London-based human rights and sports group Fair Square announced it will file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging he helped U.S. President Donald Trump block a World Cup player's suspension.
The group argued that Infantino's intervention violated the principle of political neutrality. In a statement, Fair Square said, "We will file a complaint with the IOC over FIFA President Gianni Infantino's repeated violations of political neutrality rules."
The incident began when President Trump took credit for FIFA's unprecedented decision in modern World Cup history to allow U.S. forward Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium on the same day despite receiving a red card in the previous match. Trump had claimed the achievement on Monday.
In the match that followed the decision, Belgium defeated the U.S. 4-1 in Seattle. The Belgian team appeared affected by the storm surrounding the decision.
The International Olympic Committee defines the political neutrality of sports organizations as "one of the fundamental principles of the Olympic movement." Infantino has been subject to the IOC's jurisdiction since joining its more than 100 invited members in 2020.