FairSquare

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino dons MAGA-style hat at Trump's Board of Peace meeting FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in attendance on Thursday, Feb. 19 as President Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his Board of Peace.

According to Section 5 of FIFA's Code of Ethics, persons bound by the code must remain politically neutral. eu.usatoday.com/story/sports...

One can infer from this video that @fairsq.bsky.social complaint to FIFA's ethics committee about Infantino's repeated breaches of rules on political neutrality is not being taken particularly seriously.

Enough.

Israeli authorities are threatening to demolish the only pitch in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem.

Some keepie-uppie FIFA context to that.

All kids everywhere deserve football pitches.

UEFA: Amsterdam unrest underscores need for firm action to eradicate racism FairSquare has written to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin requesting that UEFA’s investigations into the violence that preceded and followed Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Ajax Amsterdam in Amster...

Re-upping @fairsq.bsky.social summary of the violence in Amsterdam in November 2024. We did not use AI. We went through the available evidence, which included Maccabi fans' racism ,violence and provocations, and asked that UEFA investigate (they didn't) fairsq.org/uefa-amsterd...

Smith referenced reporting by The New York Times, which described strong links between Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy President of the UAE, and the RSF, asking if the government plans to investigate "whether representatives of the UAE Government may meet the criteria for sanctions"

In parliament, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP called on the UK government to consider sanctioning individuals in the UAE government supporting the RSF in Sudan, which is accused of war crimes, including genocide.

Senior British politician has raised the spectre of UK sanctions against Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Al Nahyan.

"Sheikh Mansour is possibly the most high profile UAE investor in the country. What are we going to do about that?"

Global coalition urges FIFA to act on mounting human rights risks ahead of 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia A coalition of 15 rights NGOs, trade unions, fan groups, and organisations representing migrant workers has issued an urgent warning over the escalating human rights risks linked to the 2034 FIFA Worl...

A year after FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup, serious risks remain unaddressed and grave abuses persist.

ALQST and partner groups call on FIFA to take urgent action and make hosting rights conditional on meaningful human rights reforms.

www.alqst.org/en/post/glob...

Part 2

🧵 On today’s @footballweekly.bsky.social , @philippeauclair.bsky.social took time to discuss FairSquare’s complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee regarding the conduct of Gianni Infantino. (Part 1)

FSE Statement: Historically high world cup ticket prices - FSE calls for immediate halt to ticket sales

FIFA's World Cup ticket prices are a betrayal to the most dedicated fans. At least $6900 to support your team from the first match to the final - nearly 5 times more than in Qatar.

FSE calls for the immediate halt to ticket sales.

🔗 Statement: bit.ly/44Sqx9G

As reported in multiple outlets @fairsq.bsky.social has submitted a complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the FIFA Ethics Committee alleging repeated breaches of article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics which requires football officials remain politically neutral in dealing with govts.

Die WM 2026 droht zur große Donald-Trump-Show zu werden FIFA-Chef Gianni Infantino sucht die Nähe zu Donald Trump wie die zu keinem Staatschef zuvor – und er schaut sich etwas ab. Über die Beziehung zweier Präsidenten und die Gefahr für die WM.

„Die Menschenrechtsorganisation @fairsq.bsky.social wertet alle vier Aussagen als „klare Verstöße“. Miguel Maduro, früherer Vorsitzender des Governance-Komitees und des Prüfungsausschusses der FIFA, bewertete im Gespräch mit der F.A.S. … (Text 👇 www.faz.net/aktuell/spor...)

Gianni Infantino accused of breaching FIFA’s ethics codes in relation to President Trump comments Advocacy group FairSquare has also requested an investigation into President Trump being awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize last Friday.

NEWS:

Official complaint received by FIFA Ethics Committee, alleges “repeated breaches” of FIFA’s duty of political neutrality by Gianni Infantino, all in relation to President Trump. It also requests investigation into internal process behind Trump’s Peace Prize
www.nytimes.com/athletic/687...

Trump and Infantino's bond shapes a 'MAGA' World Cup Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino agreed to hold the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.

It's the "MAGA-FIFA World Cup", Infantino has said he supports Trump's agenda, and Trump may be awarded a new FIFA Peace Prize.

Why all this fawning?

Well one plausible explanation is that Trump knows the World Cup is a complete swindle.

A mini 🧵 to explain..

apnews.com/article/dona...

James Lynch, founding co-director of @fairsq.bsky.social and human rights expert, will be speaking next Friday at our annual conference, where he'll cover the Saudi authorities' troubling trend of transnational repression.

