The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has rejected reports suggesting that it joined calls for FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, to resign, describing the claim as false and urging the public to disregard it.
The clarification was issued on Saturday, August 8, 2026, after reports and social media discussions linked the Nigerian football governing body to a growing campaign against Infantino’s leadership of world football.
The controversy appears to have been fuelled partly by the use of the acronym “NFF” in reports concerning the resignation demand. While the Nigeria Football Federation uses NFF as its official abbreviation, the Norwegian Football Federation also uses the same acronym.
It was the Norwegian Football Federation, rather than its Nigerian counterpart, that formally called for Infantino to step down.
Norway’s football authorities announced their position on Friday, August 7, with Federation President, Lise Klaveness, saying there was no longer sufficient trust in Infantino’s leadership. The Norwegian Federation’s action came amid mounting disagreements over FIFA governance, transparency and a controversial proposal involving private investment in the commercial operations surrounding the World Cup.
Against that backdrop, reports suggesting that Nigeria had taken a similar position quickly circulated online, prompting the Nigeria Football Federation to issue a direct response.
In its statement published on its official social media account, the Nigerian Federation firmly denied having demanded Infantino’s resignation.
The NFF said it had neither asked nor was asking the FIFA President to leave office, dismissing the reports as an “outright falsehood” and calling on members of the public to disregard them.
The clarification places Nigeria’s football administration on a different footing from Norway, whose Federation has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of Infantino in recent months.
Norway Leads Growing Opposition
The Norwegian Federation’s decision represents a significant escalation in the dispute surrounding Infantino, who has faced increasing criticism from sections of European football over his leadership and several recent decisions involving FIFA.
Norway had already raised concerns about FIFA’s handling of governance and political neutrality before the latest call for resignation. In June, the Norwegian Federation formally backed a complaint concerning Infantino and FIFA’s political neutrality.
The disagreement intensified after controversy surrounding the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which critics argued could have changed the way FIFA’s commercial interests and World Cup-related rights were managed.
The proposal eventually became a major source of tension between Infantino and parts of the international football community. Recent reports indicate that the FIFA President apologised over the plan following intense criticism, while FIFA’s management board subsequently reaffirmed its support for him.
Norway, however, has continued to push for greater accountability.
Klaveness said the Federation had lost confidence in Infantino and intended to pursue wider reforms within FIFA. Norway has also raised concerns about other issues, including FIFA’s handling of disciplinary matters and what it sees as inappropriate political influence within football administration.
Nigeria Maintains Its Position
The Nigerian Football Federation’s Saturday statement therefore becomes important in distinguishing the two organisations.
Although both bodies are commonly abbreviated as NFF, they represent different national football associations. The Nigerian Federation is responsible for the administration of football in Nigeria, while the Norwegian Federation represents football in Norway.
The confusion became particularly notable because the Norwegian Federation’s decision was widely reported internationally as an “NFF” call for Infantino to resign.
For Nigerian football followers encountering such reports on social media, the distinction is crucial.
Nigeria’s Federation has now made it clear that it does not share Norway’s publicly announced position on Infantino’s continued leadership.
The clarification also comes at a particularly sensitive moment for FIFA. Infantino remains in office and has previously announced his intention to seek another term as FIFA President in 2027. At the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in May 2026, he told the organisation’s 211 member associations that he would be a candidate for re-election.
That announcement means the current disagreement within international football could have implications beyond the immediate controversy.
With some European associations questioning Infantino’s leadership while other confederations and national associations continue to support him, the battle over FIFA’s direction could become increasingly important as the 2027 presidential election approaches.
Wider Pressure On Infantino
Infantino’s position has come under heightened scrutiny following a series of disputes during and after the 2026 World Cup.
Among the contentious issues was FIFA’s handling of a disciplinary matter involving United States player, Folarin Balogun, after a red card. Norway subsequently raised concerns about political influence and the process surrounding the decision.
The controversy surrounding the proposed commercialisation plan further deepened concerns among critics who believe major FIFA decisions should be subjected to greater consultation and transparency.
At the same time, Infantino continues to retain significant support within FIFA. Reports before and during the World Cup indicated that African, Asian and South American football bodies remained important sources of support for his presidency.
FIFA itself has also continued to present Infantino as the organisation’s President and has highlighted his activities and leadership throughout the 2026 World Cup period.
The competing positions illustrate the growing divide over the direction of world football administration.
While Norway is demanding a change at the top of FIFA, Nigeria has now explicitly distanced itself from the resignation campaign.
For Nigerian football fans, the immediate takeaway is therefore straightforward: the NFF referred to in the recent call for Infantino’s resignation was Norway’s football Federation, not the Nigeria Football Federation.
The Nigerian Federation’s August 8 statement puts an end to speculation that it had joined Norway in demanding Infantino’s departure, at least for now, and confirms that Nigeria has not publicly called for the FIFA President to step down.