Pinto sues Infantino for protecting Manchester City

Wednesday September 30, 2026, the Portuguese Rui Pinto, a well‑known hacker who opened football's Pandora's box, returned to X to claim that Gianni Infantino knew about Manchester City's irregularities and covered them up, fueling a new flare‑up of controversy.

Rui Pinto's profile

Pinto, a native of Porto and former history student, was the main architect of Football Leaks, the site that since September 2015 has published millions of confidential documents on contracts, Super League projects and alleged tax irregularities. His revelations have implicated clubs such as Manchester City and have led to international investigations.

In his latest message, Pinto stated: “Going back to 2014, there was a man already aware of Manchester City's irregularities. That man now runs FIFA. The infamous Gianni Infantino, then UEFA Secretary General, abused his authority, sharing confidential documents and securing only fines for City and PSG.” The sentence, posted on X, sparked immediate reactions.

Manchester City has firmly rejected the accusations, arguing that the documents were the result of hacking and that the club has committed no breach of the regulations. The club reiterated its cooperation with authorities to demonstrate its innocence.

Pinto's judicial journey

Pinto was arrested in Hungary and extradited to Portugal in 2019, where he was charged with illegal access to computer systems, violation of correspondence and attempted extortion against Doyen Sports. In April of the following year he was acquitted of 241 counts in a second proceeding, the court finding the allegations invalid.

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Pinto's statements reignite the debate over possible favoritism within FIFA and the transparency of financial investigations in international football, leaving fans awaiting further clarification from the authorities.