Over 100,000 People Join Complaint Against Gianni Infantino

More than 100,000 people have added their names to a complaint against Gianni Infantino, alleging that the FIFA president has, at a minimum, abused his power, violated his duty of political neutrality, and violated his duty of loyalty through interactions with Donald Trump. The Reboot FIFA campaign was launched before the World Cup, aiming to deliver what is claimed to be the biggest complaint FIFA has ever received regarding the organization’s alleged governance failings.

The scope of the complaint has expanded to include the overturned red card awarded to Folarin Balogun during the tournament and the halted FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme. The complaint was submitted on Tuesday to FIFA’s ethics committee, and in a supporting letter, the organizers of Reboot FIFA, the advocacy group Fair Square, urged the committee to take decisive action.

An earlier complaint submitted in December of the previous year had failed to elicit a response from the committee but has since garnered support from the Norwegian football federation and 50 European parliamentarians. Fair Square stated, "The fact that 100,000 individuals added their names to this call for accountability is clear evidence of mounting public concern." They emphasized that the ethics committee, as the independent judicial body responsible for upholding the "integrity and reputation of football," must act with appropriate haste, transparency, and rigor.

The letter details eight incidents that constitute the foundation of the Reboot FIFA complaint, alleging compelling evidence that Infantino has abused his power and breached his political neutrality and loyalty while attempting to establish a rapport with the U.S. President. These incidents include the Balogun affair, in which Trump acknowledged requesting FIFA to reassess the red card issued to the U.S. striker, alongside the FIFA Forward Enterprise scandal. The complaint also points to the awarding of the FIFA peace prize to Trump, Infantino’s involvement in Trump’s Board of Peace in the Middle East, and his commitment to work with Trump to "make not only America great again but also the entire world," actions interpreted by Fair Square as indicative of a failure to maintain political impartiality.

FIFA, when contacted for comment, referred to a statement from a month ago that noted a concerted effort to undermine FIFA and its president. The statement argued that those lacking support from FIFA’s member associations should not attempt to achieve through allegations and misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.

On Sunday, FIFA confirmed Infantino's intention to stand for re-election for a fourth and final term next year, despite pressures from UEFA and criticism from the Asian confederation and Concacaf. UEFA has called for Infantino to step down and has recently announced an intent to pursue criminal claims in the U.S. regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise plans.