Portuguese football icon Luís Figo has openly criticized Gianni Infantino’s ill-conceived initiative to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors, labeling it as “the most deceitful and self-serving behavior I have ever seen.” Figo has called for the resignation of the FIFA president.
Infantino was compelled to abandon his controversial plan following significant opposition spearheaded by UEFA. The 56-year-old is now facing increasing pressure regarding his position, having convened an emergency meeting with FIFA staff on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the president of the Jordan Football Association, accused FIFA of resorting to blackmail by threatening to cut financial support to his federation unless it endorsed Infantino’s re-election bid. This claim followed a statement from former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, who distanced himself from the proposal and asserted that its withdrawal was “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Figo, who had a distinguished career with Barcelona and Real Madrid and represented Portugal 127 times, has added his voice to the growing criticism, asserting that Infantino has tarnished the FIFA presidency, an office he vowed to elevate since assuming leadership in 2016.
“I could write extensively about FIFA’s issues, but the solution is simple: Infantino must resign,” Figo stated in the Daily Mail. “He has lied, deceived, and sought personal gain at the expense of the sport he is meant to serve. He has alienated senior staff, close advisers, and the vast majority of dedicated individuals in football, even drawing criticism from the FIFA Peace Prize laureate, Donald Trump. It’s too late for him to salvage his dignity, but it’s not too late for football. He needs to leave. Immediately.”
Having served as a football adviser to UEFA since 2017, Figo pointed to Infantino’s lack of transparency regarding his attempts to advance a private equity deal, which reportedly would have increased his salary to $30 million annually, as further evidence of his unsuitability to lead global football.
“It’s dishonest to neglect mentioning that by handing the World Cup to your associates in Washington, you expect to secure a position earning five times your current salary,” he remarked. “This behavior is unsurprising when considering the numerous infractions he has committed against football’s integrity; from suspending and reversing disciplinary actions to violating the laws of the game for a halftime show, nothing stands in the way of pleasing his allies.”
