Gianni Infantino Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over Alleged Trump Links
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing fresh political pressure in the United States after senior Democratic lawmaker Jamie Raskin launched an investigation into the football chief’s relationship with President Donald Trump and his administration.
Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has formally requested that FIFA hand over documents detailing its interactions with Trump, members of his administration and the Trump family business. The congressman is also asking Infantino to take part in a recorded interview as part of the inquiry.
Among the records requested are communications relating to gifts, financial benefits or payments involving Trump and his associates, along with visitor logs for FIFA’s office inside Trump Tower in New York, which the governing body opened last year.
The investigation follows months of growing criticism over the close relationship between Infantino and Trump, particularly during the recent FIFA World Cup held across North America.
Questions first intensified after Trump received a newly introduced FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington. The award ceremony took place at the Kennedy Center, where reports claimed renovations were accelerated to prepare for the event.
Attention increased further during the tournament when Trump reportedly contacted Infantino several times, urging FIFA to reconsider the suspension handed to United States forward Folarin Balogun following a controversial red card before the Americans’ Round of 16 clash against Belgium.
FIFA later overturned Balogun’s suspension, allowing him to return to action. While the governing body maintained its decision-making process was independent, the reversal sparked criticism from rival teams and football associations, many of whom questioned whether political influence had played a role.
The controversy continued through to the World Cup final, where Trump joined Infantino and the leaders of Canada and Mexico during the trophy presentation after Spain defeated Argentina. Both Trump and Infantino were met with loud boos from sections of the crowd when they entered the pitch.
In his letter, Raskin argued that Infantino had failed to deliver the clean break from FIFA’s troubled past that many expected when he became president following the corruption scandals that rocked world football in 2015.
The congressman claimed FIFA’s internal ethics safeguards had been weakened under Infantino’s leadership, making the organisation less transparent and more vulnerable to political influence. He also cited comments from legal experts and former FIFA ethics officials who criticised the governing body’s relationship with the Trump administration.
Raskin’s investigation also focuses on FIFA’s controversial World Cup ticketing system. Dynamic pricing, which caused ticket costs to rise sharply depending on demand, attracted widespread criticism from supporters during the tournament and is already being examined by several US state attorneys general.
According to Raskin, the pricing model unfairly affected fans and may have amounted to illegal price-gouging and deceptive sales practices.
The lawmaker has given FIFA until 9 August to provide the requested documents and arrange Infantino’s interview. However, because Democrats do not control the House of Representatives, Raskin cannot compel Infantino to appear unless he receives Republican backing.
Despite the growing political pressure, Infantino has publicly defended both himself and FIFA. In a lengthy series of posts on Instagram, the FIFA president dismissed criticism as misinformation and hate, insisting that the World Cup had been a major success.
Infantino also continues to enjoy strong backing within world football. More than 200 FIFA member associations have already endorsed him ahead of the organisation’s presidential election next March.
Nevertheless, opposition remains. The Norwegian Football Federation is preparing to submit a formal complaint to FIFA’s ethics investigators regarding Trump’s reported involvement in the decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension.
The latest controversy comes as FIFA continues to strengthen its relationship with the United States. The country is expected to serve as the main host of the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while speculation is growing that the US could also bid to stage the 2038 men’s tournament following the commercial success of this year’s competition.
With Congress now seeking answers and scrutiny over FIFA’s political connections intensifying, Infantino could face one of the biggest off-field challenges of his presidency in the months ahead.
