Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has endorsed Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness as the ideal successor to Gianni Infantino, urging world football to embrace new leadership following the controversy surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The backing of Klaveness comes days after he publicly criticised Infantino’s stewardship of FIFA, claiming the recently concluded World Cup had lost its credibility before the final.
Writing on social media shortly after the tournament, Blatter congratulated the champions but argued that politics had overshadowed football during the competition.
“The longest World Cup has come to an end with the right champions. But on the way to the final whistle, the tournament had lost its credibility,” Blatter wrote.
The former FIFA chief went on to call for change at the top of world football, urging fans, players and national associations to restore the game’s integrity.
“Politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game. Now it is up to the fans, players and national associations to reclaim football and bring it back to its roots under new leadership.”
Having called for a leadership change, Blatter has now named Klaveness as the person he believes should replace Infantino and become the first woman to serve as FIFA president.
Writing on social media, Blatter praised the Norwegian football chief for consistently standing by her principles despite opposing the majority on several key issues.
“Lise Klaveness deserves the utmost respect. 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.”
Klaveness, a former Norway international and lawyer, has served as president of the Norwegian Football Federation.
During her tenure, she has become one of FIFA’s most outspoken critics, regularly calling for greater transparency, stronger governance and increased accountability within world football.
She has also emerged as a leading opponent of FIFA’s controversial proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial entity that could sell a minority stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
Klaveness has warned that the proposal risks undermining football’s democratic structure and giving commercial interests greater influence over the game’s future.
Blatter’s endorsement comes at a time of mounting scrutiny over Infantino’s leadership.
FIFA’s proposed commercial restructuring has faced growing resistance from several stakeholders, including former senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who resigned in protest over the plan, while a number of football associations have raised concerns over the governance and transparency of the proposal.
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Although Infantino remains eligible to seek another term as FIFA president, Blatter’s public backing of Klaveness adds another prominent voice to the growing debate over the future leadership of world football’s governing body.
If she eventually succeeds Infantino, Klaveness would become the first woman to lead FIFA in its history.
