Infantino Under Pressure: Blatter Names Woman as FIFA Leadership Candidate

The crisis surrounding FIFA leadership has entered a new phase. The organisation’s former president, Joseph Blatter, said Lise Klaveness, head of the Norwegian Football Federation, could be a suitable candidate to replace Gianni Infantino.

Klaveness has not announced that she will run for the FIFA presidency. However, Blatter’s statement shows that the search for an alternative to Infantino in international football is becoming increasingly open.

What did Blatter say about his choice?

On the social network X, Joseph Blatter described Klaveness as a leader who is committed to her principles and has an independent position.

“Lise Klaveness deserves the highest respect. She has always taken a clear position and never followed the tide. The time has come for a woman to lead FIFA,” Blatter wrote.

The former president’s words do not constitute an official nomination. A FIFA presidential candidate must submit an application by the established deadline and secure sufficient support from the organisation’s member associations. Klaveness herself has not yet revealed whether she intends to take part in the election.

Who is Lise Klaveness?

Klaveness, 45, is president of the Norwegian Football Federation. The former footballer made 73 appearances for the Norway national team before working as a lawyer, deputy judge and football administrator. In 2022, she became the first woman to lead Norwegian football.

Klaveness is known for her strong stance on human rights, transparency and accountability among leaders in international football. At the 2022 FIFA Congress, she openly criticised working conditions in Qatar, the rights of sexual minorities and the process of selecting the host of the World Cup.

She was also one of the few national federation leaders to openly say that Norway would not vote for Infantino in his previous election.

Why has Infantino come under intense pressure?

The new controversy surrounding the FIFA president began after plans emerged to transfer future commercial revenues from the World Cup to a separate structure involving private investors.

The plan was intended to raise $4.2 billion by selling a 20% stake in the new company. However, after UEFA and other football organisations warned that the idea threatened FIFA’s control and World Cup revenues, the project was suspended. UEFA is also considering the possibility of taking FIFA to court.

Following these events, Infantino is holding urgent talks with FIFA officials and football administrators in Morocco. He is trying to replace weakening support in Europe, Asia and North America with votes from Africa and other regions. Several leading African officials have openly backed him, but the Confederation of African Football has not yet adopted a single official position.

How serious are the reports of a boycott?

UEFA member associations discussed the possibility of boycotting FIFA events as the dispute intensified. The European football body is reportedly working to find an alternative candidate to Infantino for the 2027 election.

There is also opposition to Infantino’s project within CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. However, these organisations have not issued an official vote of no confidence on behalf of all their members. Some influential countries in Asia continue to support the current FIFA president.

Therefore, the issue is not yet an imminent boycott of FIFA competitions, but political pressure that could be applied if the leadership does not change.

The decisive date is 18 November

The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled to take place on 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. Alternative candidates must submit their documents by 18 November 2026.

Infantino plans to seek election for a third and final full term. However, his position is not as strong as before: a number of federations are withdrawing their support, while some senior FIFA officials have criticised the privatisation plan.

The idea of putting forward Klaveness is currently Blatter’s personal initiative. But if she or another strong football leader officially enters the race before November, FIFA could see genuine electoral competition unlike anything witnessed there for many years. Leave your opinion in the comments and share the article with sports fans on Telegram or other social networks!