A group of former football stars has broken its silence over the direction of the sport under FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Robert Pires and Juan Sebastián Verón are among the legends backing the statement. Their message comes after months of growing criticism around FIFA’s leadership. UEFA and several football bodies have already questioned Infantino’s approach. FIFA’s controversial plan involving private investment in World Cup commercial rights was also dropped after strong opposition.
The legends say football has moved away from the values that made it special. “As players, football has given us everything, and we have given our lives to it,” the statement begins. “We share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world. Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA’s current leadership.”
They also criticised decisions being made without enough input from players or supporters. “Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership’s ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football,” they said. The statement then delivered its strongest message “Recent events have made silence impossible. Enough is enough.” The legends called for all stakeholders to help reshape football. “There are good people within FIFA who want to rebuild trust, but now a genuine structural change: a real, direct say for players and fans in how football is run.” They ended with a clear warning, “For the fans, for the players, and for the good of the game, we will be silent no more.”
“He will have a candidate against him”: Aleksander Ceferin warns Infantino ahead of FIFA election
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled out challenging Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency. However, he has warned the FIFA chief that he could face a rival in the 2027 election. Ceferin made the comments while speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast. He said he has no interest in taking over the top job at world football’s governing body. “One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point … it’s time to also enjoy life a bit,” Ceferin said. He also explained why staying away from the race matters to him. “And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position,” he added.
Ceferin has become one of Infantino’s strongest critics following FIFA’s controversial plan to seek private investment in tournament rights. The proposal has since been abandoned, but the fallout has continued. Ceferin believes Infantino’s position is now under serious pressure. “There are two options,” he said. “One option is that he [Infantino] realises that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of the football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.” He then added, “And the second option, that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.” The FIFA election is scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco.F
