Norway Demands Gianni Infantino Resign as Mexico and Argentina Back FIFA Chief

Norway Demands Infantino Resignation Following World Cup Sell-Off Plan

NFF president Lise Klaveness stated that Infantino lacks the necessary institutional trust to govern FIFA stably in the current climate. Speaking to reporters, Klaveness said that international football cooperation is in trouble and that there is no turning back for the current president as reported by Malay Mail. Norway’s stance goes further than the football associations of England, Wales, Croatia, and Albania, which have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election bid without formally demanding his resignation.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is standing for re-election for a fourth and final term at the FIFA Congress scheduled for next March in Morocco according to Yahoo Sports. Candidates must declare their intentions by November 18, and Infantino must secure a majority of the 211 member association votes to win another term as detailed by Malay Mail.

Mexico and Argentina Break Ranks to Back FIFA Chief

While European federations mount pressure against the Swiss administrator, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received crucial backing from North and South American federations irishtimes.com. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) broke ranks with its regional governing body, Concacaf, to issue a public statement supporting Infantino’s leadership and institutional strengthening as reported by the BBC.

England FA Set to Join Wales in Withdrawing Support for Gianni Infantino

Concacaf had previously issued a rebuke accusing Infantino of a unilateral and egregious act of poor governance over the private investor plan, calling for a comprehensive reckoning according to Yahoo Sports. However, Mexico—co-hosting the 2026 World Cup—endorsed Infantino’s call to continue developing football for all 211 member associations and stated it would not recognize any process convened outside of FIFA’s institutional framework according to the BBC.

Gianni Infantino Faces Pressure as Welsh FA Withdraws Re-election Support

Similarly, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) published a letter supporting Infantino and the FIFA board, praising a transparent governance model and thanking him for his ten years of service as detailed by the BBC. South America’s Conmebol also stated it would reject any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 members, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee unanimously reconfirmed its support according to the BBC.

Governance Controversies and Disciplinary Scrutiny

The resistance against Infantino was compounded by controversies surrounding tournament awards, governance practices, and a high-profile disciplinary decision during the recent World Cup according to the BBC. Critics pointed to the inaugural FIFA peace prize awarded to US President Donald Trump in December, as well as the overturning of a red-card ban for American forward Folarin Balogun following a phone call from Trump as reported by the BBC.

Gianni Infantino Secures FIFA Leadership Support at Crisis Meeting

La Liga president Javier Tebas criticized the handling of the Balogun case as an intolerable political interference in football’s disciplinary independence according to Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, world players’ union FIFPro accused Infantino of a profound abuse of presidential power, demanding governance reforms and a seat on the FIFA Council as reported by Yahoo Sports.

European football’s governing body UEFA has maintained its stance that it has lost confidence in Infantino and intends to boycott FIFA competitions according to Yahoo Sports. However, assembling the necessary votes for a successful vote of no confidence or emergency meeting remains difficult, with UEFA needing 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations to pass a motion at an extraordinary congress as reported by the BBC.