The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has called for the resignation of Fifa president Gianni Infantino following his attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. NFF president Lise Klaveness stated that Infantino lacks the institutional trust necessary to govern Fifa effectively. This stance goes further than the football associations of England, Wales, Croatia, and Albania, which have withdrawn support for Infantino without explicitly demanding his resignation.
Klaveness, a qualified lawyer, highlighted concerns the Norwegian FA has raised with Fifa during her four-year tenure. These include questions regarding the awarding of tournaments, the inaugural Fifa peace prize given to US President Donald Trump, and the overturning of a ban for American forward Folarin Balogun during the recent World Cup after a phone call from Trump.
Conversely, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has publicly supported Infantino’s leadership, despite its regional governing body, Concacaf, calling for a “comprehensive reckoning” of his presidency. Mexico, a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, stated that the FMF supports Infantino’s leadership in promoting football development through institutional strengthening. This mirrors a statement from Conmebol, South America’s governing body, which indicated it would reject any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 Fifa members.
The football association of 2026 World Cup runners-up Argentina also commended Infantino for acknowledging and apologising for his “errors.” Argentina described his decade-long tenure as Fifa president as being “centred on the development of soccer worldwide and institutional strength based on a clear, stable, and transparent governance model.”
Confederation Support and Opposition
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously backed Infantino, with its Executive Committee reconfirming support and thanking him for his contributions to African football. CAF, which comprises 54 of Fifa’s 211 member associations, represents a significant voting bloc that has largely supported Infantino since he took office in 2016. CAF president Patrice Motsepe welcomed Fifa’s pledge to review the processes that led to the controversy and stressed the importance of good governance and transparency in global football.
Despite this support, Infantino faces opposition from Uefa, European football’s governing body, and Concacaf. Uefa has stated it has lost confidence in Infantino, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.” European teams could potentially boycott the World Cup as Uefa’s conditions have not been met, even after Infantino’s plan was aborted. Concacaf also criticised Infantino’s proposal as a “symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first,” highlighting a pattern of “missteps and similar behaviour.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had previously expressed solidarity with Uefa and Concacaf in opposing the FFE plans before their withdrawal. However, the AFC did not issue a statement after the plan was aborted, with only Jordan indicating it would not vote for Infantino.
Future of Infantino’s Presidency
Infantino’s re-election prospects depend on a “numbers game” if he continues to refuse to resign. Ordinarily, he would not be eligible to stand for re-election in March, as Fifa statutes allow for a maximum of three four-year terms. However, after replacing Sepp Blatter in 2016, Infantino successfully argued that his initial three-year term should not count, allowing him to seek a fourth term. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
The deadline for candidates to be put forward, along with at least five letters of support from member associations, is 18 November. The election, conducted by secret ballot, is scheduled for the 77th Fifa Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on 18 March. A simple majority of the 211 member associations is required to win if there are two candidates. If there are three or more, 75% of votes are needed for an outright win, with subsequent rounds eliminating the candidate with the fewest votes until two remain.
Infantino’s strategy for maintaining support includes extensive travel to meet with member associations and the funding provided through programs like Fifa Forward 3.0. This program has provided national associations with up to $8m in the latest four-year cycle, a 30% increase from the previous one, with Fifa Forward 4.0 potentially increasing funding further. This financial support is particularly influential among developing nations, contributing to Infantino’s strong backing outside of Europe.
The global players’ union, FIFPRO, has also criticised Fifa and the “abuse of presidential power,” slamming the “cover-up” surrounding the situation and expressing deep concern over Fifa’s statement. FIFPRO demanded legally binding engagement with professional football stakeholders and governance reforms to prevent unilateral decisions. The FA formally withdrew its support for Infantino’s re-election, currently scheduled for March 2027.
Lucy Bronze, an England and Chelsea defender, has supported Uefa’s boycott of Fifa competitions, stating it would be beneficial for the long-term protection of the game. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are scheduled to participate in qualifying play-offs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup next month.
Infantino has apologised for “mistakes” in his attempts to sell a stake in the World Cup, and Fifa’s management board reaffirmed its “full support” for him after crisis talks in Morocco.
Source: bbc.com
