The president of the Norwegian Football Association called Monday for FIFA to abolish its newly created Peace Prize, intensifying scrutiny of the organization following its decision to award the inaugural honor to U.S. President Donald Trump . Lise Klaveness , speaking at an online press briefing, said awarding peace prizes falls outside FIFA’s mandate and risks politicizing the sport. “We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize, we think we have a Nobel Institute that does that job independently already,” she said, adding that without independent juries and clear criteria

The president of the Norwegian Football Association called Monday for FIFA to abolish its newly created Peace Prize, intensifying scrutiny of the organization following its decision to award the inaugural honor to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Lise Klaveness, speaking at an online press briefing, said awarding peace prizes falls outside FIFA’s mandate and risks politicizing the sport.

“We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize, we think we have a Nobel Institute that does that job independently already,” she said, adding that without independent juries and clear criteria, such awards “will typically be very political.”

Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness

FIFA introduced the Peace Prize in November 2025, saying it would recognise individuals for exceptional contributions to peace. The inaugural award was presented by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to Trump during the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in Washington on December 5.

At the ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Infantino handed Trump a gold trophy, a gold medal and a certificate.

Klaveness said the NFF board would formally write to support an ethics complaint filed by London-based rights group FairSquare against Infantino.

The complaint, filed on December 8, 2025 with FIFA’s Ethics Committee, alleges multiple breaches of the organisation’s code, including failures to maintain political neutrality.

FairSquare programme director Nicholas McGeehan said the case raised broader concerns about FIFA governance, arguing that leadership had acted “in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world’s most popular sport.”

Klaveness called for a transparent process, saying “the reasoning and the conclusion should be transparent” and that the case should follow a clear timeline.

FIFA said it does not comment on potential ethics cases. Infantino has not publicly responded to the complaint.

It remains unclear whether FIFA’s ethics committee will open a formal investigation, but the intervention from Norway’s federation adds to growing pressure within European football for clearer separation between sport and political leadership ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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