Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Portuguese football legend Luis Figo has launched a blistering attack on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, calling on him to resign immediately and accusing him of debasing the office of world football's governing body with a controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Figo's intervention on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, marks a significant escalation in the growing crisis engulfing Infantino's leadership and adds the weight of one of football's most respected former players to the mounting calls for his exit. The 53-year-old former Real Madrid and Barcelona star, who contested the FIFA presidency in 2015 before withdrawing from the race, declared that it was "too late to save his dignity" but "not too late to save football."
In a scathing post on social media platform X, Figo did not mince words in his assessment of Infantino's conduct, accusing him of putting his own interests ahead of the sport he is supposed to serve. "Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA President," Figo wrote. "Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve. 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." The former Portugal captain concluded with a stark ultimatum: "It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now."
Figo's demands came as Infantino held emergency crisis talks with senior FIFA officials in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday in a desperate bid to contain the fallout from his abandoned plan to sell a minority stake in the World Cup and other flagship tournaments. The proposal, which sought to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling approximately 20 per cent of a newly created commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion, had been unveiled just a week earlier but was quickly met with fierce resistance from football associations, confederations, leagues, clubs, and supporters worldwide. The backlash was so severe that Infantino was forced to withdraw the plan on Saturday, August 1, acknowledging that it had "created divisions" that were "no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place."
However, Figo insisted that the damage had already been done, arguing that the proposal had exposed Infantino's true character and motivations. In a column published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, Figo expanded on his criticism, describing the FIFA president's behaviour as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed." The Portuguese legend questioned the transparency of the deal, pointing to reports that Infantino stood to personally benefit from the arrangement. "If this project was so good, why not be honest about the fact that it was going to give you $30 million a year? It was not a good idea, it was not a robust initiative from the moment it was not transparent," Figo wrote. "It is not a good idea from the moment you do not explain that if you sell your stake, you have lost it forever and disinherited your successors from the World Cup. And it is not honest that you do not say that after you have served your head on a platter to your friends in Washington, they are going to give you a job that quintuples your salary."
Figo also recalled the comments of Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, the president of the Jordan Football Federation, who had previously described Infantino's behaviour as that of a "mafia" boss. The Portuguese legend's intervention has added significant weight to the growing chorus of criticism against Infantino, which has included senior football figures such as FIFA's own Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, who reportedly described the decision to withdraw the investment plan as "absolutely necessary and beyond question." European governing body UEFA had threatened to boycott future FIFA events and warned Infantino against destroying documents related to the abandoned plan, while the Welsh, Serbian, and Swedish football associations have already withdrawn their support for Infantino's re-election bid.
Infantino's leadership has been under intense scrutiny since the proposal was unveiled last week. The plan would have involved external investors taking a minority, non-controlling stake in a new commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would have managed the commercial and event operations of the World Cup and other competitions. The initiative was intended to increase revenue for FIFA's 211 member associations, but it was rushed through without adequate consultation, triggering a furious backlash. Concerns were also raised 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.
The controversy represents the most serious challenge to Infantino's presidency since he was first elected in 2016. With calls for his resignation now coming from multiple quarters, the embattled FIFA president faces an uphill battle to restore confidence in his leadership and salvage his bid for re-election next year. For Figo, however, the solution is clear. "I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go," he declared. The former Portugal captain's damning verdict has resonated across the football world, and the pressure on Infantino is now more intense than ever.
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