Fifa president Gianni Infantino stands accused of breaching his organisation's stringent rules on political neutrality, following a complaint lodged in relation to his public support for US president Donald Trump .
The allegations come from FairSquare, an advocacy group dedicated to promoting accountability within sport, which has formally written to Fifa's ethics committee.
The complaint centres on comments made by Mr Infantino regarding Donald Trump, alongside the controversial process that led to the US president being awarded an inaugural Fifa Peace Prize.
This prize was presented to Donald Trump at last Friday's World Cup draw in Washington DC, an event that highlighted the close bond formed between the two figures, particularly as the US prepares to co-host next year's men's World Cup.
FairSquare's letter, initially reported by The Athletic and seen by the Press Association, cites several instances of Mr Infantino's public endorsement. In October, he used his Instagram account to state that Donald Trump "definitely deserves" the Nobel Peace Prize.
At the World Cup draw, after a video about Donald Trump was shown, Mr Infantino remarked: "This is what we want from a leader… you definitely deserve the first Fifa Peace Prize for your action for what you have obtained in your way but you obtained it in an incredible way and you can always count, Mr President, on my support."
Donald Trump was presented with the Fifa Peace Prize by Gianni Infantino last Friday (AFP via Getty Images)
Further, in a November interview at the American Business Forum in Miami, Mr Infantino asserted that "we should all support what (Trump) is doing (in the US) because I think it's looking pretty good".
An Instagram post from Mr Infantino on Donald Trump's inauguration day, January 20, also declared: "Together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world."
FairSquare argued in a letter that "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 group also questions the legitimacy of the prize itself, stating that under Fifa's own statutes, the decision to introduce such an award should have been made by the Fifa Council, not unilaterally by the president.
"The Fifa president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values," the letter added.
Nicholas McGeehan , FairSquare's programme director, emphasised the broader implications of the complaint. "This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda," he said.
"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."
Fifa has been approached for comment regarding the allegations.
