Lise Klaveness floated as FIFA successor to Infantino

Lise Klaveness, the head of Norway's football federation, is drawing attention as a possible successor to FIFA president Gianni Infantino after years of public criticism of his leadership.

Klaveness, a 45-year-old lawyer and former Norway footballer, called on Infantino to resign on Friday. She said he had moved away from the reform programme on good governance that helped him win the FIFA presidency in 2016.

The Norwegian federation has decided to bring three issues before FIFA's Ethics Committee: FIFA's decision to award a “Peace Prize” to US President Donald Trump, the lifting of US player Folarin Balogun's suspension at the 2026 World Cup after an intervention by Trump, and an aborted plan to open FIFA competitions to private investors.

Klaveness first confronted Infantino publicly in 2022, soon after becoming head of the Norwegian federation, when she criticised the conditions under which the World Cup was awarded to Qatar. The following year, Norway refused to back Infantino's re-election.

Mina Finsted Berg, a sports commentator for Norwegian channel TV2, said Klaveness had become an early standard-bearer for criticism of how Infantino runs FIFA. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter wrote on X that the time was right for a woman to lead FIFA and named Klaveness as a possible successor.

Klaveness has not declared a run. She told AFP that the crisis should not be reduced to a personal power struggle and said the problems went beyond Infantino himself.

Infantino is standing for a fourth and final term next March and is currently the only declared candidate.

Any Klaveness candidacy would face obstacles. Finsted Berg said Klaveness was viewed as radical in many places and that being a woman could count against her in some regions. Former Norway goalkeeper and commentator Erik Thorstvedt questioned how she could win support outside Europe after having difficulty winning election inside UEFA.