Gianni Infantino is being told to ‘step down now’ after a furious statement was made following a FIFA crisis meeting.
Football legend Luis Figo, who now works as a football advisor for UEFA, has said that Gianni Infantino can no longer keep his dignity and should step down as FIFA president.
Infantino’s position at FIFA has been shaky since he dropped plans to sell parts of the World Cup to a private investment firm linked to the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Many in the football community strongly opposed this idea, and several FIFA member groups have withdrawn their support for Infantino to be re-elected in 2027.
Infantino is set to hold a crisis meeting with top FIFA officials on Wednesday as he tries to save his job. Meanwhile, potential candidates to replace him are already being discussed. One strong contender is Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, who is seen as a unifying figure after Infantino’s controversial moves. Montagliani, a 60-year-old Canadian, was formerly head of Canada Soccer and helped prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
Several close to FIFA have criticized Infantino’s actions. His senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned because he wasn’t consulted about the investment plan, and FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff felt “deceived.” Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s head of global football development, also said he wasn’t involved and agreed that scrapping the plan was “absolutely necessary.”
From UEFA’s side, president Aleksander Ceferin is reportedly encouraging European Football Clubs to boycott the 2029 Club World Cup. Vice-president Laura McAllister, a former Wales player, called Infantino’s plan a “catastrophic proposal.” She and Norwegian FA president Lise Klaveness were among the leading voices opposing FIFA’s plan at an emergency UEFA meeting last week.
The strongest criticism has come from Portugal’s Luis Figo, a UEFA advisor since 2017. In a powerful statement to the Daily Mail, Figo called Infantino’s behavior “the lowest, most deceitful and selfish” he’s ever seen, saying Infantino pushed the plan only to benefit himself and his friends.
Figo said he could write a lot about FIFA’s problems but put it simply: Infantino “must go.” He questioned why Infantino didn’t openly discuss the plans with FIFA members before the World Cup Final, or explain the risks and his own financial gain from the deal. Figo stressed that the plan wasn’t honest or bold because it hid the fact that selling part of the World Cup would lose future ownership forever and confirmed Infantino would get a high-paying job afterward.
Figo also pointed out Infantino’s past actions that hurt football’s reputation, like reversing disciplinary decisions and breaking rules just to please his friends. He finished by saying it’s too late for Infantino to save his dignity but not too late to save the sport. Figo urged him to resign immediately, saying Infantino has lost the support of his staff, advisors, and many others devoted to football.
In Figo’s words: “He has lied, deceived, and put his own interests above the game. It’s time for him to step down and help save football.”