A leading Democratic US lawmaker has written to Gianni Infantino to ask him to appear before the House Judiciary Committee.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Committee, has requested that the FIFA chief be scrutinised over his relationship with president Donald Trump.
During the 2026 World Cup this summer, questions were raised around Infantino and Trump amid multiple controversies.
The US president admitted that he had called the FIFA boss to overturn Folarin Balogun’s suspension for their last-16 game.
FIFA then went on to announce Balogun was free to play against Belgium for the USA, with his ban suspended following an shock change of protocol.
That decision caused major backlash, and Infantino and FIFA were slammed, being accused of bending to Trump’s wishes.
On top of that, even before the World Cup, Infantino handed Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, while FIFA have used office space in Trump Tower in New York City.
Infantino and Trump relationship questioned
Now, due to those actions, Rep. Raskin is pushing FIFA to provide all records on its contact with President Trump by August 9.
A letter was sent on Sunday night and seen by The Athletic, who report that Raskin has requested Infantino to provide ‘a list of anything of value (including transfer of money, gifts, prizes, awards, or public appearances) given to President Trump, members of his Administration, or their family members, or any entity associated with them, such as The Trump Organization.’
It has also been requested that Infantino and FIFA provide visitor logs for FIFA’s Miami and New York City offices.
Raskin wrote that his letter ‘serves as notice’ for all communications to be preserved ‘between FIFA personnel and individuals affiliated with the Trump Administration or its inaugural committee — including disappearing messages exchanged on ephemeral communication platforms, such as Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, X, and Truth Social.’
And at the end of the letter, Raskin asks that Infantino appears for an interview with the House Judiciary Committee, questioning whether the relationship between FIFA and Trump has gone too far.
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Raskin also requests all FIFA documents and communications since 2024 with any US official, or anyone associated with the presidential transition before Trump returned to power.
He also claims that FIFA’s office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan might ordinarily retail for $600,000 per year.
And the letter reportedly reads: “These actions appear designed to induce President Trump and his Administration to make decisions in FIFA’s favour.”
As well as that, Raskin calls FIFA’s controversial ticketing policy into question, with fans complaining over misleading ticket locations, variable pricing and ‘higher-tiered’ tickets.
“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,” the letter is said to have read.
“FIFA also introduced dynamic pricing, leading to sharply higher prices for many games. Even once a fan buys a ticket, FIFA may, at its own discretion, move them into a worse seat in a worse section. This is plainly unlawful, anti-consumer conduct … But President Trump’s DOJ and Federal Trade Commission have sat idly by, doing nothing.”
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Raskin is unlikely to have the power to force Infantino to appear in front of the House Judiciary Committee as Democrats have the house minority – but it they take it back in November, further scrutiny could be coming the way of the FIFA president.
White House spokesman responds
The Athletic have also revealed a response from White House spokesman Davis Ingle in their report.
“Lightweight Jamie Raskin (is) a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” Ingle said. “No other president in history could have pulled off the historic feat that President Trump delivered for the American people and the world.
“Thanks to his bold vision and decisive leadership, the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars in revenue, created a massive economic boost across host cities, and delivered a safe, secure, and seamless experience for millions of fans and athletes from around the globe.
“It will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest and most successful sporting events in history.”
Infantino statement
The call for Infantino to appear before the House Judiciary Committee comes after he hit back at FIFA’s critics.
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He launched a scathing attack on Instagram, writing: “To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents, and parents come together for the beautiful game, I say sorry that the matches are now over and sorry that you missed all that joy and togetherness.
“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all.
“To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world.
“While you hide, we are exploring the streets of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, talking with fans, engaging with people and ensuring everyone’s safety.
“While you divide, we unite.”
Infantino suggested the World Cup experienced ‘no violence, no incidents, 100 per cent safety and security, only joy and happiness’.
And he also claimed seven million people from more than 200 countries attended matches this summer.
