Halis Sunnetci
06 October 2026•Update: 06 October 2026
By Halis Sunnetci
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) filed two formal requests with FIFA bodies Tuesday over governance and ethics concerns involving President Gianni Infantino and three controversial cases, the federation said in a statement.
The NFF submitted an ethics complaint asking FIFA’s Ethics Committee to examine the conduct of Infantino and any other individuals identified during an investigation for potential breaches of the governing body’s Code of Ethics.
A separate referral to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) asks whether the organization’s governance, financial oversight, internal controls and decision-making processes functioned as intended.
Both filings concern three issues: the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, the handling of US forward Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the 2026 World Cup and the creation and awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize.
“The purpose of these inquiries is simple: to establish the facts in the cases and ensure accountability within FIFA’s own regulations,” NFF President Lise Klaveness said.
Balogun case
The NFF is seeking an examination of possible political intervention in the disciplinary process involving Balogun during the World Cup.
Balogun received an automatic one-match suspension after being sent off in the US’ win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA subsequently made implementation of the ban conditional, allowing him to play against Belgium.
The decision came after US President Donald Trump contacted Infantino and asked him to review the red card.
The Norwegian federation wants FIFA to examine communications surrounding the decision, whether outside contacts influenced the disciplinary process and whether requirements concerning the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary bodies were followed.
FIFA Forward Enterprise
The NFF is also seeking clarification over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which involved plans to allow private investors to acquire minority stakes in a new FIFA-controlled commercial entity that would manage rights to major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
The proposal involved selling around a 20% stake in the entity to outside investors.
The filing asks how the project advanced to such a stage, whether FIFA’s internal controls worked properly, how the organization’s leadership communicated about the proposal and whether any financial interest or future role for Infantino was contemplated.
The project was withdrawn in July following opposition from football governing bodies.
FIFA Peace Prize
The third issue concerns the FIFA Peace Prize, which was created in 2025 and awarded to Trump later that year.
The NFF is asking for an examination of how the prize was created, who approved it, the FIFA Council’s involvement and whether its creation and awarding were consistent with FIFA’s requirements on political neutrality.
The Norwegian federation has previously raised concerns about the prize and FIFA’s relationship with political leaders.
Klaveness said the NFF wants the three matters thoroughly examined and relevant documentation and communications made available to FIFA’s member associations.
