Cameroon: Cameroon Football Federation President Samuel Eto'o backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, crediting him with accelerating the development of African football and giving more countries from the continent an opportunity to compete at the World Cup on Wednesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Eto'o praised Infantino in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe, stating, "President Gianni Infantino has changed football." He emphasized Infantino's role in helping African federations develop more quickly and advocated for supporting Infantino for his achievements.

The former Cameroon forward highlighted Infantino's contributions to expanding World Cup opportunities for nations that previously couldn't qualify. Africa will have nine direct places at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, up from five at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Infantino has announced his intention to seek re-election as FIFA president at the organization's Congress on March 18, 2027. Eto'o's comments come amid tensions between FIFA and UEFA over financial and commercial policies. He noted the differing perspectives between African and European football federations due to their financial resource disparities.

Eto'o argued that UEFA is an important contributor to football but should not be seen as the sole or most significant confederation. He pointed out the challenge for federations with smaller budgets to compete against wealthier countries. He also linked financial disparities to the loss of African talent to Europe, suggesting that increased investment could help African nations like Cameroon retain elite players.