Fifa president Gianni Infantino called to appear before Congress over Trump ties
Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the US House judiciary committee, has opened an investigation into Fifa president Gianni Infantino, demanding documents that reveal the extent of Fifa's ties to Donald Trump and his administration. The move follows growing scrutiny of the relationship between football's governing body and the US president, which intensified over the course of this year's World Cup and raises questions about undue political influence over the sport and its handling of fan-facing issues such as ticketing.
Raskin's letter requests records of gifts, payments or benefits given to Trump and his associates, plus visitor logs for Fifa's office in Trump Tower, which the organisation acquired last year, and asks Infantino to sit for a transcribed interview. It cites episodes including Trump's "Fifa peace prize" at the World Cup draw, his intervention in the reversal of a red-card ban on US player Folarin Balogun, his appearance at the trophy presentation, and the Justice Department's dropping of long-running corruption indictments against former Fifa officials. Raskin also linked the inquiry to Fifa's contentious dynamic ticket pricing, already under investigation by several US state attorneys general, accusing Fifa of exploiting its favoured status with the White House to overcharge fans.
- Congress investigates Fifa's Infantino over close ties to Trump.
- Raskin demands records on gifts, Trump Tower office, dropped DoJ indictments.
- Inquiry also covers Fifa's criticised World Cup dynamic ticket pricing.
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Fifa is the international governing body for association football, overseeing competitions including the World Cup. Gianni Infantino has been its president since 2016. The organisation's relationship with US president Donald Trump came under scrutiny during this year's World Cup, raising questions about the scope of its ties to the administration.
Trump received a "Fifa peace prize" at the World Cup draw and intervened to reverse a ban on a US player. Around the same time, the Justice Department dropped long-running corruption charges against former Fifa officials, and Fifa opened an office in Trump Tower, the president's property in New York.
Beyond questions of political influence, Fifa faces scrutiny for its use of dynamic ticket pricing, which allows prices to increase with demand and can significantly raise costs for fans. Critics contend that Fifa has exploited its apparent closeness to the Trump administration to avoid normal consumer protections on tickets. Regulators worry that this relationship has enabled the organisation to prioritise profit over fan interests.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Congressional oversight is warranted because FIFA's acquisition of Trump Tower offices, combined with specific decisions favouring the organisation such as the red-card reversal and the Justice Department's dropping of long-standing corruption indictments, creates a pattern suggesting potential quid pro quo corruption. Investigating whether political access enabled FIFA to exploit fans through dynamic pricing represents appropriate accountability in both sports governance and consumer protection.
The case against
The investigation risks conflating normal political engagement with corruption; sports organisations routinely meet with world leaders, FIFA's choice to occupy prestigious office space reflects ordinary business practice, and individual sporting decisions are unlikely to reflect hidden agreements. Prosecutorial decisions about historical indictments represent standard legal discretion, and pursuing this investigation may reflect partisan motivations rather than genuine legal concerns about FIFA's operations.