Norwegian FA president Lise Klaveness announced she will report FIFA President Gianni Infantino to the FIFA Ethics Committee, escalating pressure on the governing body's leadership. The decision follows a monthly board meeting of the Norwegian FA, which expressed a lack of confidence in Infantino.
Klaveness, a former lawyer who has been discussed as a potential successor to Infantino, stated that "irreversible transgressions have occurred" and that "extraordinary measures are needed to create lasting change." The complaint will challenge several key decisions, including a proposed £3.1 billion ($4.3 billion) stake sale of the World Cup to private investors. It will also address the decision to award an ad hoc FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump and the overturning of Florian Balogun's red card suspension at the World Cup, which the notes allege occurred following political pressure from Trump.
"The board believes that we do not have confidence in Gianni Infantino. We did not have that in the last election and we do not have it now," Klaveness said in a statement. "There is no going back for Gianni Infantino. The international football community is very divided, and we must unite now."
UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, has already pledged to boycott FIFA tournaments as long as Infantino remains president. This stance, led by UEFA, aims to exert significant commercial pressure on FIFA. However, Infantino reportedly retains support from football federations in Africa, South America, and Asia, which has historically been sufficient to fend off leadership challenges. Mexico has also broken ranks from the CONCACAF bloc, reaffirming its confidence in Infantino's leadership.
Despite the mounting opposition and potential commercial disruptions from UEFA's boycott, Infantino has shown no public indication of stepping down. The FIFA president received support from the governing body's hierarchy earlier in the week.
