Eto’o Defends Infantino as FIFA Presidency Looms

Calls for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign have intensified after his attempt to advance the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. Critics from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have demanded a change in leadership, and the next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027. Despite the pressure, Infantino remains in office, and a faction of national associations continues to back him.

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The FFE plan aimed to redistribute football revenues to give smaller nations greater access to facilities and competition. Media coverage portrayed the proposal as a threat to the existing balance of power, prompting UEFA to threaten a boycott of future tournaments and raising concerns about the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in September. FIFA later withdrew the plan, describing earlier reporting as erroneous.

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Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, asserted that Infantino “has not done anything wrong” and praised the former’s impact on African football, saying the president has helped federations develop more quickly and should be recognized for his contributions. Eto’o argued the withdrawn project would have allowed nations like Cameroon to retain talent such as Kylian Mbappé, who has Cameroonian heritage. He called for all federation presidents to re-read the proposal and suggested that, with a democratic vote, the project would be adopted because it benefits the majority.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been a rare supporter of Infantino, while South America’s CONMEBOL praised FIFA for scrapping the plan but stopped short of demanding Infantino’s resignation. The Argentinian Football Association, Mexico (CONCACAF), and AFC members Qatar, Indonesia and the Philippines have also expressed sympathy for the president.

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• FIFA comprises 211 national associations; a formal written request from 20 % of them could trigger an extraordinary congress under FIFA statutes.

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• A view of FIFA headquarters was captured on July 30 in Zurich, Switzerland.

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• Candidates for the March 2027 election must be nominated by the November 18 deadline.

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If Infantino is re-elected, supporters say the FFE proposal could be reconsidered in future discussions. Conversely, critics note that an extraordinary congress could be convened if the 20 % threshold is met, potentially leading to a vote of no confidence. The election timeline and the November 18 nomination deadline set the immediate agenda for both supporters and opponents of the incumbent president.

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