Lied and deceived: Figo demands Infantino quit FIFA

International football is reeling once again after an unprecedented institutional attack. Luis Figo has publicly called for the immediate resignation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA President. Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve. He has – Wednesday, 5 August 2026

In a column published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the Real Madrid and FC Barcelona legend described the Swiss official’s conduct as the most “underhanded, deceitful and selfish” he has witnessed in his entire sporting career.

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The trigger for this statement was Infantino’s controversial plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The Portuguese star says the president has lied and tried to enrich himself at the expense of the sport he is supposed to defend.

Lack of support and institutional crisis

This firm stance comes right in the middle of a crisis meeting among the governing body’s top leadership.

In addition to making the text public on his social media, Figo maintains that Infantino has completely lost the backing of his closest advisers and the global football community.

Pressure from the public and from confederations such as UEFA has forced the official to back down from his intentions, but the reputational damage is already considered irreparable in the upper ranks of world football.

The historic forward ends his message with a forceful call for immediate action. “It is too late to save his dignity, but not to save football. Infantino must go now”, he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Philipp Schmidli - 2016 Getty Images

Luís Figo