Fifty members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s awarding of a “Peace Award” to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The lawmakers, backing a December application by the human rights organisation FairSquare, demanded in a letter sent Monday that FIFA conduct the investigation “as swiftly and seriously as possible.”
FairSquare stressed that this letter amounts to the most significant political intervention against the governance of world football since the European Parliament called for then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter to resign in 2015.
Led by Irish MEP Barry Andrews, Dutch MEP Lara Wolters and Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang, the signatories from 13 European countries come mainly from social democratic, liberal and green groups. The letter states: “With the world’s eyes turning to FIFA this summer, this step is an opportunity for FIFA to demonstrate its commitment to political neutrality, transparency and accountability.”
FairSquare accuses Infantino of violating Article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, which imposes a “duty of neutrality.” The organisation is demanding an inquiry into the circumstances of the “FIFA Peace Award” presented to Trump last November, whose criteria have not been disclosed.
FairSquare also criticised Infantino’s call in October for Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and his support for the U.S. President’s domestic policies. The group argued that “Infantino’s open endorsement of President Trump’s national and international political agenda threatens the integrity and reputation of football and FIFA.”
FIFA, meanwhile, did not respond to AFP’s question on the matter on Friday. The body had previously remained silent on FairSquare’s application and the criticism of the Peace Award.
Meanwhile, the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has begun. All three host nations have advanced to the round of 16: Canada will face Morocco, Mexico will play England, and the United States will take on Belgium.
