IOC declines to probe Infantino over Trump red card call
The International Olympic Committee has dismissed a complaint against Gianni Infantino, shielding the Fifa president from scrutiny over his reversal of a player's ban following direct pressure from Donald Trump.
The International Olympic Committee has refused to investigate Gianni Infantino, ruling that a complaint regarding his interactions with US President Donald Trump falls outside its ethical jurisdiction. Human rights group FairSquare had argued the Fifa president breached the Olympic charter's rules on political neutrality.
The complaint stemmed from the World Cup, where Trump admitted to calling Infantino to request a review of a red card issued to American striker Folarin Balogun. Instead of serving an automatic one-match ban that would have ruled him out of a last-16 tie against Belgium, Balogun's suspension was unusually lifted for 12 months. No explanation was provided beyond a generic rule allowing for suspended punishments. Belgium ultimately won the match 4-1.
As an IOC member since 2020, Infantino is bound by the organisation's charter, which explicitly forbids members from accepting government mandates that interfere with their independence. However, the IOC stated its ethics commission cannot rule on the matter. "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," it said.
The IOC's decision to step back leaves a vacuum of accountability at the highest levels of international sport. It shifts the burden of challenging Fifa's institutional independence squarely onto European football authorities.
The Norwegian Football Federation is now preparing to fill that void. NFF president Lise Klaveness told the BBC the federation viewed the sudden reversal of Balogun's ban with "strong concern". The NFF will decide at its upcoming board meeting whether to file a formal complaint with Fifa's own ethics committee.
This potential challenge follows a separate NFF complaint regarding Fifa's decision to award its inaugural Peace Prize to Trump. Together, the actions signal growing European unease with the blurring of lines between global football governance and geopolitical influence. Fifa has been contacted for comment.
