FairSquare, a UK-based human rights and governance watchdog that monitors issues around political repression, corruption, and accountability in global institutions, has petitioned FIFA’s ethics committee to investigate the football governing body’s President, Gianni Infantino, over his breach of political neutrality regulations.

According to the FIFA Code of Ethics (Article 15 – Duty of Neutrality), FIFA officials must remain neutral in matters of politics and religion. They are prohibited from making political endorsements or using FIFA platforms to promote political figures.

This comes after Infantino awarded the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump, the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC, last week, as well as subsequent comments during media appearances, which suggest his support for the president.

Consequently, after the FIFA president’s Infantino, awarded Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize and publicly endorsed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, he has been accused of political bias.

In a letter of complaint sighted by BBC Sport, the human rights group alleged that Infantino has “committed four clear breaches” of FIFA’s neutrality rules.

“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is, in and of itself, a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality. The FIFA president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation’s mission, strategic direction, policies and values.”

According to BBC Sport, it has reached out to FIFA for comments.

Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s programme director, added: “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 organisation’s rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”

Meanwhile, The next World Cup is in 2026 and is set to be hosted in three countries, including the USA, Mexico and Canada, and the USA is giving priority access to fans, the Whitehouse has announced.

People from all over the World will travel to support their countries. Consequently, the Whitehouse has announced that fans set to travel for the tournament to the USA will be given the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (Pass), given that most of the matches will be played there.

The FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS) is a special visa‑interview scheduling program created by the U.S. government and FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. It gives ticket holders priority access to U.S. visa appointments, ensuring fans can travel to matches in North America despite existing visa backlogs.

Speaking during a joint press briefing with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House in Washington, D.C., on 17 November, President Donald Trump mentioned that “I’ve directed my administration to do everything within their power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success.”

Detailing how the ‘World’ will gain access into the US, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that, ticket-holders for the tournament, set for next June and July in the US, Canada and Mexico, will not be automatically granted a tourist visa.

But foreign nationals with tickets to World Cup football matches could get an interview at an embassy or consulate within six to eight weeks of applying, Rubio said.

“Your ticket is not a visa; it doesn’t guarantee admission to the US. We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue,” the Secretary noted.

At the same press briefing, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that about 10 million people could come to the US to watch World Cup matches.

“With this FIFA Pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket, who are legitimate football fans or soccer fans, can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions, starting from getting their visa,” he said.

The announcement of priority visa appointments has been welcomed by many, including the US Travel Association, a tourism industry trade group. “The expedited process for FIFA ticket-holders adds needed efficiency without sacrificing security. This is the kind of practical action that strengthens security, increases capacity and cuts wait times, putting the U.S. on a stronger footing to welcome millions of visitors next year,” the group’s CEO, Geoff Freeman, said in a statement.

The announcement comes after citizens of countries that have already booked their place at the tournament have long wait times for visa appointments.

In Colombia, travellers applying for US visas are currently waiting around 11 months for an interview appointment, according to data published by the US State Department, the agency which processes visa applications.

The average wait time in Mexico City is nine and a half months, while non-Canadian citizen residents of Toronto can expect a wait of 14 months for appointments.

If those wait times hold, the World Cup will have already been played and the golden trophy already awarded by the time fans from some countries have their visas approved or denied.

However, it’s currently unclear whether the new appointment rules will cover ticket-holders from countries whose citizens are mostly or entirely banned from travelling to the US. In June, Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the US, citing an effort to manage security threats

Iran, whose football team has qualified for the World Cup, is among the countries affected by the ban. The June executive order exempts athletes and coaching staff travelling for the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, although their fans could still face a ban.