FIFA President Gianni Infantino Summoned By Congress Over Trump Connection

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny over his ties to Donald Trump after being summoned by Congress.

The summons comes after the football official raised eyebrows for months with comments about his relationship with Trump, presenting the president with a peace prize and becoming embroiled in a red card controversy involving the U.S. team during the World Cup.

Infantino has yet to respond to the summons. However, he has denounced his detractors and critics of the World Cup in a lengthy Instagram post.

Congress is officially taking a look at Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump following the launch of an investigation by Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

In a letter, Raskin summoned Infantino to sit for a transcribed interview with the committee, where the FIFA boss is expected to face a range of questions about his ties to the president, should he accept the invitation.

Infantino was also asked to provide documents and communications indicating whether FIFA has received any incentives from Trump or his associates, as well as visitor logs for FIFA’s office space in Trump Tower. Raskin further wrote that Infantino has until August 9 to schedule the interview and submit the requested documents.

Raskin Levels Corruption Claims Against FIFA

Beyond the requests made in the letter, Raskin leveled a series of scathing accusations against Infantino.

He claimed the FIFA president failed to break away from the organization’s “decades-long culture of corruption and scandals” after taking office.

Instead, according to Raskin, Infantino further entrenched that culture by removing most members of the organization’s ethics committee. He argued that doing so weakened oversight and enabled Infantino’s close dealings with the Trump administration.

Raskin also pointed to the use of dynamic pricing during the World Cup as another example of what he characterized as corruption tied to Infantino’s association with Trump.

“FIFA has taken its newfound favored status in the Trump administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price-gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup,” Raskin wrote.

Trump Friendship Returns To Haunt Gianni Infantino

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The scrutiny from Raskin and the committee comes as little surprise. On several occasions in recent months, Infantino has appeared to defend Trump in interviews, describing him as a close friend rather than maintaining the political neutrality expected of the head of football’s governing body.

Trump has also publicly acknowledged their friendship and even suggested he has used it to his advantage. In one viral interview, he claimed he called Infantino to review the red card shown to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following Trump’s remarks, Infantino confirmed they had spoken but insisted the conversation had nothing to do with FIFA’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on Balogun.

Infantino Fires Back At World Cup Critics

For now, it remains unclear whether Infantino will honor the summons or provide the requested documents.

However, in a lengthy Instagram post, he lashed out at his detractors, including those who have criticized FIFA and the 2026 World Cup.

“You were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the Swiss native wrote, accusing critics of hiding behind their screens and publications to spread what he described as hatred and false rumors.

“We at FIFA are on the front lines organizing, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world. We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness,” Infantino added.

Gianni Infantino Defends Red Card Decision Again

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In the post, Infantino also referenced the red card controversy, arguing that the decision to overturn the red card should not have sparked such an uproar.

“Potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide. It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticizing,” he wrote.

Infantino also criticized those who have repeatedly highlighted cases involving individuals denied U.S. visas, including Somali referee Omar Artan.

He claimed those denied visas represented only a small fraction of applicants and argued that his detractors had overlooked the millions who were granted entry from all parts of the world.