Article by Alexandru Stanciu – Published Saturday, 06 December 2025, 08:03 / Updated Saturday, 06 December 2025 08:03
Qualified for the fourth time in history at the World Championship, Norway, through the voice of the president of the Football Federation, declared disgusted with the ceremony organized by FIFA for drawing the groups.
Also, the “FIFA peace award” given to Donald Trump, the president of the United States of America, was vehemently criticized by Norway, which fell into Group I of the World Championship, along with France, Senegal, and the winner of the Fifa play-off 2, which will be decided between Bolivia, Iran and Suriname.
Norway vehemently criticized the World Cup draw: “FIFA should focus on football”
“Today I think I can't take it seriously. We have to try to stay vigilant, keep the door closed and work for FIFA to focus on football and not on these things”, said the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, according to A Bola.
From the start of the ceremony to the drawing of the first countries, apart from the hosts, 87 minutes passed.
Before that, there were musical performances by Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Lauryn Hill, as well as the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, something Klaveness also covered.
“When this award has no objective criteria, no jury, no connection to the leadership, there is a risk of it being a disguised form of politicization of the organization,” she said, adding that “the parts about the award were long and inappropriate.”
Stale Solbakken, the Norwegian coach, also criticized the organization of the entire draw: “It was a bizarre show in many ways, I have to be honest and say it“.
Norway swept the preliminary group with 8 wins out of 8, including two against Italy, each by 3 goals. Thus, Norway qualified for the World Championship for the fourth time, after appearances in 1938, 1994 and 1998.
