Olympics chief to launch investigation after Infantino attends Board of Peace meeting with Trump

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has stated she was unaware of world football body (Fifa) chief Gianni Infantino’s presence at a meeting of The Board of Peace alongside Donald Trump, pledging to investigate the matter.

Mr Infantino, who is also an IOC member, participated in the inaugural meeting of The Board of Peace. This initiative, established under Mr Trump, focuses on a reconstruction fund for Gaza and aims to rebuild the territory once Hamas disarms.

The Fifa chief appeared on stage with several politicians, sporting a red hat emblazoned with 'USA' and the numbers 45-47, referencing Mr Trump's two non-consecutive presidencies.

Mr Infantino also showcased a Fifa collaboration agreement with The Board of Peace. This partnership includes plans to construct 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art Fifa academy, and a new 20,000-seat national stadium.

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"I wasn't aware of that, that we had an IOC member front and centre," Ms Coventry told a press conference during the Milano Cortina Olympics.

"Now that you guys (journalists) made us aware of it we will go back and have a look at it." She added: "The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents."

The Olympic Charter mandates that members must always act independently of commercial and political interests. It further stipulates that they cannot accept "from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote."

"I think from the IOC's point of view we will continue to be politically neutral," Ms Coventry affirmed. "That's the only way for us as an organisation to ensure that we allow for there to be fairness on the field of play. That's what we will continue to do as we walk into the future."

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Mr Trump has met Mr Infantino on several occasions, particularly as the United States is co-hosting this summer's football World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada. Mr Trump was also awarded Fifa's inaugural peace prize in December for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world's biggest hotspots, the football body announced at the time.

Ms Coventry, who was elected in 2025, has not yet met Mr Trump, with the 2028 Summer Olympics scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.