(FILES) FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the welcome session of the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17, 2024. FIFA called for "peace" in Gaza on October 2, 2025, but "it cannot resolve geopolitical problems," according to its president, Gianni Infantino, who refrained from responding to growing calls to suspend the Israeli FA. Referring to "the ongoing situation in Gaza" at the opening of the closed-door meeting of the body's council, the Italian-Swiss leader said that "the power of football" was to "unite people in a divided world," offering "a message of peace and unity." (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)
Pressure is mounting on FIFA President Gianni Infantino after Norway became the first national football association to openly call for his resignation. The move follows the collapse of Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Norwegian FA Takes a Firm Stand
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) went further than the associations of England, Wales, Croatia and Albania, which have withdrawn their support but stopped short of demanding his departure.
NFF President Lise Klaveness said Infantino no longer possesses the confidence needed to lead world football through the current crisis.
“He [Infantino] does not have the institutional trust required to govern FIFA stably in the times we are in.”
Lise Klaveness
Klaveness added that there is no going back for the FIFA chief and urged other nations to consider similar action, preferably through dialogue with FIFA rather than an extraordinary UEFA board meeting.
Long‑Standing Concerns Raised Again
The Norwegian FA revisited issues it has repeatedly raised with FIFA over the past four years, including:
- The process for awarding tournaments.
- The inaugural FIFA Peace Prize presented to former U.S. President Donald Trump.
- The decision to overturn American forward Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension after a phone call from Trump.
Reactions From Other Confederations
While Norway pushes for resignation, other federations have taken contrasting positions.
Mexico and CONMEBOL
The Mexican Football Federation broke away from the Concacaf stance, reaffirming confidence in Infantino’s leadership and emphasizing the need for any removal to occur via a vote of all 211 FIFA member associations.
CONMEBOL echoed Mexico’s call for a collective decision but expressed concern over “repeated unilateral actions taken without resorting to dialogue or the institutional mechanisms provided for dealing with this type of situation.”
Argentina’s Defence
Argentina’s football association praised Infantino for acknowledging and apologising for his “errors,” describing his decade in charge as centred on global soccer development and a clear, stable, and transparent governance model.
African, UEFA and CONCACAF Positions
The Confederation of African Football continues to give Infantino unanimous support. In contrast, UEFA has declared it no longer has confidence in the FIFA president, labeling the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project a “shabby, back‑room, opaque deal.” The English FA, together with Wales, Croatia and Albania, has formally withdrawn its support.
CONCACCUS accused Infantino of putting forward “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first,” noting a pattern of missteps and poor governance. Although CONCACAF stopped short of withdrawing confidence, UEFA has warned that a boycott of the World Cup by European nations remains a possibility despite the abandoned investment proposal.
Widening Divide in World Football
Before Infantino withdrew the controversial plan, the Asian Football Confederation declared it stood “in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF in opposing the proposal. The latest developments underscore a growing split: while some confederations back the president, others question his ability to steer FIFA through the current turmoil.
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