While leading associations, former players and supporters are demanding change at the top of world football, one of Africa’s greatest players has firmly entered the argument on Infantino’s side.

Eto’o, now president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, believes the criticism surrounding FIFA is closely connected to the presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

Eto’o questions the opposition

“I don’t think President Gianni Infantino made a mistake,” Eto’o said in an interview broadcast by CNN. He also confirmed that Infantino retained both his personal support and that of the Cameroonian federation.

The former Barcelona, Inter and Chelsea striker argued that Infantino had expanded opportunities for smaller football nations. “He changed football,” Eto’o said, highlighting increased development support and the enlarged World Cup.

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According to CNN Brasil, Eto’o believes the 211 FIFA member associations should have debated the disputed proposal and decided its future by majority vote.

He remains unconvinced that the federations speaking out against the project represent a global majority. His intervention therefore challenges the position taken by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf.

The plan that divided FIFA

The row concerns FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial subsidiary that would have assumed responsibility for FIFA’s commercial operations and the delivery of its major tournaments.

Private investors were expected to receive a 20 per cent stake in the company, which was reportedly valued at approximately $20 billion. Critics described the arrangement as a partial privatisation of the World Cup.

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FIFA insisted that it would retain permanent control. In its explanation of the proposal, the governing body said every member association could receive $20 million in development funding between 2027 and 2030.

A separate voluntary programme, financed through external investment, could have provided another $20 million to each participating association. That financial promise helps explain why the proposal attracted interest in countries with smaller football economies.

Eto’o argued that the additional money could rebalance international football. In his view, stronger African federations would be better equipped to develop players and prevent their leading talents from representing other countries.

Europe drew a firm line

UEFA and all 55 of its national associations unanimously rejected the proposal. They warned that private shareholders could eventually influence decisions involving tournament formats, match calendars and commercial rights.

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In an unusually forceful joint statement, UEFA threatened to withdraw its national teams from FIFA competitions while the proposal remained active.

Infantino abandoned the project on July 31, acknowledging that it had created damaging divisions. However, the withdrawal did not end calls for his resignation or demands for a wider review of FIFA’s leadership.

A clear divide before the election

Eto’o now wants the proposal placed back on the table if Infantino is re-elected. He believes a democratic vote involving all member associations would ultimately approve it.

His position contrasts sharply with a statement shared by former and current players, including Emmanuel Petit, Mikaël Silvestre, David James and Lucy Bronze, calling for leadership change at FIFA, as reported by The Guardian.

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The dispute is increasingly becoming a contest between competing visions of FIFA. European associations emphasise independence from investors, while Eto’o and several African officials point to the development money made available during Infantino’s presidency.

Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the March 2027 election. Eto’o’s intervention shows that despite the growing revolt in Europe, the FIFA president can still count on influential support elsewhere.

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