“The president of FIFA does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the mission, strategic direction, policies and values of the organization.”
BBC Sport has contacted football’s world governing body for comment.
Infantino and Trump stood side by side during the glittering ceremony at the Kennedy Center for next year’s tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
In addition to a large gold trophy, Trump received a medal and certificate from Infantino, who said “this is what we want from a leader” and “you can always count on, Mr. President, my support” during a speech followed by a video before the presentation.
In October, the 55-year-old posted on Instagram saying Trump “definitely deserves” the Nobel Peace Prize.
During an interview in November at the American Business Forum in Miami, Infantino also added: “We should all support what [Trump] is doing [in the US] because I think it looks pretty good.”
FairSquare also alleged that a video posted by Infantino on Instagram in January, following his invitation to Trump’s inauguration, “indicates support for President Trump’s political agenda.”
Nicholas McGeehan, FairSquare’s program director, added: “This complaint is about much more than Infantino’s support for President Donald Trump’s political agenda.
“More broadly, it is about how FIFA’s absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organization’s rules and act in ways that are dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”
