Norwegian FA chief Klaveness dismisses FIFA presidency talk and rebukes Blatter

Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian FA, has poured cold water on speculation that she might run for the FIFA presidency and delivered a pointed rebuke to Sepp Blatter after the disgraced former leader endorsed her candidacy.

Speaking on Friday, Klaveness said the focus remains on the incumbent, Gianni Infantino, who is fighting to survive a backlash over his secret plan to sell commercial rights to the World Cup through a new company. "As of now, we have a sitting president who is still sitting, and that is what we are dealing with," she said. "When and if he resigns, or if he does not resign and seeks re-election, there must be a counter-candidate. Then we must decide on that, and then you will know."

Blatter's endorsement and Klaveness's response

Blatter, who was removed from office amid a sweeping corruption scandal, posted on social media this week that Klaveness "deserves the utmost respect" and that "the time has come for a woman to take over the leadership" of FIFA. Klaveness, a former international player, dismissed the praise by recalling Blatter's attitude towards women's football during his tenure.

"I'm not on X, but I saw this. Sepp Blatter was president when I was a player. I remember he wanted us to play with shorter shorts, and then I commented on it. But I have no comment on this."

The remark refers to Blatter's 2004 suggestion that female players adopt tighter shorts to attract more spectators, a comment that drew widespread criticism at the time.

Infantino's precarious position

Infantino is due to stand for re-election unopposed next year, but his grip on power has weakened. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have all publicly declared they have lost confidence in his leadership following the revelation of the commercial-rights proposal. The plan, which would have handed a private entity control over World Cup sponsorship and media rights, was abandoned after an outcry from member associations and sponsors.

The succession picture

No formal challenger has yet emerged. Victor Montagliani, the Concacaf president and a FIFA vice-president, is reported to be considering a run, while Aleksander Ceferin, the UEFA chief, has given no indication of his intentions. Klaveness said she was not aware of any internal discussions about alternative candidates within the Norwegian federation or among its allies.

With the next FIFA congress scheduled for 2025, the coming months will test whether the confederations can coalesce around a single reform-minded candidate or whether Infantino will survive to a third term unchallenged.