Norway Soccer Chief: Abolish FIFA Peace Prize, It's Not Our Job

Norway's football chief, Lise Klaveness, has rightly pointed out the absurdity of FIFA awarding peace prizes, particularly to political figures like Donald Trump. As a nation that values the integrity of sports and believes in its power to unite, not divide, Norway finds FIFA's foray into awarding political accolades deeply problematic.

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We want to see (the FIFA Peace Prize) abolished.

Klaveness’s assertion that this is 'not FIFA's job' echoes a sentiment felt by many who see the organization increasingly entangled in political matters rather than focusing on the sport itself. The establishment of a FIFA Peace Prize, especially with its inaugural recipient being a controversial world leader, undermines the credibility of both FIFA and the concept of peace prizes. We already have established institutions, like the Nobel Committee, dedicated to recognizing peace efforts with rigorous, independent criteria.

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We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize. We think we have a Nobel institute that does that job independently already.

From our perspective in Norway, sports should remain a domain separate from partisan politics. While football has the potential to be a force for good, bestowing prizes on heads of state blurs the lines and invites political controversy. Klaveness’s call for the prize's abolition is a necessary step to preserve FIFA's focus on football and to prevent sports bodies from becoming politicized platforms.

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We think it’s important for football federations, confederations and FIFA to try and avoid situations where this arm’s length distance to state leaders is challenged.

This issue is particularly pertinent as FIFA prepares for its upcoming Congress. It is crucial that delegates consider the long-term implications of such awards and reaffirm FIFA's commitment to its core mission. Klaveness’s stance is not just a Norwegian opinion but a call for a return to principles that should govern international sports organizations.

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From a resource angle and from a mandate angle, but most importantly, from a governance angle, I think it should be avoided also in the future.