FIFA's Infantino targeted by complaint to Olympic ethics body after Trump lobbying on Balogun ban
Summary
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ethics body for possibly breaking rules about political neutrality. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump helped overturn a ban on U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play despite a red card.Key Facts
- President Trump intervened to lift the suspension of U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun after a red card.
- FIFA allowed Balogun to play against Belgium, which is unusual in World Cup history.
- A human rights group, FairSquare, is filing a complaint against Infantino for breaching political neutrality rules.
- Infantino has been an IOC member since 2020, making him subject to its rules.
- Infantino has close ties to President Trump and has supported Trump publicly.
- FairSquare also filed a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee about Infantino in December, but no update has been given.
- The Olympic body’s president confirmed watching the situation and may investigate if a complaint is filed.
- The controversy arose partly because the World Cup is hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and the U.S. will also host the 2028 Olympics.
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