The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says that the sports organization will launch a review into FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Friday, after allegations of a potential breach of the terms of the body’s charter.
The IOC’s charter, which operates as an international athletic umbrella that includes FIFA, states that members must act independently of political and commercial interests, and is restricted from accepting “from governments, organizations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote.”
On Thursday, Infantino appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Board of Peace, where Infantino was also seen adorning a ‘Trump U.S.A. hat’ labeled with ‘45-47’ emblem, referring to the president’s non-consecutive terms in office.
Infantino announced that the FIFA organization will participate in a three-stage plan to support the reconstruction and development of Gaza following a brutal, almost three-year war with Israel after launching a daring raid into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said during a press conference at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, that she wasn’t “aware of that, that we had an IOC member front and centre” at the Board of Peace meeting, adding, “... we will go back and have a look at it. The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents.”
Infantino has a history of links with the U.S. president, sparking controversy with international sports bodies in December 2025 after awarding President Trump the inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
In November of that same year, Infantino was also accused of “clear violations” of FIFA neutrality rules by the former chairman of FIFA’s Governance Committee, Miguel Maduro, after stating, “we should all support what he (Trump) is doing.”
Critics claim that the statement was in reference to the U.S. president’s political agenda. Infantino, however, denies any allegations of impropriety.
FIFA, in collaboration with the Board of Peace, which was formally established and endorsed by the United Nations in November, seeks to build 50 mini-pitches near local schools and residential areas inside the Gaza Strip, including five full-size football pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy, and a new 20,000-seat national stadium in the territory, according to the football governing body.
