Former FIFA president pushes gay exec to replace Gianni Infantino in world soccer’s top job
Lisa Klaveness has been an outspoken critic of under-fire FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whose predecessor says the out lesbian executive should now replace him.
Mark
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter has publicly thrown his support behind Lise Klaveness to take over as the most powerful official in world soccer.
Blatter posted on his social media account Tuesday to advocate for the Norwegian, praising her independence, courage and leadership.
Klaveness, who is a rare example of a publicly out gay executive at a senior level in the planet’s most popular sport, would represent a welcome break from the male domination and establishment politics typified by Gianni Infantino’s reign, according to Blatter.
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He led FIFA from 1998 to 2015, when he resigned having been accused of corruption alongside a group of FIFA executives, and was succeeded by Infantino, a fellow Swiss. Now 90, Blatter remains banned from working in football, although he was cleared and acquitted of criminal charges.
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Writing about Klaveness on X, he stated that she “deserves the utmost respect.”
He added: “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.”
The endorsement from Blatter, who also included the hashtag #lise4president in his post, comes at a pivotal moment in the ongoing controversy surrounding FIFA.
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. #liseklaveness #norgesfotballforbund #norge #fifa #gianniinfantino #lise4president…— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) August 4, 2026
Klaveness, who was in June named on Outsports’ Soccer Power 26 list of influential LGBTQ people in the sport, is at the forefront of a growing consensus that the time has come for a fundamental shift in the corridors of power at FIFA HQ in Zurich.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under mounting pressure
Infantino is currently facing an unprecedented backlash from member associations, with the groundswell of voices calling for him to go extending to not just fans and the media but also former players who are now high-profile pundits.
Infantino’s leadership has come under heavy fire after it was revealed last month that the FIFA President had concocted a multi-billion-dollar plan to sell off stakes in the FIFA World Cup and Club World Cup competitions to private investors.
The controversy followed on from others involving Infantino and his stewardship, such as the decision to award World Cup 2034 hosting rights to Saudi Arabia, the expansion of tournament formats, and commercial deals that appear to prioritize financial interests over player welfare, human rights and transparency.
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Klaveness, a former Norway international soccer player who in 2022 became the first woman elected to the presidency of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), has been vocal about her opposition to much of Infantino’s agenda.
One of only two women on the executive committee of UEFA, which is European soccer’s governing body, she has joined others in highlighting “the very serious situation” facing world football as a result of Infantino’s plotting and centralization of power.
UEFA said it would boycott FIFA competitions if shares were sold in the World Cup. The CONCACAF (North and Central America) and AFC (Asia) confederations followed their European counterpart in making clear their displeasure with Infantino’s latest scheme.
He had looked set to stand unopposed for reelection to the FIFA presidency in March 2027, but now it seems certain that at least one opposition candidate will emerge before the November 18 deadline.
That candidate could be Klaveness.
Tipped for run at FIFA top job, Lise Klaveness is an LGBTQ role model
After hanging up her boots in 2012, having won 73 caps for her country (she played in two Women’s World Cups either side of being a Euro 2005 finalist with Norway), Klaveness built a career as an attorney and deputy judge before her history-making NFF appointment four years ago.
She quickly gained attention at the 2022 FIFA Congress in Doha, Qatar, where she delivered a powerful speech directly confronting FIFA’s leadership over human rights abuses, migrant worker safety and the rights of LGBTQ people.
Since then, Klaveness has remained one of the most consistent voices calling for accountability and ethical governance within world soccer.
Owing to her fearless approach and strong legal background, Klaveness has emerged as a top contender for the FIFA presidency. Sports Illustrated has ranked her as the candidate best positioned to challenge and replace Infantino.
For the queer soccer community, Klaveness would be more than just a breath of fresh air.
She is married to Ingrid Camilla Fosse Sæthre, also a former Norway international soccer player, and the couple have three children together.
In a sport in which both women and LGBTQ people have historically been marginalized, and where discrimination is still rife, millions would be expected to rally behind Klaveness.
If she were elected, the representation she would provide would automatically put LGBTQ inclusion more firmly on the table, not least for member associations from countries where lesbian, gay and trans people are still persecuted under the law or worse.
Wales’ Laura McAllister also an influential LGBTQ figure in UEFA
Klaveness is not alone in pushing for fundamental change within FIFA. She works alongside Laura McAllister, the vice-president of the Football Association of Wales and the only other woman serving on UEFA’s executive committee.
McAllister, a former captain of the Wales national team and a professor of public policy, is like Klaveness an out lesbian and a staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights, equal pay and structural integrity in sports governance.
This week in The Athletic, reporter Megan Feringa said the duo of Klaveness and McAllister represents a formidable force for progress within European and world soccer leadership.
“Over the past two years, as football has grappled with endless moral quandaries, McAllister and Klaveness have come to be recognized as ethical compasses,” wrote Feringa.
“In the aftermath of UEFA’s announced boycott, it was notable that Klaveness and McAllister were the main figures speaking to media, openly criticising FIFA for “economic blackmail”.”
Addressing reporters at an NFF press conference in Oslo last Friday, Klaveness said that Infantino “has lost a great deal of trust.”
She added: “We did not vote for him last time, and we have been skeptical about this. There is a lot that is good about FIFA, but if you take a casual approach to governance principles and rules, you quickly lose trust.”
Determined and dependable, Lise Klaveness is a major part of a movement that could potentially culminate in her election as FIFA’s first woman president.
Even if she ultimately misses out on the top job, it’s likely that her growing influence will improve soccer in ways that empower women and make LGBTQ people feel more included.
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