Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o has thrown his support behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino, insisting the Swiss-Italian administrator has “not done anything wrong” despite growing criticism of his leadership.
The former Cameroon captain defended Infantino in an interview with CNN, suggesting that much of the controversy surrounding the FIFA president is linked to the upcoming presidential election.
“I don’t think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong,” Eto’o said.
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker questioned the timing of the criticism, pointing to Infantino’s bid to secure a fourth term as FIFA president.
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“I think the timing of all of that is because there’s an election coming up, when Gianni Infantino is standing,” Eto’o added.
“All of this has happened because there is an election coming up. That’s all there is.”
Eto’o praises Infantino’s impact
Eto’o also defended Infantino’s record at FIFA, particularly his efforts to expand opportunities for smaller football nations and increase support for African football.
“President Gianni Infantino has changed football,” the former striker said, arguing that the FIFA president’s initiatives have created greater opportunities for developing football nations.
His intervention provides Infantino with significant backing from one of Africa’s most prominent football figures at a time when opposition to the FIFA president is growing.
Infantino has faced mounting scrutiny over his leadership, particularly following the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which sought to attract private investment into FIFA’s commercial and media rights.
The proposal drew criticism from several football governing bodies before it was ultimately withdrawn.
Infantino faces growing opposition
Eto’o’s comments come as Infantino faces an increasingly difficult political environment ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
The Irish Football Association recently withdrew its support for Infantino, joining the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland in publicly opposing his continued leadership.
If re-elected for a fourth term, Infantino would remain FIFA president until 2031, extending his tenure to 15 years.
While his opponents have raised concerns about governance and the direction of FIFA, Eto’o’s intervention offers Infantino an influential African ally as he seeks to consolidate support ahead of the election.
For Infantino, the challenge will now be to turn continued backing from key football figures and confederations into enough votes to overcome the growing opposition to his presidency.
