Norwegian Football Federation Files Dual Ethics Complaints Against FIFA President Infantino

• The allegations concern possible abuse of power and a conflict of interest.
• The complaints focus on decisions related to the World Cup and investment initiatives.

Updated 2 min 2 sec ago

Arab News Pakistan

October 6, 2026 22:35

PARIS: FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under scrutiny after the Norwegian Football Federation submitted two formal complaints to FIFA’s ethics and governance committees, accusing him of potential abuse of power and conflict of interest.

The complaints pertain to three issues: his abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investors, the reversal of a suspension for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun following a call from Donald Trump, and FIFA’s decision to award a so‑called Peace Prize to the former U.S. president.

The first complaint, lodged on Tuesday, asks the Ethics Committee to review Infantino’s conduct—and that of any individuals implicated in the investigation—for possible violations of FIFA’s Code of Ethics.

The second complaint targets the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), questioning whether FIFA’s governance, financial oversight, internal controls and decision‑making processes operated as intended.

Lise Klaveness, the NFF’s outspoken president and a longtime critic of Infantino, told The Times that Donald Trump is the common thread linking all three matters.

She noted that the venture‑capital firm linked to Jared Kushner’s brother Josh was slated to be the principal investor in the now‑scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.

Infantino unveiled the FFE plan shortly after the jointly hosted 2026 World Cup by Canada, Mexico and the United States, proposing that private investors could acquire shares in a new entity created under the initiative.

The ensuing backlash forced Infantino to retreat from the proposal within days.

Klaveness added, “FIFA Forward Enterprise is a governance issue, but it is tied to the other two cases through potential conflicts of interest and abuse of position.”

“There is a through‑line connecting these three incidents, and it reflects the same political agenda,” she said.

Klaveness, a former international player, said Infantino must answer serious questions about transparency.

Balogun received a red card in the round‑of‑32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, triggering an automatic suspension for the Belgium fixture.

FIFA intervened to lift that ban, drawing widespread criticism, particularly after it emerged that Trump had phoned Infantino to request the reversal.

The FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump in December has also been widely mocked.

Klaveness remarked, “Although these are distinct factual matters, they share a common element that warrants investigation.”

She asked, “Does this constitute an abuse of power or position? Does it breach FIFA’s requirement of political neutrality? Is it consistent with governance rules that designate the FIFA Council as the strategic body, leaving the president without unilateral authority?”

She also referenced a “misinformation campaign” allegedly being waged against Infantino.

In August, the 45‑year‑old Klaveness urged Infantino to step aside and abandon his bid for a fourth term.

The 56‑year‑old Swiss official has insisted he will run for re‑election in Rabat next March, and no rival has yet declared candidacy.

Having first won the presidency in 2016, Infantino must obtain a majority of the 211 member‑association votes to retain his post.

The deadline for candidates to file their nominations is November 18.

Klaveness has said she will not run, despite suggestions from figures such as former FIFA president Sepp Blatter that she would be a strong contender.

Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, has stated he has no interest in challenging Infantino.

UEFA has repeatedly criticized Infantino and FIFA, labeling the FFE plan “a shady and opaque backroom deal.”

The most probable challenger is viewed as Canadian Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, whose confederation, together with UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has formed an anti‑Infantino bloc.

While many UEFA members have publicly withdrawn their support for the Swiss official, certain AFC members—including the 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia and the 2022 hosts Qatar—have pledged allegiance to Infantino.

The African football confederation (CAF) and South America’s CONMEBOL also back him.

UEFA has additionally pursued legal action in a Florida court to obtain documents concerning Infantino’s abandoned FFE initiative, aiming to build a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland, where both UEFA and FIFA are headquartered.

In response, FIFA accused UEFA of conducting a “misinformation campaign” and alleged that it is trying to sway the upcoming election.

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