Nordic football associations call for FIFA president's resignation

Six Nordic football associations—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands—formally declared a loss of confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino on August 23, 2026. Meeting in Helsinki, the group issued a joint statement demanding significant governance reforms and supporting calls for Infantino’s resignation, which have also been voiced by three major regional confederations including UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF. The opposition stems from Infantino’s controversial, now-abandoned proposal to sell a 20% stake in FIFA tournament rights to private equity investors, a move that sparked widespread backlash.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed on August 24 that he will not challenge Infantino for the presidency but stated he expects an opposition candidate to emerge during the elections scheduled for March. Ceferin suggested that Infantino must either step down voluntarily due to a lack of support from the broader football community or face a contested election. Meanwhile, the Nordic associations are pushing for binding guarantees to prevent future efforts to privatize FIFA’s governance or competitions, signaling a sustained period of internal conflict within the organization.