Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness requested the immediate resignation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday, saying he lost institutional trust. Speaking after a monthly NFF board meeting, Klaveness said Infantino lacks the trust required to govern FIFA stably and international football cooperation faces serious problems. She added that football needs a reason to unite and requested Infantino step down immediately.
The comments follow a conflict between governing bodies after FIFA proposed and later abandoned a plan to sell a stake in the commercial future of the World Cup. The Norwegian federation expects other UEFA countries to support the call for Infantino to step down. Klaveness said NFF will not request an extraordinary meeting of the UEFA board, but will ask for his resignation directly during dialogue with FIFA.
Concerns over governance and leadership
Klaveness, a 45-year-old lawyer who took office in March 2022, listed several concerns NFF raised with FIFA during her tenure. These included questions about tournament host selection, FIFA presenting an inaugural peace prize to United States President Donald Trump in December, and the reversal of a punishment for American forward Folarin Balogun during the recent World Cup after Trump intervened.
Although Klaveness has been mentioned as a possible successor to the Swiss FIFA president, she dismissed speculation that she will run for the position. She said that while she noted her name was raised, a candidacy is not on the agenda and the federation is not prepared to comment on any potential bids.
