Soccer icon Luis Figo became the latest to criticize Gianni Infantino by penning a blistering piece aimed at the FIFA President.
Infantino has faced enormous scrutiny in the weeks following the 2026 World Cup final after he unveiled a new commercial venture called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) that would enable FIFA to sell minority ownership stakes of its most prestigious tournament to private investors.
The proposal, which Infantino allegedly did not consult with any of his senior FIFA associates before revealing it, was greeted with widespread condemnation. Member nations around the globe responded by agreeing to boycott future tournaments and demanding that Infantino be removed as FIFA President, as per The Mirror US.
Figo, a retired soccer legend who played for Barcelona, Real Madrid, and the Portuguese national team during a career that lasted two decades, has now joined the chorus in condemning Infantino.
In an article published by the Daily Mail, the 53-year-old demanded Infantino resign as FIFA President, stating that he "lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.
"But what I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behavior I have ever witnessed," Figo wrote of the FIFA President, who officially announced his FFE proposal on July 28.
"The man who would do that - the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends - is a relic of the game's past and should have no part in its future."
The former Portugal winger went further, condemning Infantino for failing to consult his closest colleagues on his plans, instead aligning himself with the global elite and outside investment partners who, alongside Infantino, stood to gain the most from implementing FFE.
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As the media firestorm surrounding Infantino's proposal intensified, reports emerged that the 56-year-old Swiss native was eyeing the role of FFE commissioner, with plans to award himself an annual salary of $30 million once his tenure as FIFA president concluded.
"Football does need a discussion about money," Figo wrote. "But not the money that could go out of the game to investors or on bloated administrator salaries.
"I mean the money that should be spent on building pitches and training coaches to make sure that every child in the world has the chance to fall in love with the most beautiful sport on the planet.
"This plan – like the Super League before it – was blown apart by the media exposing every devious twist and turn before its advocates had their messaging straight. And thank goodness it was."
Figo continued: "He has lost the support of his senior staff, his closest advisers, the vast majority of people who devote their lives to this sport and even, it would seem, the FIFA Peace Prize winner. It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now."
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
