Norway files formal complaints against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over Trump-linked decisions

The Norwegian Football Federation has submitted two formal complaints to FIFA committees concerning president Gianni Infantino, alleging potential abuse of power and conflicts of interest as criticism of his leadership intensifies.

According to Agence France-Presse, the complaints cover three issues: Infantino’s abandoned plan to open the World Cup to private-sector investment, the lifting of American forward Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the 2026 World Cup following intervention from Donald Trump, and FIFA’s decision to present the US president with what it called the “FIFA Peace Prize”.

The first complaint was lodged with FIFA’s Ethics Committee on Tuesday. It calls for an investigation into “the conduct of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and any other individuals identified by the investigation, concerning potential breaches of the FIFA Code of Ethics”.

The second was submitted to the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee. It asks the committee to examine whether “FIFA’s governance system, financial oversight, internal controls and decision-making processes have operated as intended”.

Trump link

Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, who has been a long-standing and outspoken critic of Infantino, told The Times that Donald Trump connects the three matters.

Under the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, a venture capital firm owned by Josh Kushner – the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law – was expected to be the main investor.

Infantino launched the plan in July after the major success of this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. It would have allowed private investors to purchase stakes in a company established as part of the initiative.

However, opposition forced Infantino into an embarrassing reversal within days.

“FIFA Forward Enterprise is a governance issue, but it is connected to the other two issues because of the potential for conflicts of interest and abuse of office,” Klaveness said.

“There is a thread connecting these three issues, and it is the same political system.”

She added: “Is it an abuse of power, or an abuse of office? Is it a breach of political neutrality? Is it consistent with governance rules, given that the FIFA Council should be the strategic body and that the president should not, in practice, have unilateral power?”

Infantino unopposed

Klaveness, 45, called on Infantino to resign and abandon his bid for a fourth and final term last August.

The Swiss, 56, has confirmed he will stand for re-election in March next year, but no challenger has yet announced a candidacy.

Klaveness has said she will not enter the race, despite some observers – including Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter – believing she is qualified to lead FIFA.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin of Slovenia has also said he is not interested in running. Victor Montagliani, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), is regarded as the most likely challenger.