Norway's soccer federation calls on Gianni Infantino to resign over failed World Cup plan

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Norway's soccer federation wants Gianni Infantino to step down immediately, piling more pressure on FIFA's embattled president Friday.

Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Norwegian federation held a meeting on Thursday and president Lise Klaveness said the decision had been made to ask Infantino to resign.

“We decided that there is no trust in Infantino now,” Klaveness told the Guardian. “We have been worried consistently and there has been one more step in worrying direction every year, every part of the year. The trust is now gone for us, there is no way back for Infantino.”

The announcement is the latest blow for Infantino as the fallout continues over his controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

European soccer's governing body UEFA said Thursday its threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions remained in place despite FIFA abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.

It reiterated its stance that it had lost confidence in Infantino.

Earlier this week Infantino appeared to have held off the potential of an internal revolt during a summit meeting with top staff in Rabat, Morocco.

FIFA said the president had been given the full support of those in attendance.

But UEFA's response, followed by Norway's direct call for him to resign shows the sense of anger from Europe, in particular, remains strong.

The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK said the national federation would also file a new complaint with FIFA's ethics committee, which will include FFE, the peace prize awarded to Donald Trump and the suspension of Folarin Balogun's one-match ban at the World Cup.

“We have reached a situation where extraordinary measures are needed to create lasting change,” Klaveness said.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The FIFA logo is seen at the entrance of FIFA headquarters, in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Andreas Becker/Keystone via AP)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, center, speaks to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, left, sitting beside president of Moroccan Royal Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa as they attend a Women's AFCON 2026 soccer match between Malawi and Zambia, in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Three inmates were killed and more than 20 were injured in two separate prison clashes in Sri Lanka on Thursday and Friday, a government minister said.

In a third detention facility, officials used tear gas to control inmate protests on Friday.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Friday that one inmate died at Colombo Magazine Prison in the capital, Colombo, late Thursday when about 40 prisoners clashed after breaking out of their cells.

Two inmates died Friday morning at Kuruwita Prison in Kuruwita town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital, Wijepala said.

Between the two incidents, 23 inmates were injured and admitted to hospitals, Wijepala said, adding that the violence was related to narcotics dealers and rival criminal gangs.

Prison officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Separately, prison officials used tear gas to control inmate protests at the Pallansena Correctional Center on Friday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The reports of the three deaths come a month after a clash in Negombo prison on July 6 left at least 26 people dead including seven prison officers.

Sri Lankan prisons are highly congested, with more than 39,000 inmates crowded into a system with a total capacity of just 10,000, according to a recent speech in Parliament by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

“The number of prisoners in Sri Lanka today is four times the capacity,” said Senaka Perera, president of the Committee for Rights of Prisoners. “In fact they have been patient for so long.”

A large number of jail inmates are suspects awaiting trial for alleged narcotics-related offenses. Recent laws tightening bail conditions have resulted in prison overcrowding, Perera said.

The poor living conditions in the congested prisons keep inmates in constant agitation, which triggers incidents, Perera said.

His organization has made numerous pleas to authorities to categorize drug addicts as medical patients and establish separate rehabilitation facilities, Perera said.

Sri Lankan soldiers stand outside the Magazine Prison following an unrest in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (AP Photo)