Register for in-person attendance:
www.eventbrite.com/e/alqsts-202...

The world's wealthy liberal democracies looked the other way on FIFA's corruption for years because they didn't think corruption in sports was a big deal or worth addressing, and now find themselves looking at FIFA as a powerful, increasingly-integrated part of the far-right anti-democracy movement.

Zohran Mamdani has upended US politics. Now he should take on Fifa | Jules Boykoff New York’s mayor-elect has taken on powerful institutions. With the World Cup taking place in his city, he should challenge Fifa next

My latest @theguardian.com: As a genuine soccer fan & generational political talent, freshly elected NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani might be able to achieve the unthinkable: force the FIFA behemoth to share its lucre by targeting its tax exemptions & extreme privilege www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Research by Kick It Out Israel “found 367 instances of racist chanting at Israeli Premier League matches in the 2024-25 season, a record total & an increase of 67% on the previous campaign.” @fairsq.bsky.social concluded that this “provides clear grounds for Uefa to act and suspend the Israel FA.”

Research reveals racist chants on rise in Israeli football – with Maccabi Tel Aviv the worst offenders * Kick It Out Israel finds 367 instances in 2024-25 * Of those, 118 were linked to Maccabi supporters Racist chanting by Israeli football fans grew rapidly over the past year, data shows, with Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters the most likely to engage in discriminatory behaviour. The research was conducted by Kick It Out Israel, which is funded by a civil society organisation, Givat Haviva, that works towards the “creation of a shared society for Jews and Arabs”. It found 367 instances of racist chanting at Israeli Premier League (IPL) matches in the 2024-25 season, a record total and an increase of 67% on the previous campaign. Continue reading...

Research reveals racist chants on rise in Israeli football – with Maccabi Tel Aviv the worst offenders

Research reveals racist chants on rise in Israeli football – with Maccabi Tel Aviv the worst offenders Kick It Out Israel found 367 instances in the 2024-25 season – of those, 118 were observed in stands containing Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters

Research reveals racist chants on rise in Israeli football – with Maccabi Tel Aviv the worst offenders. FairSquare said the Kick It Out Israel report “provides clear grounds for Uefa to act and suspend the IFA”. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans is a terrible decision – and a depressing one | Barney Ronay The idea that barring the Israeli club’s supporters from Villa Park will de-escalate a volatile situation just doesn’t stand up

A thread on Barney Ronay's article criticising the decision Birmingham City Council and supported by West Midlands police to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from traveling to Birmingham. It might be a depressing decision but it's not a terrible one. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Gulf repression under spotlight as UN Human Rights Council meets Discussions in the sidelines of the 60th UN Human Rights Council session highlighted the depth and scale of repression in the United Arab Emirates and the phenomenon of transnational repression in the...

Gulf repression came under the spotlight in the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, in expert discussions on the UAE’s rights crisis, and transnational repression across MENA.
fairsq.org/gulf-repress...

UEFA: Amsterdam unrest underscores need for firm action to eradicate racism FairSquare has written to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin requesting that UEFA’s investigations into the violence that preceded and followed Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Ajax Amsterdam in Amster...

fairsq.org/uefa-amsterd... In light of ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending Aston Villa match and Starmer's claim that this is anti-Semitic, see @fairsq.bsky.social letter to UEFA for a summary of key evidence

Gianni Infantino, Peacemaker Infantino’s diplomacy is not the diplomacy of treaties and compromises. It is the diplomacy of branding and spectacle. Where others see conflict, he sees opportunity.

Imagine: the “Peace Cup,” a 96-team event held in the demilitarized zone between two historic enemies. North and South Korea? India and Pakistan? Israel and Palestine?

For Infantino, anything is possible, so long as it is sponsored by Coca-Cola and Aramco

www.sportspolitika.news/p/nfantino-p...

“Infantino has abandoned all pretense of the political neutrality that FIFA espouses & is statutorily committed to uphold, & has put FIFA firmly in the corner of Donald Trump & Benjamin Netanyahu,” said @ncgeehan.bsky.social, director of the human rights advocacy group @fairsq.bsky.social

Why Was the President of FIFA at the Gaza Summit?

Why Was the President of FIFA at the Gaza Summit? Featuring comment by FairSquare’s @ncgeehan.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/w...

FairSquare has called FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s presence and comments at the Sharm el-Sheikh ‘Peace Summit’ yesterday “highly significant and deeply troubling”.

Read the full quote and FairSquare's other work on Israel and Palestine using the link in our bio.