OSLO, Norway (FN) — Norway’s Football Federation (NFF) has called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign, intensifying pressure on world football’s governing body months before its presidential election.
NFF President Lise Klaveness announced Friday that the federation would formally urge Infantino to step down, arguing that he no longer commands the institutional confidence necessary to lead FIFA.
“He does not have the institutional trust required to lead FIFA in a stable manner in the current climate. There is no turning back for Gianni Infantino,” Klaveness told reporters.
“We are going to ask the FIFA president to resign now,” she said, following a meeting of the Norwegian federation’s governing bodies that reviewed FIFA’s leadership and governance.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is currently the only declared candidate for the presidential election scheduled for March. Under FIFA statutes, a candidate must receive a majority of votes from the organization’s 211 member associations to secure election. Candidates have until Nov. 18 to declare their intention to run.
The criticism follows the collapse of a controversial proposal to open FIFA competitions, including the men’s World Cup, to private investors. Details of the plan emerged last week and sparked concern among several stakeholders over the growing commercialization of football’s biggest tournaments and the influence private investment could have on the sport’s governance.
The proposal ultimately failed to gain sufficient backing, adding to mounting scrutiny of FIFA’s leadership. FIFA and Infantino had not publicly responded to Norway’s call for his resignation at the time of publication.
Klaveness gained international attention during the 2022 FIFA Congress when she publicly criticized FIFA’s handling of human rights concerns surrounding the Qatar World Cup. Her remarks drew support from some football officials and rights advocates while also prompting criticism from others within the global football community.
Infantino, an Italian-Swiss lawyer, became FIFA president in 2016 following the departure of Sepp Blatter after the corruption scandal that shook world football. He was elected on promises of reform, greater transparency and restoring confidence in the organization.
During his presidency, FIFA has expanded the men’s World Cup and Club World Cup, increased investment in women’s football, strengthened development funding for member associations and overseen record commercial revenues.
Norway’s demand is significant because national football associations rarely call publicly for the resignation of a sitting FIFA president. Although the NFF represents only one of FIFA’s 211 voting members, its stance could encourage wider debate among football associations as the election approaches.
FIFA has faced significant governance challenges over the past decade. In 2015, corruption investigations led to the resignation of longtime President Sepp Blatter and ushered in a new era of reform under Infantino. While FIFA has since reported record revenues and expanded its competitions, debates over transparency, governance and commercial strategy have continued to shape discussions within world football.
