FIFA Storm: Luis Figo Slams Gianni Infantino—His Blunt Attack Leaves Everyone Speechless

Gianni Infantino remains under fire following the events of the past few days: the plan to privatize the World Cup has collapsed under the weight of counteraccusations from the continental confederations and threats of a boycott, and an increasing number of influential figures in the world of soccer are distancing themselves from the Italian-Swiss executive. Among them is Luis Figo, now a UEFA delegate, who in a scathing post published Wednesday on X called on Infantino to acknowledge his political and media defeat and to resign immediately.

“Today I join other figures in our sport in calling for Gianni Infantino to resign from his position as FIFA president,” wrote the former player for Sporting, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter. “Infantino has debased the office he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived, and sought to benefit himself at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.

Figo then went on to mention Infantino’s closeness to Donald Trump, which, in the midst of this storm, seems like a distant memory: “He has lost the support of his closest aides, his advisors, the vast majority of people who dedicate their lives to this sport, and even, it seems, the winner of the FIFA Peace Prize. It’s too late to save his dignity, but it’s not too late to save soccer. He must go. Immediately.”

Figo’s voice joins a chorus that grows louder by the day. It all began with a revelation in *The Times*, which exposed the plan linked to “FIFA Forward Enterprise”: a new company controlled by FIFA but 20% owned by outside investors, including the U.S. bank JP Morgan and the Thrive Capital fund led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

The overall project was valued at $20 billion: those who approved it would have had access to a $10 billion funding package, while those who refused would have remained tied to existing projects, whose budget totaled just $2.7 billion. Infantino had also promised each member federation a one-time bonus of $20 million—an offer too good to resist, especially for smaller countries—but one that his critics had not hesitated to label a full-fledged ultimatum.

After days of battles in the media and behind closed doors, the FIFA president backtracked, admitting that the proposal had created such deep divisions—even within FIFA itself—that it was impossible to implement. Infantino’s critics, however, have not let up: for them, his resignation is a necessary step following what they consider an unprecedented failure on both the political and sporting fronts.