"We have sent it, and it is causing some political reactions." That's Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, matter-of-factly describing what amounts to a member association going to war with the governing body that runs the tournament her team is about to play in.
Norway has formally backed a complaint filed by human rights group FairSquare against FIFA — specifically against president Gianni Infantino — alleging that awarding Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December violated FIFA's own code of ethics, which mandates political neutrality. The complaint requests a full investigation into how the prize came about in the first place.
What the complaint actually says
FIFA handed Trump the prize at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. in December — two months after Infantino publicly joined Republicans in lobbying for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. FairSquare argues that's not neutrality. That's endorsement. Klaveness agrees.
She's been pushing on this for months. In April she publicly called for the FIFA Peace Prize to be scrapped entirely. Now her federation has put it in writing, sent it to FIFA, and discussed it face-to-face with officials at a meeting in Budapest — the same weekend PSG beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.
"There is no doubt that the letter is perceived as problematic when it comes from a member association," Klaveness said. Translation: FIFA is not happy. She sent it anyway.
The bigger picture around Infantino
This isn't an isolated incident for Infantino. He delayed the 2025 FIFA Congress by two days to accompany Trump on a trip to Qatar and Saudi Arabia — a move that prompted Klaveness, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, and others to stage a walkout in protest. His track record of building personal relationships with the leaders of authoritarian World Cup host nations — Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, now the United States — has made the neutrality question a recurring one.
Infantino's defence is that proximity to these leaders is "crucial" for a successful tournament. Critics, including Klaveness, aren't buying it as a blanket justification for abandoning FIFA's own rulebook.
Norway kicks off their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Iraq in Foxborough, navigating a group that also includes France and Senegal — arguably one of the toughest draws in the tournament. Klaveness says her federation will "push forward, request meetings, and build momentum" once the football is done.
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.
