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The president of Norway’s soccer federation said Tuesday that the organization sent a letter to FIFA supporting a formal complaint against the global governing body about the Peace Prize awarded to U.S. President Donald Trump in December.
FIFA gave Trump its inaugural Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., two months after its president, Gianni Infantino, joined Republicans in calling for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Norway will kick off its World Cup campaign with a match against Iraq in Foxborough, Mass., on June 16.
Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness said at a press conference Tuesday that her federation sent a letter of support for a complaint filed in December by human rights group FairSquare.
The FairSquare complaint alleges Infantino and FIFA leaders violated FIFA’s code of ethics—which requires political neutrality—by backing Trump and awarding him the Peace Prize, and requests an investigation into how the prize originated.
“We have sent it, and it is causing some political reactions,” Klaveness said. “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.”
Infantino has tested FIFA’s neutrality rules. In addition to his friendship with Trump, Infantino has cozied up to authoritarian leaders of other World Cup host countries including Russia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He claims that doing so (in Trump’s case) is “crucial” for FIFA to pull off a successful tournament.
Klaveness said other countries’ federations have shown support, but that the NFF sent the letter alone. In April, Klaveness publicly expressed her support for FairSquare’s complaint and said the FIFA Peace Prize should be abolished.
Norway is in a deep World Cup group that features France, Senegal, and Iraq. The team chose Greensboro, N.C., for its base camp and will play matches in Boston and New Jersey.
Klaveness said the federation discussed the letter with FIFA officials at a meeting this weekend in Budapest, where Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal in the Champions League final Saturday.
“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.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Klaveness was among a number of European soccer leaders who rebuked Infantino for delaying the 2025 FIFA Congress by two days to join Trump on a trip to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Klaveness and others, including UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, staged a walkout in protest. At the time, she called Infantino’s delay “disappointing” and the situation “concerning.”
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