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Former Portugal captain Luis Figo has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, describing him as “deceitful” as pressure continues to mount over the failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup.
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona star said Infantino had lost the moral authority to lead world football after abandoning the controversial proposal following widespread opposition.
Infantino had sought to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup through FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a private investment vehicle created to manage the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA tournaments.
The proposal drew fierce criticism from football stakeholders and was rejected by three continental confederations, forcing FIFA to withdraw the plan.
According to AFP, Infantino held emergency talks with senior FIFA officials in Morocco on Wednesday in an effort to contain the growing crisis and rebuild support.
However, Figo insisted the damage had already been done.
“I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go,” Figo wrote in the Daily Mail.
“I have loved football all my life. I was a professional player for 20 years. And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game.
“But what I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed.”
Figo further accused Infantino of attempting to push through sweeping changes for personal gain.
“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,” he said.
Infantino had defended the proposal by arguing that private investment would generate greater financial returns for FIFA’s 211 member associations.
The initiative, however, triggered a strong backlash after reports emerged that national football associations had not been adequately consulted before the plan was unveiled.
Critics also raised concerns that the proposal could eventually pave the way for more frequent World Cup tournaments, including the possibility of staging the competition every two years instead of the traditional four-year cycle.
Figo, who contested the FIFA presidency in 2015 before withdrawing from the race, said Infantino should step down immediately rather than seek another term in office.
“Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president that he promised to elevate,” he said.
“He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.”
The former FIFA presidential candidate added that Infantino had lost the confidence of key figures within world football.
“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 (US president Donald Trump).
“It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now.”
Figo’s comments add to growing criticism of Infantino from senior football figures, including FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, who recently described the decision to abandon the investment plan as “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
