Samuel Eto’o backs Gianni Infantino as other former players insist ‘change is necessary’

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o has defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in FIFA’s events and commercial operations. Eto'o, now the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, expressed hope that the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal would be reconsidered if Infantino secures re-election for a fourth term.

Several current and former footballers, including Emmanuel Petit, Mikael Silvestre, and Lucy Bronze, have also shared statements suggesting that "change is necessary" and that the sport has "drifted away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership." Infantino's plan to sell 21 percent of a proposed spin-off commercial arm to investors has sparked global backlash, with UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian football confederation publicly criticizing his leadership.

However, the African and South American confederations, as well as Oceania, have been more forgiving of Infantino. Eto'o praised Infantino for redistributing wealth more evenly across the world, expanding the men's and women's World Cups, and providing opportunities for smaller nations to participate in the World Cup. He believes that the proposal should be re-evaluated after Infantino's re-election, as it could have been beneficial for Africa and other continents.