“The European Parliament has called for an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino,” reads a post on X that has been viewed more than 6 million times.
However, this claim is misleading. While 72 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have signed a letter calling for FIFA’s Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino, the European Parliament itself has not officially adopted that position.
What happened?
The controversy stems from FIFA’s decision to suspend an automatic one-match suspension for the US football team’s striker, Folarin Balogun, after he was sent off during the US’s round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
US President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged asking FIFA to review the case, telling reporters, “All I did was ask for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul.”
The decision prompted uproar from Belgian fans as well as football coaches, with the Belgian Football Association calling it “astonishing” and requesting an explanation from FIFA.
What does the letter say?
The letter, dated 8 July and signed by 72 MEPs, is addressed to the presidents of the 27 national football associations in EU member states.
Rather than asking the European Parliament to investigate, it urges the football associations to ask FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee to examine whether political pressure influenced the disciplinary process and whether Infantino complied with FIFA’s rules on political neutrality.
The lawmakers, in a letter seen by Euronews, argue that FIFA’s own statutes and Code of Ethics require political neutrality and that member associations have a responsibility to ensure senior FIFA officials are held accountable if those rules are breached.
The lawmakers stress that their concerns are not about Balogun himself, writing that they are “not motivated by any desire to see any individual football player sanctioned” but instead want to “ensure that rules are applied in a way to protect the integrity of the game.”
Ultimately, and unlike what the viral claim suggests, the letter is not the official position of the European Parliament, but an initiative by individual MEPs.
It does not represent the official stance of the European Parliament itself, which has not adopted a resolution calling for an investigation, nor has it voted to endorse the letter.
FIFA’s response
Neither FIFA nor Infantino have publicly responded to the letter.
Both previously rejected suggestions that Balogun’s case was influenced by political considerations, with FIFA saying the decision to lift the suspension was made by its independent disciplinary committee.
Infantino confirmed that the call with Trump took place, but said he explained to the US president that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s judicial bodies and that the “case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” which he argued were independent.