FIFA Legends want Infantino out but support comes from surprise Champions League icon

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FT Desk

A number of FIFA Legends have written an open letter withdrawing support for Gianni Infantino.

At the moment, the FIFA President is attempting to curry favour in any way he can with continental federations, ex-professionals and influential nations as he looks to salvage his tenure.

Infantino is currently under massive pressure at FIFA as the fallout continues from his failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal which included selling shares in the World Cup to private investors. The plans were scrapped after just a few days but he did not show contrition for them, mostly apologising for a lack of communication.

UEFA and CONCACAF are campaigning for his removal, while the likes of England, Scotland, and Wales have all formally withdrawn their support for his presidency, with more nations set to follow.

He's losing support from influential former and current players, too, as FIFA Legends including Emmanuel Petit, Mikael Silvestre, David James, Lucy Bronze, Juan Sebastian Veron and Robert Pires have all demanded change.

"As players, football has given us everything, and we have given our lives to it," they said in a statement.

"Between us, we have played on its greatest stages and worn our national shirts with pride. But we know that none of our achievements would've been possible without the fans, whose passion and commitment is the foundation of this game.

"We share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world. Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership.

🚨 BREAKING: FIFA legends release a statement saying “we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership” adding they will stay silent no longer.

Published already by Emmanuel Petit, Mikaël Silvestre and Lucy Bronze with other FIFA… pic.twitter.com/vAyN3NWvZf

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 24, 2026

"For too long, we've seen major decisions taken without players being consulted or considered, and without any regard for the fans who sustain the sport.

"Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership's ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football.

"Recent events have made silence impossible.

"We call on all stakeholders to step forward and help reshape the future of our sport.

"This is a call that unites us all, from the grassroots to the top of the game.

"There are good people within FIFA who want to rebuild trust, but a new era requires a structural change: a real, direct say for players and fans in how football is run.

"Those who step onto the pitch and those who sit in the stands deserve a genuine voice to help reshape football's future together.

"The football community has been quiet for too long.

"For the fans, for the players, and for the good of the game, we will be silent no more.

"Enough is enough."

A FIFA Legend is a retired football player or coach officially recognised by FIFA for making a significant impact on the sport.

One legend has surprisingly thrown support behind Infantino in the last few days - former Barcelona and Inter icon Samuel Eto'o believes the FIFA chief has done nothing wrong.

“I don’t think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong,” Eto’o told CNN regarding the FIFA president’s conduct concerning the FFE plan.

“There are federations in other continents that are in the same situation as us, that find themselves more or less at the same financial level as us to develop the football that we love so much. We want to see the (Lionel) Messis, we want to see the Mbappes, but I would like to see Mbappe play for Cameroon.

“I remain convinced that, if there is a democratic vote, this project will be adopted because it’s good for the majority.”

If the proposals came to fruition, each nation within FIFA would have received a payment of $40 million but that money would have come from private investment and so those firms would have had a say in how the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments were ran.

Eto'o has run the Cameroonian Football Federation since 2021 and the continental African federation, the CAF, is one of the organisations that has publicly supported Infantino.