Gianni Infantino faces fresh controversy in the United States after a complaint called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate the alleged use of FIFA resources for personal expenses.
According to The Guardian, the complaint claims that an individual worked exclusively as domestic staff at the FIFA president’s Miami residence while receiving compensation or benefits through an entity affiliated with the governing body. The authors want U.S. authorities to examine the employee’s payments, tax records and employment arrangements.
FIFA has firmly rejected the allegations, insisting that the organization does not cover the president’s private household expenses. “Matters concerning the personal and family life of the FIFA president are private. However, to dispel any doubt, costs related to any domestic staff are covered personally by the FIFA president,” a spokesperson said.
The complaint, filed by Washington-based immigration lawyer Abed Ayoub, argues that the alleged arrangement could threaten FIFA’s tax-exempt status in the United States if investigators establish wrongdoing. The governing body has also denounced what it considers an attempt to undermine Infantino’s leadership.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of FIFA’s activities in the United States, including its relationship with the Donald Trump administration and controversial economic projects. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin is following developments, although his committee has not requested documents relating to the complaint. Meanwhile, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has intensified his criticism of Infantino, recently describing him as a “dictator” in an interview with Der Spiegel. The IRS could take several months to assess the complaint, and there is no guarantee that any findings will become public.
