Elham Asaad Buaras
The controversy surrounding FIFA’s decision to award its inaugural “peace prize” to Donald Trump has intensified after the Norwegian Football Federation formally backed an ethics complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging a breach of the governing body’s political neutrality rules.
The disputed award was presented during the 2026 World Cup draw in December 2025, when Infantino handed the prize to Trump at the FIFA ceremony. Critics argue the move blurred the line between sport and politics, potentially violating FIFA’s statutes on neutrality.
Norwegian FA President Lise Klaveness confirmed on June 2, that the federation had submitted its formal letter of support to FIFA’s ethics committee, saying the decision had already “checked off” internal approval processes and would now be followed up after the World Cup.
She acknowledged the move had triggered diplomatic unease within world football’s governing structures, but insisted the federation would continue pressing the issue. “We will follow up, push forward, request meetings, and build momentum on this as soon as the World Cup is over,” Klaveness said.
The ethics complaint, originally lodged by human rights organisation FairSquare in December 2025, specifically questions whether Infantino’s presentation of the “peace prize” to Trump, along with related actions, compromised FIFA’s obligation to remain politically neutral under its statutes.
Klaveness also revealed that FIFA officials had raised concerns over the Norwegian FA’s position during a meeting in Budapest over the weekend preceding June 2, describing the discussions as “constructive” despite the tensions.
While acknowledging that the letter had been viewed as problematic by some within FIFA, she said the Norwegian FA had acted independently and was not coordinating a wider bloc of federations.
“We have received support from other federations, but we are sending this letter alone,” she said.
