Norway Files Dual FIFA Ethics and Governance Complaints Against Gianni Infantino

For the first time in the history of world football's governing body, a member association has formally demanded the investigation of a sitting president. The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) filed dual ethics and governance complaints against Gianni Infantino on Tuesday.[4]

The unprecedented legal challenge asks FIFA's internal committees to examine whether Infantino abused his position to facilitate political alliances and bypass traditional financial oversight. NFF President Lise Klaveness directed the filings to both the Ethics Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee.[3][5]

The Norwegian federation's grievance centers on three specific controversies from the past year, demanding a transparent accounting of decisions made at the top of the football pyramid. The most prominent involves the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize," which was established in November.[3][4]

That award was presented to U.S. President Donald Trump during the December World Cup draw, drawing immediate criticism from member nations.[3]

"It raises questions about how the prize was created and awarded, whether the FIFA Council should have been involved, and whether the process was consistent with FIFA's obligations of political neutrality," the NFF stated in its formal complaint.[3]

The second issue involves an unprecedented intervention in active tournament disciplinary matters during the 2026 World Cup. United States striker Folarin Balogun received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which carries an automatic, non-negotiable one-match suspension under standard tournament rules.[3][4]

That ban was mysteriously lifted, allowing Balogun to play in the subsequent knockout round against Belgium. The NFF complaint cites reports that the suspension was reviewed following a direct phone call from Trump to Infantino, framing the sequence as a potential breach of the ethics code.[3]

The federation noted that the awarding of the peace prize, coupled with the disciplinary reversal, raises issues under the code's provisions on abuse of position. The NFF is pushing the Ethics Committee to determine if these actions represent a fundamental governance failure.[3][5]

The final pillar of the complaint targets the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a controversial initiative that sought to open the World Cup to private investors. While the multi-billion dollar commercialization plan was eventually dropped following widespread objections from UEFA, Norway wants the underlying process investigated.[1][4][5]

By referring the FFE project to the Audit and Compliance Committee, the NFF is demanding a structural review of how the proposal advanced so far.[5]

The federation asked the committee to determine "whether FIFA's decision making, oversight and internal controls operated as required" during the negotiations.[3][5]

The filings arrive at a critical juncture for Infantino, who is seeking another term in the upcoming March 2027 elections. The FIFA Council is scheduled to meet on October 15 in Zurich, Switzerland, where Infantino had planned to propose operational reforms to the 211 member associations.[4][5]

This formal confrontation highlights a growing rift within the sport's administrative structures over the intersection of private capital and global political agendas. The ethics committees must now decide whether to open a formal probe into the president's conduct before the election cycle accelerates.[3][8]