Gianni Infantino appears set to avoid punishment from the International Olympic Committee despite a formal complaint alleging he breached political neutrality rules over the Folarin Balogun red card affair. The human rights group FairSquare lodged the complaint after Donald Trump revealed he had personally called the Fifa president to seek a review of Balogun's suspension before the USA's World Cup last-16 match against Belgium, a ban that was then unexpectedly suspended for 12 months by Fifa's disciplinary committee. The case raises questions about Fifa's independence and Infantino's conduct as an IOC member, though the political and commercial realities of the relationship between the two bodies make sanctions unlikely.

IOC sources indicate strong reluctance to intervene in how an international federation applies its own rules, particularly given the growing commercial dependence of the Olympic movement on football's popularity ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Notably, neither Uefa nor the Royal Belgian Football Association has filed a complaint with the IOC, despite both having criticised the ruling, and Belgian officials appear ready to let the matter drop following their quarter-final exit to Spain. Infantino, who denies any wrongdoing, has also received endorsement letters from more than 200 of Fifa's 211 member associations ahead of next year's presidential election, suggesting his position remains secure.