Charlie Alford

MEPs call for an investigation into Infantino over allegations of bowing to pressure from Trump

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:9 July 2026
Post last modified:9 July 2026

The crisis surrounding the lifting of the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun has taken a new turn, after dozens of Members of the European Parliament called for an investigation into the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, following allegations that he succumbed to political pressure from US president Donald Trump, in one of the most controversial issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup. According to the Associated Press, 35 MEPs signed a letter calling on FIFA’s Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino’s role, after the Disciplinary Committee decided to lift Balogun’s suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium in the round of 16,…

Infantino sees with one eye: he called for a French journalist’s release but ignored Palestinian journalists denied the 2026 World Cup

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:12 June 2026
Post last modified:13 June 2026

When Gianni Infantino reserved an empty seat for French journalist Christophe Gleizes and called for his release so he could attend the 2026 World Cup, the FIFA president wanted to send a message of solidarity with a reporter who had been prevented from covering the world’s biggest football tournament. But there are many more empty seats that FIFA’s president has chosen not to acknowledge. There are Palestinian journalists who covered previous international tournaments, some of whom attended the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but who will never make it to the 2026 tournament. Not because they are behind bars, but because…