Kenneth Glad
The dispute places sport, politics and governance in the same arena. At its centre is a question about whether football’s most powerful institution follows its own rules.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed calls for scrutiny from 50 members of the European Parliament, who want the organisation’s ethics committee to examine whether he breached rules on political neutrality, writes Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
The request centres on FIFA’s first peace prize, which was awarded to Donald Trump during the World Cup draw in December. The letter was sent by parliamentarians, not by the EU as an institution, but it signals growing political concern over how FIFA is being led.
Lawmakers question FIFA’s independence
According to NRK, the lawmakers are backing a formal complaint from FairSquare, a human rights and sports governance organisation. The group argues that the award and Infantino’s public support for Trump raise serious questions about FIFA’s neutrality obligations.
Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang told the broadcaster: “I hope the European associations will speak up, because we have now reached a point where FIFA has gone completely off track under Infantino.”
The issue is broader than one prize ceremony. FIFA’s ethics rules are meant to keep the global game separate from partisan politics and protect the organisation from being used to promote powerful leaders or governments.
That concern has appeared before. In 2024, several European parliamentarians criticised FIFA over the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
The latest letter says those concerns were not properly addressed and also points to FIFA’s later sponsorship agreement with Aramco.
Earlier warnings resurface
NRK has also brought renewed attention to Miguel Maduro and Joseph Weiler, two former FIFA oversight figures involved in reform efforts after the corruption crisis that preceded Infantino’s presidency.
Both have argued that FIFA’s internal system makes reform difficult because power is concentrated at the top and independent checks can be weakened from within.
Weiler said: “Without outside influence, nothing will happen. The EU has the power and competence to do something about it, but they do nothing. I am very disappointed by that.”
The dispute has also exposed differences among Nordic football officials. Norwegian football president Lise Klaveness has criticised the peace prize, while Danish football president Jesper Møller has argued that football leaders should not take positions on foreign policy.
Fuglsang rejected that argument, saying the matter has already been politicised by FIFA’s own leadership: “If he does not want to be political, then I have bad news for him, because he already is.”
Fuglsang has not ruled out future European rules on human rights or anti-corruption standards if football’s own institutions fail to respond. For now, the central question is whether FIFA’s ethics committee will open a formal investigation.
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment from NRK.
Sources: NRK
