Rabat: Portuguese football legend Luis Figo called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign Wednesday, accusing him of putting his own interests ahead of football.
According to Anadolu Agency, Figo expressed his views in a post on US social media company X, stating, "Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA President." The former Real Madrid and Barcelona star criticized Infantino's leadership following the collapse of a controversial proposal to sell a stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.
Figo accused Infantino of debasing the office he had promised to elevate, claiming that he had lied, deceived, and prioritized personal gain over the welfare of the sport he was meant to serve. Figo further emphasized that Infantino had lost the support of his senior staff, closest advisers, and the majority of devoted football supporters, as well as the FIFA Peace Prize winner.
Figo's call for Infantino's resignation intensified the already mounting pressure on the FIFA President. Infantino held an emergency meeting with senior FIFA officials in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday to address the abandoned investment plan, as reported by media outlets. The meeting came in the wake of criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF, and other football bodies. Notably, senior FIFA officials and prominent football figures, including FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger, distanced themselves from the proposal.
FIFA had announced plans last week to establish a subsidiary valued at $20 billion to manage the commercial and event operations of the World Cup and its other competitions. The proposal involved offering external investors a stake of up to 20% in the subsidiary, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, potentially raising as much as $4.2 billion. However, FIFA later withdrew the plan following opposition from football associations, confederations, leagues, clubs, and supporters.
UEFA welcomed the withdrawal, stating that the proposal had been unanimously rejected by its national associations and opposed by many other federations and confederations worldwide. The governing body of European football expressed that FIFA's current leadership had lost the confidence of much of the football community and called for those responsible for the proposal to be identified and held accountable.
British media reported that UEFA had threatened Infantino with legal action over the abandoned plan and warned him against destroying documents or other material related to it.