June 2 (Reuters) - The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has formally backed an official complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over a breach of political neutrality rules, president Lise Klaveness said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the national team's departure for the World Cup, Klaveness stated that the NFF's letter of support had been officially submitted. She acknowledged that the move has triggered political friction within football's world governing body.
Klaveness had earlier called on FIFA to scrap the award to protect its political neutrality. FIFA faced intense scrutiny after presenting the inaugural peace prize to U.S. President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw in December.
The complaint, lodged by human rights organisation FairSquare with FIFA’s ethics committee, objects to Infantino presenting a "peace prize" to Donald Trump. The NFF has asked the committee to assess whether the FIFA president violated the governing body's statutes regarding political neutrality through the award and related actions.
"We have sent it, and it is causing some political reactions," Klaveness told reporters. "But it is sent, and that is checked off. We will follow up, push forward, request meetings, and build momentum on this as soon as the World Cup is over."
Klaveness revealed that FIFA officials reacted to the NFF's stance during a meeting in Budapest over the weekend, which coincided with the Champions League final.
"There is no doubt that the letter is perceived as problematic when it comes from a member association," Klaveness said. "But it was a good meeting, and we had constructive discussions about why it is perceived as problematic, and why it is important for Norway to support FairSquare in this matter."
The NFF submitted the letter independently, choosing not to pressure other member associations to join the formal complaint. "We have received support from other federations, but we are sending this letter alone," Klaveness said.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
