Three Nordic football associations seek EU talks over FIFA governance concerns

The football associations of Finland, Sweden and Denmark have asked the European Union to discuss what they see as serious governance problems at FIFA.

A letter to European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef was signed by Finnish FA President Ari Lahti, Denmark’s Jesper Moller and Sweden’s Simon Astrom, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The associations requested a meeting in Brussels with the three federation presidents to discuss recent developments at FIFA and wider questions about how world football is governed.

Micallef’s office confirmed that it had received the letter, although it was not clear whether he would accept the proposed meeting. The Swedish association declined to comment, while the Finnish and Danish associations could not immediately be reached. FIFA had also been contacted for comment.

The federations raised concerns about transparency, consultation and decision-making, focusing particularly on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. The plan would have brought private investors into a new FIFA commercial entity holding rights connected to competitions including the World Cup. It angered football figures and led opponents of FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss a possible no-confidence vote.

The Nordic associations argue that private investment in FIFA competitions and commercial activities, combined with what they consider insufficient consultation, raises broader questions about control of the sport’s future. They referred to the coordinated response to the attempted European Super League launch in 2021 as an example of European football authorities defending the existing model. Last month, the six Nordic associations said they had lost confidence in Infantino and called for an independent investigation into the FFE proposal and a broader external review of FIFA governance.