Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny over FIFA 's relationship with Donald Trump after Democratic members of the US House Judiciary Committee accused the FIFA president of failing to cooperate with their investigation. The dispute comes as Infantino prepares to seek a fourth presidential term, with FIFA also facing questions over its abandoned plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to its major tournaments.




House Democrats say Infantino failed to provide documents or agree to an interview


The latest dispute centres on an investigation launched by Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, who wrote to Infantino on July 26 saying he was investigating what he described as a "sustained campaign" by FIFA to curry favour with Trump.




Raskin asked the 56-year-old FIFA president to respond by August 9, provide requested documents and make contact with the committee to arrange an interview.




According to the House Judiciary Democrats, Infantino did not respond to the request to appear before the committee or provide the priority documents sought by Raskin. Because the request was not accompanied by a subpoena, there are no criminal consequences simply for failing to comply with it.




A spokeswoman for the House Judiciary Democrats said committee staff had received a briefing concerning litigation linked to the FIFA bribery scandal, but claimed FIFA had still not provided documents relating to several issues under examination.




Those included records that could show how much money FIFA had given the Trump family, information concerning the awarding of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump, and material that could explain how the proposed private-investor plan involving Thrive Eternal was conceived.




"FIFA's level of co-operation to date is woefully inadequate," the spokeswoman said.




The investigation follows months of scrutiny surrounding Infantino's relationship with Trump, which was particularly visible during the build-up to the 2026 World Cup . Infantino awarded Trump FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize, while the tournament also became the backdrop to wider questions about FIFA's dealings with the US administration and Trump's political circle.










FIFA has rejected the suggestion that it has simply refused to engage with the committee.




A FIFA spokesperson said: "FIFA has had productive discussions with the House Staff. There has been no indication that they were anything other than pleased with our proactive engagement, and we look forward to addressing any of their remaining questions."






The Trump relationship became entangled with FIFA's abandoned World Cup investment plan


Infantino's relationship with Trump became even more closely examined after FIFA's proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise emerged as a major source of controversy.




The plan involved selling a stake in the commercial rights connected to FIFA competitions to private investors, with Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner , identified as the lead investor. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.




FIFA subsequently withdrew the proposal after widespread criticism. UEFA has separately sought documents and testimony in the United States as part of planned legal action in Switzerland concerning the abandoned scheme, alleging that the proposal was developed without sufficient consultation with FIFA's Council and member associations. FIFA has rejected those allegations.










The controversy has also prompted calls from within football for greater scrutiny of FIFA's governance. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is a FIFA vice-president and member of the FIFA Council, has written to Infantino seeking the release of documents concerning the private-investor plan and the handling of the Folarin Balogun case.




Hewitt is expected to challenge Infantino on those issues at the next FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on October 15. She and other FIFA Council members have also backed calls for an independent review of the governance questions surrounding the abandoned plan.




Infantino has since proposed an independent external review of FIFA's governance, although the proposal does not specifically commit FIFA to investigating the Forward Enterprise or Balogun matters themselves. The review is expected to be discussed at the October 15 Council meeting.




Infantino is still seeking a fourth term as FIFA president


The scrutiny comes at a significant point in Infantino's tenure because he remains committed to standing for re-election next March.




As of the latest reporting, Infantino is the only declared candidate, although UEFA said on August 27 that it would work towards presenting a credible alternative candidate. The deadline for presidential candidacies is November 18.




Infantino has continued to defend his approach to FIFA governance and called for greater dialogue among football's governing bodies.






Writing on social media from Jeddah, where he was meeting Saudi dignitaries, he said: "There must be a culture of dialogue, of listening to each other and respecting one another."




"This is not about generating positive headlines, it is about doing what is right for the game. I have never been more determined and committed in doing that."