The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), one of FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s most persistent critics, has announced it will formally call for his resignation, its president Lise Klaveness said on Friday.

“He does not have the institutional trust required to lead FIFA in a stable manner in the current climate. There is no turning back for Gianni Infantino,” Klaveness told reporters.

The decision came a day after a meeting of the Norwegian federation’s governing bodies, which examined the fate of the much-criticised FIFA chief. Infantino, who has been president of FIFA since 2016 and is currently the only declared candidate for a fourth and final term next March, must secure a majority of the 211 votes from the organisation’s members to be re-elected. Candidates must declare by November 18.

The Italian-Swiss lawyer has come under enormous pressure since the failure of his plan — revealed last week — to open FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.

“Given the chaos we find ourselves in, he can no longer be the figure capable of uniting people,” Klaveness told AFP.

Some, including his disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter, have suggested Klaveness as a possible candidate to succeed Infantino — which would make her the first woman to head FIFA. “She was the only one who always took a clear stand and did not go along with the mainstream. And at FIFA, the time is right for a woman to take the lead,” Blatter wrote on social network X.

However, Klaveness played down the speculation. “We’re not there yet,” she told AFP. “For us, it’s now about the issues I just mentioned, and not about particular individuals. It would be strange for me to start answering questions about myself, and that goes for everyone,” the 45-year-old lawyer and former international footballer added.

The Norwegian federation has also decided to refer three cases to FIFA’s ethics committee: the aborted plan to open up to private investors, the lifting of the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun at the 2026 World Cup following an intervention by US President Donald Trump, and FIFA’s awarding of a so-called ‘Peace Prize’ to Trump. It will also request a full review of the reforms to which Infantino had committed.

At the time of this report, FIFA had not issued an official response to the Norwegian federation’s demands.