FIFA had long been characterized by staying away from political situations throughout its history, but now it appears to have taken a turn. On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the president of world soccer’s governing body, Gianni Infantino, was seen at the first meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C.
The meeting was created to end the war in Gaza, and various global figures gathered in hopes of reaching a ceasefire. More than 45 representatives from countries around the world were present.
Major allies of the United States were also expected to attend, but the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declined the invitation. There were also no Palestinian delegates present, although Israel did send representatives.
Gianni Infantino attended the meeting
Several attendees were given red caps with the word U.S.A. on them. On the sides, the numbers 45-47 could be seen, a reference to Trump’s two presidencies. The FIFA president briefly put on the cap.
This is considered a clear violation of section 5 of FIFA’s code of ethics, which states that individuals subject to it must remain politically neutral.
It is worth recalling that during the previous World Cup draw, Infantino appeared very close to Trump, turning the tournament into something never seen before-overly political, while seemingly trying to please the president of the United States in every way.
It should also be remembered that in December 2025, the nonprofit human rights association FairSquare, based in London, filed an ethics complaint with FIFA for breaking the organization’s code of conduct.
This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda. More broadly, this is about how FIFA’s absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organization’s rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.
Said Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s program director.
Gianni Infantino gives Trump Peace Prize
As mentioned, the World Cup draw took place in December, and during the event, Trump was given a non-existent trophy, which triggered a massive wave of criticism toward world soccer’s governing body and its president.
I want to thank Gianni and FIFA for all the wonderful things they did and are doing.
They gave me their first peace prize. They gave me a peace prize. I think they saw that I got screwed by Norway and they said let’s give him a peace prize.
Trump said.
Today, Gianni Infantino once again finds himself in the eye of the storm after politicizing a tournament that had long remained distant from such scenarios.
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