Fresh storm for FIFA! Norway files ethics complaint questioning Gianni Infantino’s conduct

The landscape of international football governance has been rocked by a formal submission from the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), which has officially lodged a three-part ethics complaint regarding the conduct of FIFA President Infantino.

The NFF has expressed grave concerns over several high-profile incidents, ranging from the awarding of a controversial peace prize to the intervention in disciplinary matters involving active players, prompting a demand for the FIFA Ethics Committee to intervene.

This development represents a direct confrontation from a member association against the leadership of the global governing body, highlighting a growing rift within the sport's administrative structures.

Central to the complaint is the question of whether Infantino has "abused" his position to facilitate political alliances or financial projects that bypass traditional oversight. The federation has asked for a thorough investigation into whether the president and other senior officials breached the organization's code of ethics through their recent actions. This is not merely a request for internal review; it is a calculated demand for accountability that spans multiple departments within FIFA.

By bringing these issues to the Ethics Committee, the NFF is pushing for a transparent accounting of how decisions are made at the very top of the football pyramid, particularly when those decisions appear to intersect with global political agendas and private capital.

The offensive by the Norwegian Football Federation has taken a step forward by also referring the matter to the governance, audit, and compliance committee. This secondary referral seeks to determine "whether FIFA’s decision making, oversight and internal controls operated as required, and whether any governance failures allowed the matters raised to occur."

One of the most striking elements of the NFF’s grievance involves the unprecedented awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump. The prize, which was established in November, was intended to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world."

Trump received the inaugural honor during the draw for the December World Cup, a move that immediately drew criticism from various advocacy groups and member nations. The NFF has specifically questioned the legitimacy of this award, stating in their complaint that 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 complaint further delves into the specifics of a disciplinary case involving USMNT striker Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup. Balogun had received a red card during a victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which should have triggered an automatic one-match suspension. However, the ban was mysteriously suspended, allowing the forward to feature in the following round against Belgium.

Reports emerged that the suspension of the ban followed a direct phone call from Donald Trump to Infantino, requesting a review of the disciplinary decision. The NFF has noted that the awarding of the peace prize, coupled with Infantino’s public support for Trump, "raises issues under the (ethics) code’s provisions on abuse of position and political neutrality."