On August 5th, Beijing time, Portuguese legend Figo published an article in the Daily Mail criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Figo's Column
I could write 10,000 words to describe the problems FIFA currently faces. But the solution can be summed up in three words: Infantino must step down.
I have loved football my whole life. I played as a professional player for 20 years. Believe me, in all my years in the football world, I have seen many unsavory characters. But what has been exposed in the past 10 days is the most despicable, deceptive, and shameless pursuit of personal gain that I have ever seen in my career.
A person who would do something like this—someone who tries to push for such a major reform just to benefit himself and his friends—is a relic of a bygone era for football and should not be involved in its future. If this is truly such a grand plan, why didn't you announce it to everyone before the World Cup final, when all the members were gathered in one room?
If this is such a perfect and reliable plan, why didn't you tell the members about the risks involved, as well as the so-called benefits you described? If this plan is truly "uncontroversial," why didn't you frankly state that it would ultimately lead to a job with an annual salary of $30 million?
But none of these things happened. Because it wasn't a good idea. When you don't transparently explain to the outside world the enormous returns that private equity investors inevitably seek, and the potentially severe consequences of those returns, the plan can't be considered reliable.
It's hardly bold to fail to clearly explain that once you sell your shares, those rights will be permanently lost, and your successor will also be deprived of the right to inherit ownership of the World Cup.
It's hardly honest when you don't mention that after you "hand over the core interests of the World Cup to your friends in Washington," they'll offer you a job worth five times your current salary.
Given Infantino's past series of actions that have damaged the reputation of football, this is not surprising at all. From suspending and overturning disciplinary decisions to violating the rules of football for a halftime show, nothing seems to stop him from entertaining his friends.
It's not surprising to read the comments of Jordanian Football Federation President Prince Ali. Prince Ali pointed out that FIFA under Infantino's leadership exhibited "gangster-like" behavior—to ensure the continuation of this severely self-serving rule, FIFA even obstructed the work of the Jordanian Football Federation and affected related funding, all in order to obtain a letter of nomination supporting his re-election.
Football certainly needs to discuss money. But not the money that might flow out of the football world to investors, nor the ever-increasing salaries of management. The money I'm talking about is money that should be used to build more football stadiums, train more coaches, and give every child in the world the opportunity to fall in love with the most beautiful sport on the planet.
For example, the $5 billion in FIFA's reserves. How many shares could that money buy in this dirty, secretive deal? It could buy all the shares! Therefore, football doesn't need any so-called external investment. This plan—like the previous European Super League—was eventually exposed by the media, revealing all the hidden details and complex operations before supporters could even prepare a unified narrative. Thanks to the media for doing that.
Gianni Infantino has tarnished the FIFA presidency, a position he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived, and attempted to advance his own interests at the expense of football, the sport he is supposed to serve. He has lost the support of senior staff, his closest advisors, and the vast majority of those who have dedicated their lives to football. It even appears he has lost the support of the FIFA Peace Prize laureates.
It's too late to salvage his personal dignity now. But it's not too late to save football; he should step down now.
