Norway’s Klaveness tells Fifa president Infantino to resign: ‘There is no trust now’
Norway’s Football Federation will formally call for Fifa president Gianni Infantino to resign immediately, saying its trust in him has been exhausted. President Lise Klaveness said the governing body’s leadership had become increasingly troubling and that the controversy over a proposed sale of World Cup stakes to private investors left no route back for Infantino. The move increases pressure on Fifa amid wider concerns about its governance and political independence.
The NFF board made the decision on Thursday and is expected to send its letter next week; Norway is the first federation to explicitly demand Infantino’s resignation. It will also seek a review of reforms introduced when he became president in 2016 and submit a new ethics complaint concerning the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme, Fifa’s peace prize for Donald Trump and the Folarin Balogun World Cup case. Norway plans to seek support from major European federations, some of which have recently withdrawn backing for Infantino’s re-election.
- Norway will urge Gianni Infantino to resign immediately.
- Lise Klaveness says Fifa has lost Norway’s trust.
- The NFF will pursue governance and ethics complaints.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Infantino has implemented substantial reforms and modernisation to FIFA since 2016, delivering financial improvements to member federations through programmes like FIFA Forward and broader investment in the sport. Removing a president mid-term based on disagreements over governance vision would destabilise the organisation and establish a precedent whereby dissenting federations can force out leaders they oppose based on political disagreement rather than proven wrongdoing. His tenure has brought genuine achievements for global football that would be jeopardised by premature removal.
The case against
Trust is foundational to a global governing body's legitimacy, and documented governance concerns—including the World Cup commercialisation proposal and ethics issues—suggest serious problems undermining FIFA's independence and credibility in the eyes of major federations. When multiple football associations explicitly call for leadership change, it reflects alarm about whether the president is truly serving the sport's interests or narrow institutional ones. Continuing with leadership that lacks such fundamental confidence cannot provide the legitimacy FIFA requires for effective, respected governance.