A formal complaint has been lodged with the United States Internal Revenue Service, requesting a federal investigation into allegations that an employee on the Fifa payroll performed private domestic work for the organization’s president, Gianni Infantino. The submission, seen by reporters and supported by various documents, suggests that a staff member provided exclusive housekeeping services for Infantino and his wife, Leena Infantino, at their Miami home while receiving compensation or benefits through a Fifa-affiliated entity.
The legal filing asserts that senior leadership, operating in their official capacities, may have misused Fifa’s tax-exempt status.
In the United States, Fifa maintains 501(c)(4) status, a designation reserved for organizations established to promote community welfare for charitable, educational, or recreational purposes. The complaint contends that if organizational funds or resources were directed toward personal household services, it creates significant concerns regarding private benefit, financial reporting, and the accuracy of payroll, tax, and immigration documentation. The arrangement raises serious questions about private benefit, financial reporting, compensation, and governance, the complaint goes on to argue: “If organisational funds or resources were used to pay for services benefiting a leader’s household.
Abed Ayoub, a Washington DC-based lawyer specializing in immigration law and former executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, submitted the complaint. While IRS investigations typically take months and their findings are rarely publicized, any resulting regulatory action would be placed in the public domain. Fifa has denied the allegations, with a spokesperson stating that matters regarding the president’s private life are personal and that the costs for any domestic staff are covered by Infantino himself. We ask the agencies to investigate the underlying records and determine what occurred.
This development follows reports that Fifa’s operational activities and Infantino’s tenure are under increasing scrutiny from US Democratic politicians. Specifically, legislators are reviewing Infantino’s involvement in the now-defunct Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme and his past interactions with the Trump White House. A spokesperson for Representative Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, confirmed that while the committee has not specifically requested documents regarding the housekeeper, they are closely monitoring these developments. Which called for Israeli football teams to be banned from international competition, last year the ADC was part of the campaign Game Over Israel.
In response to the growing pressure, a Fifa spokesperson urged media organizations to act responsibly, arguing there is a concerted effort by critics to undermine the governing body and its leadership. Fifa officials maintain that they welcome legitimate oversight but will vigorously challenge inaccurate or misleading reporting that functions as a platform for false allegations.
The scrutiny coincides with harsh public criticism from former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, who resigned amid a corruption scandal. In an interview with the German publication Der Spiegel, Blatter labeled Infantino a “dictator” who has lost all sense of boundaries. Blatter specifically criticized the abandoned FFE scheme, the legitimacy of the Fifa peace prize, and the recent handling of Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension. Make sure you’re on the most recent version, if you already have app. Download it from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ”, if you don’t have app. Blatter, Fifa’s president for 17 years before resigning amid a corruption scandal at the organisation, made the remarks in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel. Saying: “Why would he do something like that, he described the peace prize as “embarrassing”. Infantino awards a peace prize to someone who wages war against Iran shortly afterwards?”.
Blatter claimed that the organization is currently suffering under a leader who has allowed himself to be blinded. He dismissed the peace prize as an embarrassment and argued that the governing body’s rules must apply universally, rejecting the notion that statutes can be interpreted to suit specific agendas. As the IRS considers the complaint, Fifa continues to defend its integrity against both the tax inquiry and high-profile institutional criticism. In app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications.
