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Norway has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, intensifying the growing opposition to his leadership after his controversial plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors was abandoned. However, Mexico and Argentina have publicly backed the 56-year-old.
The Norwegian Football Federation has gone further than the football associations of England, Wales, Croatia and Albania, which have withdrawn their support for Infantino without directly demanding his resignation.
NFF president Lise Klaveness said Infantino no longer has the institutional trust needed to lead FIFA effectively. She argued that international football cooperation is facing serious difficulties and called on the FIFA president to step down.
Klaveness, a qualified lawyer, also outlined several concerns Norway has raised with FIFA during her four-year tenure. These include questions about the awarding of tournaments, FIFA's peace prize awarded to US President Donald Trump in December, and the decision to overturn a ban involving American forward Folarin Balogun during the recent World Cup following a phone call from Trump.
While opposition has grown in Europe and Concacaf, Mexico has broken ranks with its regional governing body to support Infantino. Concacaf had called for a comprehensive review of his presidency following the collapse of the proposed World Cup investment plan.
The Mexican Football Federation said it supports Infantino's leadership and his efforts to develop football through stronger institutions. The federation also echoed South American governing body Conmebol in rejecting any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 FIFA member associations.
Conmebol expressed concern about Infantino's repeated unilateral decisions but continues to support his leadership. Argentina, which finished as World Cup runners-up, also praised the FIFA president for acknowledging and apologizing for what it described as his errors. The Argentine federation commended his decade-long tenure for promoting football's global development and institutional strength.
Infantino retains strong support from the Confederation of African Football, which has unanimously backed him, while UEFA remains one of his strongest critics. UEFA has withdrawn its support and described the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal as an opaque and unacceptable arrangement.
England, Wales, Albania and Croatia have also withdrawn their backing. Concacaf similarly criticized the proposal as evidence of poor governance, while the Asian Football Confederation previously expressed solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the plan.
Infantino is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in 2027. FIFA rules normally limit presidents to three four-year terms, but Infantino argues his initial three-year period after replacing Sepp Blatter in 2016 should not count.
He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. Candidates must submit their names and receive support from at least five member associations by Nov. 18. The election will take place at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18.
Despite the opposition, Infantino remains the favorite outside Europe, particularly because of FIFA development funding. The current FIFA Forward 3.0 program provides national associations with up to $8 million during the four-year cycle, strengthening his support among developing football nations.
