FIFA President Gianni Infantino under US Congressional Probe over Trump Ties FAST-MOVING
U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino demanding extensive documentation of any gifts, payments, benefits, and visitor logs linking FIFA with former President Donald Trump. The request covers FIFA’s lease of office space in New York’s Trump Tower (valued at roughly $600,000 per year), the awarding of a newly created “FIFA Peace Prize” to Trump, and any communications between the organization and the Trump administration.
Raskin also highlighted the controversy surrounding the reversal of a red‑card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after Trump called Infantino during the 2026 World Cup. FIFA maintains the disciplinary commission acted independently and without external influence. In response, Infantino published a 15‑page statement urging critics to “meditate, pray or watch a football match,” defending the tournament’s safety, citing billions of worldwide viewers, and emphasizing the joy and togetherness the event brought to fans across more than 200 nations.
The committee has set a deadline of 9 August for FIFA to provide the requested records and has asked Infantino to appear before the panel when he is in the United States.
Entities: Donald Trump · FIFA · Folarin Balogun · Gianni Infantino · Jamie Raskin · Trump Tower · U.S. House Judiciary Committee · United States House Judiciary Committee
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] FIFA leased office space in Trump Tower and awarded a FIFA Peace Prize to former President Donald Trump. (fifa_trump_links)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Gianni Infantino issued a 15‑page (approximately 900‑word) statement defending the 2026 World Cup. (infantino_defense_statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Infantino claimed the tournament was safe and attracted billions of viewers worldwide. (infantino_tournament_success)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Infantino urged critics to watch football instead of spreading hate. (infantino_critics_message)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Raskin's letter demanded a list of gifts to Trump, visitor logs for FIFA's New York and Miami offices, and preservation of communications. (raskin_requests)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Infantino faced criticism over visa issues for Iran, high ticket prices, and alleged Trump influence on a player ban. (infantino_criticisms)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The White House dismissed the Democratic probe as “lightweight”. (White House spokesperson)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote to Infantino requesting his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. (Raskin’s letter)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Infantino accused critics of spreading “hate and false rumors” about the World Cup. (Infantino’s statement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The 2026 FIFA World Cup was staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. (FIFA tournament description)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Infantino claimed the tournament attracted billions of viewers worldwide and was delivered safely. (multiple)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Raskin’s letter requested documents on gifts to Trump, the lease of FIFA office space in Trump Tower, visitor logs, and details of the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump. (multiple)