Norway Files Fresh Ethics Complaint Against FIFA President Infantino

ZURICH, Switzerland — The Norwegian Football Association has filed formal complaints with two FIFA committees, asking for investigations into three controversial matters involving FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the world football governing body.

The Norwegian federation said on Tuesday that it had submitted one complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee and a separate referral to the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee.

The submissions concern the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to US President Donald Trump, the handling of US forward Folarin Balogun’s disciplinary case during the 2026 World Cup, and the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project.

Norway is asking the Ethics Committee to examine whether Infantino and any other officials identified during an investigation may have breached FIFA’s Code of Ethics.

The separate governance referral asks whether FIFA’s decision-making processes, financial oversight, internal controls and other governance mechanisms operated as intended, or whether failures in those systems contributed to the controversies.

The Norwegian federation said the complaints follow a unanimous decision by its board on August 7 and form part of its wider campaign for greater transparency, accountability and political neutrality in international football.

The Balogun case concerns the decision that allowed the United States forward to avoid serving a suspension during the World Cup after receiving a red card. The decision attracted scrutiny after US President Donald Trump had publicly criticised the original red-card decision and later spoke with Infantino.

Norway has also raised questions about FIFA’s decision to create and award its Peace Prize to Trump.

The third issue concerns FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial investment structure involving FIFA’s football rights and private investors. The project was later abandoned after facing opposition and controversy within football circles.

Norwegian Football Association president Lise Klaveness said the federation's objective was to establish the facts and determine whether FIFA's own rules and governance mechanisms were followed.

“Football is entirely dependent on trust in its institutions,” Klaveness said, according to the federation. She said serious questions should be independently examined and addressed through FIFA’s established procedures.

The Norwegian complaints do not establish that Infantino committed an ethical violation or abused his position. Instead, they ask FIFA's competent bodies to investigate whether any rules were breached and whether governance safeguards worked as intended.

The filing represents a significant escalation in Norway’s longstanding criticism of FIFA’s leadership and governance under Infantino.

FIFA has yet to determine publicly whether the complaints will lead to formal disciplinary proceedings. Ethics proceedings within the governing body are subject to confidentiality rules.

The complaints now put the three controversies before FIFA’s own oversight structures, where Norway wants the relevant evidence examined and any responsibility established according to the organisation’s rules.

SOURCE NEWYORK TIMES