IOC President Kirsty Coventry made the announcement during a press conference on the sidelines of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on 20/2. When asked about Infantino's presence at the event in Washington D.C., Coventry stated that the IOC was previously unaware one of its members would attend and hold such a prominent role at the meeting.

"I was unaware that we had an IOC member appearing in such a central position," Coventry said. "Now that journalists have informed us, we will review it. The Olympic Charter clearly outlines what is expected of members, and the IOC will further investigate the signing of documents announced at the event."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino at a session of the Peace Council in Washington D.C., US, on 19/2/2026. Photo: AP.

Infantino, in addition to his role as FIFA President, is also an IOC member. At the Peace Council meeting on 20/2 in Washington, he appeared alongside politicians. The council was founded by US President Donald Trump, with Vietnam participating. General Secretary To Lam attended the inaugural session and later met privately with Trump.

When Trump introduced the participants, stating they were all heads of state except Infantino, cameras showed the FIFA president wearing a red hat with "USA" and the numbers "45-47" printed on it. These numbers refer to Trump's two non-consecutive presidential terms.

At the event, Infantino announced that FIFA had signed a landmark cooperation agreement with the Peace Council. The meeting focused on discussing reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip. FIFA plans to build 50 mini-football pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five standard pitches in various districts, a modern football academy, and a new national stadium with a capacity of 20,000 seats.

The Olympic Charter stipulates that members must act independently of political and commercial interests, and must not accept instructions from any government or organization that could influence their freedom of action and voting. Coventry affirmed that the IOC would continue to maintain political neutrality. According to her, this is the only way to ensure fairness in competition.

Infantino has shown a close relationship with President Trump since the 79-year-old billionaire returned to the White House in 1/2025. In 12/2025, at the World Cup draw in Washington D.C., Infantino presented Trump with the FIFA Peace award.

Previously, in 11/2025, Miguel Maduro, former chairman of FIFA's Governance Committee, accused Infantino of "clearly violating" FIFA's neutrality rules after the Swiss leader appeared and spoke in support of Trump's political agenda. In a speech in Miami, Infantino once said, "we should support what Mr. Trump is doing."

The following month, the non-profit organization FairSquare filed a formal complaint with the FIFA Ethics Committee, alleging that Infantino repeatedly violated his political neutrality obligations. All four points raised by FairSquare concerned the relationship between the FIFA President and President Trump, including the awarding of the FIFA Peace award.

Reacting to the news of the IOC's investigation, Alex Bruesewitz, an advisor to President Trump, wrote on social media that targeting Infantino was absurd. "These people are crazy," Bruesewitz wrote. "Imagine targeting someone just because they are trying to help President Trump bring peace to the world. Infantino is the best FIFA president ever, and he is an even greater man."

Hoang An (via Athletic)