How FIFA became Trump’s political tool

The FIFA statutes are unambiguous. Article 4 states clearly that FIFA is neutral in matters of politics. This is not a suggestion but a binding obligation on every officeholder within the organisation, starting with its president. Yet, under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, this principle has been effectively expunged and the 2026 World Cup has laid bare the consequences.

Let us be direct: FIFA’s political neutrality no longer exists. What we are witnessing is an organisation that has allowed itself to become a vehicle for political interests, specifically, those of Donald Trump and his administration. The question is no longer whether this is happening. The question is why.

FIFA’s own governance framework demands independence from political interference. Yet, Infantino has repeatedly blurred the line between football administration and political allegiance. The awarding of the 2026 World Cup to a joint North American bid, with the United States as its centrepiece, was the first signal.

The subsequent expansion to 48 teams, widely criticised as diluting competitive quality, served a commercial and political logic far more than a sporting one: more games on American soil, more revenue, more visibility for a host nation whose political leadership views the tournament as a personal platform.

The most brazen example came in December 2025, when Infantino unilaterally created and presented an inaugural ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ to Trump. The award completely bypassed the 37-member FIFA Council –Infantino pulled the peace prize out of a magic hat and handed it to a man who ordered military strikes on 10 countries.

If Infantino subverted his organisation into another servile body pandering to Trump, the principle of political neutrality has no meaning whatsoever.

Trump has treated this World Cup not as a celebration of global football but as an extension of his political brand. The competition has brought people together despite Trump, who has repeatedly demonstrated a tenuous grip on what sport means for people, let alone the rules of football.

A man averse to rules, he seemingly faced no opposition by Infantino to overrule a red card benefiting the US team against Belgium. The Belgian team went on to win and I, for one, enjoyed the ensuing schadenfreude.

Infantino’s position as FIFA president is not tenable- David Casa

The evidence suggests that the structural reforms Infantino has championed – the expanded World Cup, the revised calendar, the Club World Cup – are surely not neutral administrative decisions. They are calculated moves that weaken UEFA and European football’s influence within the global game.

Europe’s leagues, clubs and federations have been vocal in their opposition, yet, concerns remained unheard. The balance of power is being deliberately shifted and it is no coincidence that this shift benefits the political and commercial interests closest to Infantino’s allies.

Why has Infantino placed himself so consistently in alignment with Trump’s agenda? What does this relationship offer him that justifies the erosion of FIFA’s foundational principles? These are not rhetorical questions. They demand answers – from Infantino, from the FIFA Council and from every member association that claims to uphold the values written into the statutes they signed.

Infantino’s position as FIFA president is no longer tenable. His leadership does not represent strength but weakness. A leader who cannot stand independent of political power, who cannot uphold the very statutes he is sworn to protect and who cannot say no to a politician treating world football as a personal stage is not leading at all. He is following. And football deserves better.

It must be acknowledged that Infantino may have taken decisions that benefited smaller football associations, including Malta’s own MFA. But this no longer justifies support. When the fundamental principles of the organisation are being violated, no amount of goodwill towards smaller nations can serve as cover. Infantino does not deserve the support of any country in Europe. Malta included.

As an MEP, I believe the European Union cannot remain silent. Sport governance falls within the scope of EU interest when it intersects with political manipulation, transparency and the rule of law. I call on FIFA to reaffirm its commitment to political neutrality and not in words but in action.

The repercussions of flagrant corruption are discouraging. UEFA and European member associations should demand an independent review of FIFA’s governance under Infantino. And MEPs are recognising that when the world’s largest sporting organisation becomes a political tool, it is a matter that concerns us all.

Football belongs to the people. It is time we took it back.

David Casa is a Nationalist Party MEP.