Nordic football associations unite in call for Gianni Infantino resignation

The football associations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands have jointly declared they no longer have confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino and backed calls for him to step down.

The six Nordic FIFA members issued the statement after meeting in Helsinki on Sunday, aligning themselves with pressure from three major regional confederations: European governing body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Concacaf, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean.

They also called for an independent investigation into the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, including plans to sell private equity investors a stake in competitions such as the World Cup. The proposal was abandoned soon after it became public following widespread opposition.

“The six Nordic football associations have lost confidence in Fifa’s president and are concerned about the organisation’s governance and decision-making at the highest level,” they said in a statement.

“The Nordic football associations stand united with Uefa and support the measures that the organisation and its national member associations have jointly proposed.

“We expect Fifa to provide binding guarantees that the organisation’s governance or competitions will never again be opened up to private ownership.”

FIFA has been contacted for comment on the Nordic associations’ statement.

The organisations also backed demands from AFC, Concacaf and UEFA for a vote of no confidence in Infantino to be considered. Denmark’s football association, DBU, said on Friday that it would seek a credible alternative to Infantino at next year’s FIFA presidential election.

Infantino is seeking a fourth term in office, which would run until 2031. The election will take place next year, with the FIFA president facing opposition from influential bodies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

“We also support the demand made by AFC, Concacaf and Uefa that a fully independent external investigation into the events surrounding the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal be established,” the Nordic FAs said.

“We also call on Fifa to initiate a comprehensive and independent review of its governance framework to determine whether it ensures the independence, checks and balances, transparency and accountability that were intended when Fifa adopted its reform programme in 2016.”

The Nordic associations said they wanted guarantees that FIFA’s competitions and governance would not be made available for private ownership in future. They also questioned whether the reforms introduced by FIFA in 2016 continue to provide sufficient safeguards over how the organisation is run and how decisions are made.

Infantino was in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, where he met officials from the Caribbean Football Union. His visit came as Concacaf president Victor Montagliani had asked him not to attend a youth football tournament in the country, arguing that his presence would overshadow the event.

The FIFA president defended his decision to attend, pointing to the connection between the tournament and the FIFA Forward programme.

“This meeting of the presidents of CFU takes place in the environment of [an] Under-14 youth tournament in the region, which actually is one of those tournaments that can take place thanks [to] the Fifa Forward programme,” Infantino said.

“So, even more so, a reason to be proud to be here. And happy, as well, because it’s important to engage, to have a dialogue, to express views and opinions.”