Calls for the departure of FIFA President Gianni Infantino have intensified after Norway publicly urged him to step down over governance concerns linked to his abandoned proposal to sell commercial stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) became the first national association to openly demand Infantino’s resignation, moving beyond the position taken by the football bodies of England, Wales, Croatia and Albania, which have already withdrawn their backing without directly requesting his exit.
NFF President Lise Klaveness argued on Friday that the FIFA leader no longer enjoys the confidence required to guide world football effectively.
She maintained that trust within the international football community has been severely damaged and indicated Norway would formally press for his resignation during discussions with FIFA, while awaiting possible support from other European associations.
Klaveness also revisited several issues Norway has repeatedly raised during her four years in office.
These included the process for awarding major tournaments, FIFA’s decision to honour United States President Donald Trump with its inaugural Peace Prize, and the reversal of a suspension imposed on American striker Folarin Balogun following reported intervention from Trump.
While criticism continues to grow across Europe, support has emerged from other regions.
The Mexican Football Federation broke away from the position of regional governing body CONCACAF by expressing confidence in Infantino’s leadership, describing his administration as committed to strengthening football institutions and expanding the sport globally.
South America’s governing body, CONMEBOL, similarly opposed any attempt to remove the FIFA president without following the organisation’s established electoral procedures involving all 211 member associations.
Nevertheless, it voiced concern over decisions made without adequate consultation or adherence to FIFA’s internal governance structures.
Argentina’s football federation also defended Infantino, praising his acknowledgement of recent mistakes and describing his leadership over the past decade as one focused on global football development, institutional stability and transparent administration.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) remains firmly behind Infantino, while opposition continues to gather momentum within UEFA and CONCACAF.
UEFA has warned that European nations could still consider boycotting future World Cup competitions if concerns over governance remain unresolved.
Earlier, UEFA dismissed the now-withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal as lacking transparency and accused FIFA of pursuing the initiative through closed-door negotiations.
England’s Football Association has since formally withdrawn its support, joining Wales, Croatia and Albania in distancing themselves from the FIFA president.
CONCACAF criticised the abandoned investment proposal as another example of poor leadership and decision-making, arguing that it reflected a pattern of governance failures.
However, unlike UEFA, the confederation stopped short of declaring it had completely lost confidence in Infantino.
Before the proposal was shelved, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) aligned itself with UEFA and CONCACAF in opposing the planned investment arrangement.
Attention is now turning to FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for 18 March at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
Although FIFA rules generally limit presidents to three four-year terms, Infantino remains eligible to seek another mandate after successfully arguing that his initial three-year period following his appointment in 2016 should not count toward the limit.
Having secured unopposed victories in both 2019 and 2023, Infantino had been widely expected to face little resistance in 2027 before the latest controversy unfolded.
Potential challengers have until 18 November to secure nominations backed by at least five FIFA member associations.
Should only two candidates contest the presidency, victory will require a simple majority of votes.
If three or more candidates enter the race, a 75 percent threshold will initially apply, with successive rounds eliminating the lowest-performing contenders until one candidate secures the required support.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong