NFF president Lise Klavenes called on FIFA to abolish the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize in order to protect political neutrality.
Published June 2, 2026
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has officially supported the formal charges against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for violating political neutrality rules, NFF President Lise Klavenes said.
At a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the national team’s departure for the World Cup, Klavenes said that a letter of support from the NFF had been formally submitted. She acknowledged that the move had caused political friction within soccer’s world governing body.
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Mr Klavenes had previously called on FIFA to abolish the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize in order to protect its political neutrality. FIFA came under intense scrutiny after presenting the inaugural award to US President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw in December.
A complaint filed by human rights group Fair Square with FIFA’s Ethics Committee objects to Infantino presenting the Peace Prize to Donald Trump. The NFF asked the commission to assess whether the FIFA president breached the governing body’s laws on political neutrality through the award and related conduct.
“We sent this out, and it’s causing a political reaction,” Craveness told reporters. “But it will be sent and it will be checked. We will follow up and move forward and request a meeting and build momentum towards this as soon as the World Cup is over.”
Klavenes revealed that FIFA officials responded to the NFF’s position during a meeting in Budapest last weekend, which coincided with the Champions League final.
“The fact that this letter comes from a member organization leaves no doubt that it is perceived as problematic,” Craveness said. “But it was a good meeting and we had a constructive discussion about why it is perceived as problematic and why it is important for Norway to support Fair Square on this issue.”
The NFF chose not to pressure other member associations to join in the formal complaint and submitted the letter on its own. “We receive support from other federations, but we are sending this letter on our own,” Craveness said.
Al Jazeera contacted FIFA for comment but did not receive a response.
