Gianni Infantino faces fresh FIFA storm as US lawmakers accuse him of ‘woefully inadequate’ cooperation

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny in the United States after Democratic lawmakers accused football’s world governing body of failing to adequately cooperate with an investigation into its relationship with President Donald Trump and his administration.

The Athletic reports that FIFA has not fulfilled key requests made by Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, including a request for documents and an appearance by Infantino before the committee.

Raskin demands FIFA records

Raskin wrote to Infantino in late July demanding records of FIFA’s contacts with Trump, his administration and the Trump Organization, giving the organisation until August 9 to respond.

His request came after a year in which Infantino’s relationship with Trump attracted increasing attention.

Raskin argued that FIFA’s $15 billion in World Cup revenue had been aided by what he described as a “favored” relationship with the administration.

The congressman also sought visitor logs from FIFA’s Miami and New York offices and instructed the organisation to preserve communications involving FIFA personnel and people connected to Trump’s administration, including messages sent through Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, X and Truth Social.

He further asked Infantino to appear for a transcribed interview.

A Democratic spokesperson told The Athletic: “FIFA has yet to turn over any priority documents requested by the Committee – including those that would show how much money FIFA has given the Trump family – answer key questions around the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize, or explain how the Kushner-Infantino scheme to sell of the World Cup was conceived. FIFA’s level of cooperation to date is woefully inadequate.”

Infantino’s Trump relationship under scrutiny

Infantino’s ties to Trump have been closely examined in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The FIFA president awarded Trump a newly created FIFA Peace Prize, moved FIFA’s New York office into Trump Tower and switched last December’s World Cup draw from Las Vegas to Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center, which had come under Trump’s control.

During the tournament, Trump also contacted Infantino over the suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun ahead of a knockout match against Belgium. FIFA later cleared Balogun to play, while insisting that the decision was made independently by its disciplinary committee.

Infantino subsequently faced another controversy after it emerged that he had secretly explored selling a stake in a commercial entity spun off from FIFA to Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

The development prompted calls from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani for Infantino to resign. He has instead maintained his intention to seek another term in March. He remains the only declared candidate, with challengers required to emerge by November 18.

FIFA says talks remain productive

Although Infantino has not appeared before the committee or provided the key documents requested, FIFA’s long-standing US legal representatives held an in-person briefing on Capitol Hill on August 19.

The meeting focused largely on Raskin’s questions about the US Department of Justice’s decision to dismiss indictments against defendants in long-running investigations into corruption in international football.

Raskin has also sought FIFA communications with US officials and members of Trump’s presidential transition since 2024.

He questioned why the Trump administration dropped a case involving Full Play Group and a Fox executive after convictions for wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies had been upheld on appeal.

Raskin linked the development to FIFA’s relationship with Trump, arguing that the organisation’s “newfound favored status” had benefited it while North America hosted the World Cup.

FIFA, however, rejected the suggestion that its cooperation has been inadequate.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA has had productive discussions with the House Staff. There has been no indication that they were anything other than pleased with our proactive engagement, and we look forward to addressing any of their remaining questions.”

Bigger scrutiny could await FIFA

Raskin currently lacks subpoena powers because Democrats are in the House minority. However, that could change after November’s midterm elections.

If Democrats regain control of the House, Raskin could become chairman of the Judiciary Committee and gain the authority to compel documents and testimony.

The potential shift could also have implications for FIFA ahead of the expected 2031 Women’s World Cup in the US, particularly because major FIFA tournaments require significant taxpayer-funded infrastructure, security and logistical support.

A Democratic source familiar with the investigation previously warned that oversight questions could quickly become formal investigations if subpoena powers change hands, urging FIFA to engage with lawmakers in good faith.