FIFA President's Actions Trigger Ethics Alarm as IOC Intervenes
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has spoken out regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s involvement in the launch of the Board of Peace, an initiative spearheaded by United States President Donald Trump.
Coventry affirmed that the IOC would “investigate” Infantino’s actions, given that all IOC members are bound by oath to act independently of political interests. Both Infantino and Coventry are among the 107 IOC members obligated to uphold the principle of political neutrality.
Trump held the Board of Peace launch event in Washington DC on Thursday local time. During the event, Infantino attended and signed a partnership on behalf of FIFA, potentially channelling up to US$75 million towards football projects in Gaza.
Infantino’s presence at the event immediately drew scrutiny. In recent years, FIFA has been perceived as growing increasingly close to the US government. In the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, Infantino has attended Trump’s inauguration, made several visits to the White House, and travelled to Mar-a-Lago.
The United States is set to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with the tournament featuring a 104-match format beginning on 11 June.
“The Olympic Charter is very clear about what is expected of its members. We will examine the alleged signing of that document,” Coventry said at her final press conference at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Coventry admitted she was initially unaware that Infantino had featured prominently in the Board of Peace event. “Now that media colleagues have brought this to our attention, we will look into it further,” she said.
The IOC itself counts members from diverse backgrounds, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.
Indonesia is also represented in IOC membership through Erick Thohir, who currently serves as Minister of Youth and Sports. The IOC had previously reprimanded Indonesia over its stance rejecting the participation of Israeli athletes at the Gymnastics World Championships.
Meanwhile, Coventry herself has a political background. She previously served as sports minister in Zimbabwe before being elected last March as the first female president in the IOC’s history.