Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, is advocating for renewed focus on governance and workers’ rights within international football, particularly in the context of large tournaments such as the forthcoming European Championship and World Cup events. Speaking from Oslo, Klaveness emphasized the need for clearer mechanisms to provide financial remedy to workers harmed during event preparations, an issue brought to the fore following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Klaveness, a former Norway international with 73 caps, has been a vocal critic of FIFA’s handling of labor abuses related to the Qatar tournament. Despite FIFA commissioning a review that acknowledged its responsibility to provide compensation, the football governing body opted not to redirect funds to affected families, instead allocating a legacy fund elsewhere. Klaveness seeks to ensure any future tournaments, including Euro 2028 and the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, have binding policies to guarantee remedy funding and accountability.
Her remarks come ahead of FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for 2027. Incumbent Gianni Infantino, who has expressed confidence in broad electoral support, faces growing calls for leadership change. Klaveness, who has openly criticized Infantino and called for his resignation amidst recent controversies, including the Balogun red card incident and the FIFA Forward Enterprise disputes, remains a prominent voice for reform but has not committed to running for the presidency herself. She acknowledged references to her candidacy, including an endorsement from disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, but described any potential bid as unlikely.
Instead, Klaveness is urging other credible challengers to put forward their candidacies by the November 18 nomination deadline. She stressed the importance of nominating candidates who have a real chance of winning and who can build broad support across FIFA’s confederations. Highlighting widespread distrust in governance not only in Europe but globally, she said the upcoming election will test the appetite for change within the football community.
Klaveness’s proposals aim to embed transparency and human rights protections more firmly within football’s governing structures. She advocates for establishing pre-tournament funds and clear frameworks for distributing compensation to affected workers. While she encourages cooperation across organizations such as FIFA and UEFA, she emphasized starting at the top level with FIFA. “Governance is on everybody’s lips. Let’s make remedy part of the suggestions we bring to the congress,” she said.
Known for a collaborative rather than confrontational approach, Klaveness presented her ideas recently at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the OECD’s guidelines on responsible business conduct. Her stance has drawn support from politicians and allied stakeholders, signaling a growing movement within football leadership for reinforced ethical standards.
As the Norwegian teams prepare for critical upcoming fixtures—women’s World Cup playoffs against Wales and a resurgent men’s side—Klaveness reflects on football’s broader societal role. “Football is a sport, a competition, a cultural phenomenon. It’s also a social tool, but if we want the game to be for everyone there is going to be conflict,” she noted, underscoring the enduring challenges facing the sport’s governance.