Figo blasts Infantino and asks to leave immediately: “You have to leave. Now”

In an article published by the British newspaper Daily Mail, the former Portuguese player accused the manager of trying to promote profound changes in the administration of world football to benefit himself and those close to him.

For Figo, the permanence of the Italian-Swiss organization became incompatible with the recovery of the entity's credibility.

"I could write 10,000 words about FIFA's problems. But the solution only needs three: Infantino must leave," he said.

Why did Luís Figo attack Gianni Infantino?

The criticisms are related to the proposal to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise, known by the acronym FFE. The subsidiary would concentrate commercial activities linked to competitions organized by the entity, such as broadcasting rights, sponsorships and ticket sales.

The plan provided for the entry of external investors and the possible sale of up to 20% of the company. The initiative could value the new business at around US$20 billion and raise approximately US$4 billion for distribution among the 211 member associations. The proposal ended up abandoned after strong resistance from football confederations and directors.

Figo questioned the lack of transparency in the presentation of the project and stated that the federations did not receive sufficient explanations about the risks involved.

“If it was such a good idea, why not tell the members when everyone was together before the World Cup final?” he asked.

Figo accuses FIFA president of acting for his own benefit

In the article, the Portuguese maintained that Infantino could take on a millionaire position in the new structure after leaving the FIFA presidency. According to Figo, this possible benefit should have been clearly presented to the federations before any vote.

The former player also criticized the possibility of private investors controlling part of the commercial revenues of the entity's main competitions.

For him, the sale of a stake would mean giving up assets belonging to football and reducing the autonomy of future FIFA administrations.

“The man who would try to force such significant changes just to enrich himself and his friends is a relic of the sport’s past,” he wrote.

FIFA project provoked reaction from confederations

FIFA Forward Enterprise has faced opposition from bodies such as UEFA and Concacaf. Officials alleged a lack of consultation, transparency and guarantees regarding the preservation of institutional control of competitions.

UEFA even threatened to take legal action and began discussing the withdrawal of support for Infantino's re-election in 2027. The proposal also opened an internal crisis, with criticism from executives at FIFA itself and the departure of the president's allies.

Infantino abandoned the project after backlash, but the retreat did not end questions about his leadership.

“It is still possible to save football”, says Luís Figo

Figo, who tried to run for FIFA president in 2015, declared that the recent episodes represent the lowest point he has witnessed during his career in sport.

The former captain of the Portuguese national team stated that it may be too late to recover Infantino's personal dignity, but not to protect football from the consequences of the proposed model.

For him, the solution involves a change in command of the entity and an administration based on transparency, responsibility and effective participation of the federations.

FIFA riot against Infantino: "It's a total shame"

Employees and directors criticize the leadership of the entity's president and point to the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise as the trigger for the crisis. England and Wales have already withdrawn support for Infantino's candidacy for a new term