The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has officially demanded the resignation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. This demand comes after a botched attempt to sell stakes in World Cups to private investors via the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
Norway has taken a stronger stance than other European federations, such as England, Wales, Croatia, and Albania, who merely withdrew their support for the 56-year-old official. NFF president Lise Klavess stated that Infantino has lost the institutional trust necessary to lead the global organisation.
Several criticisms have been levelled by the Norwegians against FIFA’s current leadership, including:
- Opaque procedures regarding the allocation of tournament hosting rights.
- The awarding of a special FIFA “World Award” to Donald Trump.
- The overturning of striker Folarin Balogun's suspension following a phone call from Trump.
Growing divides in world football
Both UEFA and CONCACAF have issued strong critiques of Gianni Infantino's leadership, with the European body even hinting at a potential boycott of future tournaments. While FIFA has acknowledged "errors" in promoting the FFE project, UEFA has declared a complete loss of confidence in the official.
Contrastingly, the African Football Confederation (CAF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as well as the football federations of Mexico and Argentina, have expressed their support for Infantino, insisting that any issues should be resolved exclusively through a vote involving all 211 member associations.
