in December 2025. The correspondence from the MEPs was circulated to FIFA’s Council, general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, and FIFA’s investigatory chamber.

FairSquare accused Infantino of repeated breaches of FIFA’s Code of Ethics through public comments and actions relating to Trump. FairSquare focuses on governance, labor rights, and political accountability in sport. The group argues that Infantino’s conduct amounted to a clear political endorsement. The complaint alleges four breaches of FIFA’s neutrality obligations, including Infantino’s public praise of Trump, comments at a U.S. business forum where he described Trump as a close friend, and a social media post where he appeared to endorse Trump-era political slogans.

FairSquare received backing from the Norwegian Football Association. Lise Klaveness, President of the Norwegian Football Association, criticized the lack of consultation with FIFA’s Council. She issued a warning that neutrality rules may have been compromised.

The FIFA Peace Prize was unveiled during the World Cup draw in Washington D.C. In January 2025, Infantino allowed President Trump to give the Club World Cup title to Chelsea captain Reece James. The MEPs’ letter stresses that FIFA must demonstrate its commitment to fairness, equality, and respect for human dignity. The letter also calls for full transparency regarding how the prize was conceived and awarded.

Signatories to the letter include MEPs from Ireland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia, and Luxembourg. Among the organizers of the letter are Irish MEP Barry Andrews, Dutch MEP Lara Wolters, and Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang.

Why It Matters

This organized action by European Parliament members highlights concerns about political neutrality within FIFA, the international governing body of association football. The call for an investigation into Infantino's conduct by multiple MEPs, following an ethics complaint from FairSquare, brings increased scrutiny to FIFA's ethical standards and its commitment to avoiding political endorsement. The involvement of the Norwegian Football Association further expands the scope of these concerns within the broader football community.