Did Court Summon FIFA Boss Over Alleged Corruption, Purported Messi Favouritism? Fact Emerges
- A Facebook post claimed FIFA President Gianni Infantino was summoned before a FIFA court over corruption and favouritism toward Argentina and Lionel Messi
- The post attributed the claim to football media personality Fabrizio Romano, drawing widespread attention and engagement from football fans
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup ended on Sunday, July 19, with Argentina reaching the final, although some football fans alleged bias in favour of the South American side in the course of the tournament
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering football and global sports.
Washington, USA - A Facebook post claiming that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been summoned to appear before a "FIFA court" at the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is circulating online, with the post alleging corruption and favouritism towards Argentina and Lionel Messi as the basis for the action.
Messi, 39, is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.
Source: Twitter
The post also named popular football media personality Fabrizio Romano as the source of the claim, lending it an air of credibility that has helped drive significant engagement, with many users treating the allegation as confirmed fact.
It read:
"FIFA President Gianni Infantino will face the FIFA court at the end of the world cup
"He has been summoned into questioning over alleged corruption and favoritism towards Argentina
"He has allegedly been accused by football fans and stakeholders of showing favoritism to Messi not Ronaldo
"Source: Fabrizio Romano."
Legit.ng checked the claim against multiple sources.
Verification: Did FIFA court summon Infantino?
A search of FIFA's official website and newsroom returned no statement, press release, disciplinary notice, or announcement of any kind indicating that Infantino had been summoned before a FIFA court over corruption or allegations of favouritism.
Romano's official accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, where he routinely publishes mostly exclusive football news, were also reviewed. No post, report, or statement in which the Italian sports writer made such a claim could be found anywhere on his verified profiles.
Major international sports outlets, including ESPN, Goal, BBC, and Sky Sports, were also checked. None carried any report suggesting FIFA had initiated legal or disciplinary proceedings against its own president over the allegations described in the post.
Source: Getty Images
Verdict on viral Infantino claim
The claim that the FIFA president was summoned to court 'over favouritism of Argentina’s Messi' is false.
There is no credible evidence that the FIFA boss has been dragged before any FIFA court over alleged corruption or favouritism toward Argentina or Messi, a former Barcelona star.
In the same vein, there is no record of Romano publishing such a report, and his name appears to have been used without basis to make the claim appear believable.
Legit.ng reports that the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico reached a climax on Sunday night, July 19, at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. Ferran Torres scored 37 seconds into the second extra-time period, lifting Spain to a 1-0 victory and their second World Cup title to deny Messi and Argentina from becoming the first back-to-back men's winners since Brazil in 1962.
The World Cup-winning squad arrived in Madrid on Monday, July 20, to a rousing welcome ahead of a victory parade through the Spanish capital.
For 2026 World Cup finalist Messi, the veteran attacker's international future remains uncertain.
The Inter Miami forward has won six major honours with Argentina: the FIFA World Cup (2022), two Copa América titles (2021 and 2024), the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions (Finalissima) in 2022, an Olympic gold medal (2008), and the FIFA U-20 World Cup (2005).
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FIFA rankings 2026: Super Eagles retain spot
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s Super Eagles retained 26th position in the latest FIFA World rankings.
Globally, newly crowned world champions Spain returned to the summit, while Argentina dropped to second position.
The next official FIFA Men's World rankings are reportedly set to be released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
