FIFA President accused of breaking rule after Donald Trump meeting

Feb 20, 2026 - 12:30

FIFA World Cup 2026 is just a few months away and is set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico this year. However, ahead of the event, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has displayed a special bond with USA President Donald Trump, while a similar friendship is absent with Mexico and Canada’s leaders.

Recently, Infantino’s loyalty toward Trump became more evident when he was spotted in Trump’s first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. These raised questions about Infantino’s objectivity and political standing.

Representatives from over 45 countries were expected to attend the Board of Peace meeting. However, the invitations were rejected by several key U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Although Infantino was spotted attending the meeting wearing an iconic red hat with the word “USA” in the front and the numbers 45-47, signifying Trump’s run as the USA President. At one point during the meeting, Trump also expressed his love for Infantino’s job. “Virtually everyone [here] is the head of a country, other than Gianni, but he’s the head of soccer, so that’s not so bad, right Gianni? I like your job the best,” Trump said.

However, shortly after his attendance, the FIFA President was accused of breaking a few vital rules. Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles shared on social media, highlighting some of the rules that Infantino broke with his attendance.

“FIFA Code of Ethics, Article 14.3: ‘Persons bound by this Code shall appreciate the impact their conduct may have on FIFA’s reputation, and shall therefore behave in a dignified and ethical manner and act with complete credibility and integrity at all times,'” he said.

“Article 15.1: ‘In dealings with government institutions, national and international organisations, associations and groupings, persons bound by this Code shall, in addition to observing the basic rules of article 14, remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs, and generally act in a manner compatible with their function and integrity.’” It is currently unknown whether FIFA plans to take action on this or not.