Gianni Infantino Faces IOC Complaint Over Trump-Linked Red Card Intervention

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would not investigate a FairSquare complaint alleging FIFA president Gianni Infantino breached the Olympic Charter’s political‑neutrality rule after U.S. President Donald Trump called Infantino to request a review of striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic one‑match ban following a red card. The IOC stated the issue falls outside the scope of its ethics commission, which deals only with members’ conduct within the Olympic movement.

Infantino later posted a 15‑slide message on Instagram, accusing critics of “spreading hate” and defending the World Cup as a celebration of humanity. In the same communication he highlighted travel‑ban challenges faced by teams from Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, and noted ongoing investigations by U.S. state attorneys general into FIFA’s ticketing practices.