Norway calls for Infantino’s resignation as Mexico and Argentina offer support

By Arjun Nair / 07.08.2026

By Arjun Nair — 7 August 2026 — 4 min read

The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has called for Fifa president Gianni Infantino to resign, citing a lack of institutional trust. This follows Infantino’s abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. NFF president Lise Klaveness stated that Infantino “does not have the institutional trust required to govern Fifa stably” and that “there is no going back for Gianni Infantino.”

Klaveness highlighted concerns raised by the Norwegian FA during her four-year tenure, including issues surrounding the awarding of tournaments, the inaugural Fifa peace prize, and the overturning of a ban for an American forward during a recent World Cup. The NFF’s stance goes further than other football associations like England, Wales, Croatia, and Albania, which have withdrawn support for Infantino without explicitly demanding his resignation.

Divisions Among Confederations

While European football’s governing body, Uefa, and Concacaf, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, oppose Infantino, other confederations have expressed support. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously reaffirmed its backing for Infantino. CAF president Patrice Motsepe welcomed Fifa’s pledge to review the processes that led to the controversy surrounding the World Cup commercial rights proposal.

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has also publicly supported Infantino, breaking ranks with Concacaf, which had called for a “comprehensive reckoning” of Infantino’s presidency. The FMF stated its belief in institutional integrity and respect for governance, and endorsed Infantino’s leadership in promoting football development. Similarly, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) praised Infantino, acknowledging his decision to withdraw the project and apologising for “errors” made in the process.

The South American governing body, Conmebol, appears united behind Infantino, although it did express concern about “repeated unilateral actions taken without resorting to dialogue or the institutional mechanisms.” The AFA’s statement described Infantino’s decade-long tenure as being “centred on the development of soccer worldwide and institutional strength based on a clear, stable, and transparent governance model.”

Upcoming Presidential Election

Infantino is seeking re-election for a fourth term, with the election scheduled for 18 March at the 77th Fifa Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Under Fifa statutes, the maximum tenure is three four-year terms. However, Infantino successfully argued that his first term, which lasted three years after he replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, should not count towards this limit, allowing him to stand again. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.

Uefa and other opponents of Infantino now face the task of finding a candidate to challenge him. The deadline for submitting names, along with at least five letters of support from member associations, is 18 November. If two candidates stand, a simple majority of the 211 member associations is required to win. If there are three or more candidates, 75% of votes are needed for an outright win; otherwise, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed, and another vote is held until only two candidates remain, at which point a simple majority decides the outcome.

Infantino’s strategy for securing support has historically involved extensive travel to meet with member associations. When elected in 2016, he mentioned a budget of €500,000 for flights to lobby for votes. Funding for the 211 member associations is another key tool, particularly for developing nations. The latest iteration of his investment programme, Fifa Forward 3.0, which provides national associations with up to $8m in the current four-year cycle, concludes in December.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had previously expressed solidarity with Uefa and Concacaf in opposing the World Cup commercial rights plans before they were withdrawn. However, the AFC has not issued a statement since the plan was aborted, with only Jordan indicating it will not vote for Infantino. The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) will hold a meeting next month to determine its stance, although its president, Lambert Maltock, previously lauded Infantino’s leadership and investment in grassroots football.

The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino, joining Wales, Albania, and Croatia among other individual associations. Concacaf described Infantino’s proposal as a “symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first” and part of a “pattern of missteps and similar behaviour.” However, Concacaf did not explicitly state a loss of confidence in the Fifa president, unlike Uefa, which has said its conditions have not been met and that European teams could still boycott the World Cup.

The Confederation of African Football, comprising 54 of Fifa’s 211 member associations, represents a significant voting bloc that has largely supported Infantino since 2016.

Source: bbc.com