Legendary Portuguese footballer Luis Figo has issued a stern call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA president, delivering a harsh critique of his leadership. In a public statement shared on X, the former Real Madrid and Barcelona icon accused Infantino of having "debased the office that he promised to elevate." Figo further alleged that the FIFA president had "lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve." According to Figo, while it may be too late for Infantino to salvage his dignity, it remains possible to protect the future of football, prompting him to declare that the embattled official should leave his post immediately.
The criticism arrives during a period of intense pressure for Infantino, who has been grappling with significant backlash regarding a controversial plan to allow private investors to purchase stakes in major football competitions, including the World Cup. The proposal, which would have invited third parties to take minority, non-controlling investments in a commercial subsidiary dubbed the FIFA Forward Enterprise, faced widespread opposition from the global football community. The intensity of this pushback included threats from European governing body UEFA to boycott future FIFA events, alongside vocal criticism from FIFA’s own chief operating officer.
Although Infantino announced on Saturday that the investment scheme was being scrapped—admitting that it had "created divisions" no longer in the interest of the organization’s objectives—the political fallout has persisted. National football associations, including those of Wales, Serbia, and Sweden, have moved to withdraw their support for Infantino’s presidential re-election bid. Furthermore, Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who currently serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development, has distanced himself from the president, describing the decision to cancel the investment plan as "absolutely necessary and beyond question."
Infantino, who first assumed the presidency in 2016, is scheduled to convene a crisis meeting with senior FIFA officials in Morocco this Wednesday. His leadership is currently under scrutiny for several reasons, including the management of various incidents during the 2026 World Cup and his ongoing relationship with United States President Donald Trump.
The Welsh Football Association soon said it was withdrawing its support for Infantino's presidential re-election bid, with the Serbian and Swedish FAs following suit.
