Eto'o stands by Infantino as FIFA civil war deepens

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o, now president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, has thrown his weight behind Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, publicly defending the embattled incumbent's shelved plan to sell stakes in the federation's events and commercial operations.

In an interview with CNN, Eto'o said he hopes the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal would be put back on the table if Infantino secures re-election in FIFA's presidential ballot early next year. "I don't think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong," Eto'o told CNN Sports. "I think the timing of all of that is because there's an election coming out, when Gianni Infantino is standing. That's all there is."

He continued: "He made a proposal, the 211 members were supposed to sit down, debate the issue and let the majority win. But I am convinced that the voices that were raised, those were not the voices of the majority." Eto'o added that "there was a need for debate. We should have talked about whether it is a good thing or not."

A rival chorus calls for change

Eto'o's backing stood in stark contrast to a wave of statements released or promoted on Monday by current and former internationals insisting that "change is necessary." Those sharing the post include French World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit, former France and Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, and Chelsea defender and England international Lucy Bronze.

A post promoted by Silvestre on his social media accounts read: "We share the exact same concerns as millions of fans around the world. Like them, we have watched the game drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership. For too long, we've seen major decisions taken without players being consulted or considered, or 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. Enough is enough."

Silvestre, who hosted FIFA's in-house podcast during the 2026 World Cup in North America and sits on the federation's Players' Voice Panel, was one of 16 former players of diverse backgrounds and nationalities to sign or amplify the message. The post was also shared by Petit and Bronze.

Infantino's re-election in question

For now, Infantino is the only confirmed candidate and his re-election appeared certain before his plan to sell 21 per cent of a proposed spin-off commercial arm to investors including Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal provoked a mighty global backlash.

The controversy followed FIFA's decision to suspend a one-game ban for U.S. forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, after U.S. president Donald Trump called Infantino to request a review of the decision — a move Infantino claims was made independently.

The leadership of UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian football confederation have all admonished Infantino publicly, with several countries withdrawing support for his candidature. Current Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is considering challenging for Infantino's job. Yet the African and South American confederations, as well as Oceania, have been far more forgiving, though unity is thin even within confederations: Mexico remains aligned with Infantino, while New Zealand has withdrawn its support despite Oceania's apparent backing.

Eto'o praises Infantino's legacy

Eto'o praised Infantino for distributing wealth more evenly across world football, arguing it allows developing nations to invest and grow more competitive. Infantino has expanded both the men's World Cup to 48 teams — and is weighing a further jump to 64 — and the women's edition to 32 teams, set to reach 48 by 2031.

"He's given opportunities to nations that didn't have those opportunities to take part in the most beautiful tournament, the World Cup," Eto'o said. "He enabled smaller nations to get seats at these competitions. He has helped our continent. He's helped our federations to develop much more quickly. We should support him for everything he's done up to now."

Eto'o echoed Infantino's argument that the plan was taken out of context by European critics and media, insisting it could have been "incredible" for Africans. Infantino had hoped the 211 members would be tempted by proposed payments of $40 million each over four years. "It would have reset the balance of power in football to ensure that our talent doesn't disappear and end up playing for other nations," Eto'o said.

"I want to see all of my colleagues, all of the presidents, re-reading the project. After President Infantino is re-elected, we will have the strength to ask for this project to be put back on the table for discussion. If there is a democratic vote, this project will be adopted because it's good for the majority," Eto'o concluded.