Nordic nations ‘have lost confidence in Infantino’, demand FIFA reforms

What the report says

Six Nordic football associations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands — have jointly said they no longer have confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino and want major reforms at the world governing body. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the associations met in Helsinki and released a rare shared statement on Sunday backing broader calls for Infantino to step down and for FIFA’s leadership and governance to be reviewed.

The statement came amid wider criticism of Infantino from regional football power blocs. Al Jazeera reported that UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have also pressed for his resignation, and the Nordic groups said they support demands for an independent external investigation into the abandoned proposal to let private equity take a stake in major FIFA events such as the World Cup.

The Nordic associations also called for a comprehensive review of FIFA’s governance structure, saying it should be tested for independence, checks and balances, transparency and accountability. They urged FIFA to give binding assurances that its competitions and governance will not again be opened to private ownership. FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The development adds pressure on Infantino ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election, in which he is seeking a fourth term through 2031. The report said he was in the Dominican Republic meeting Caribbean football officials, while another regional president had asked him to stay away from a youth tournament there.