Gianni Infantino has spent the last few weeks fighting for his job, and on Wednesday some familiar faces came to the rescue.
Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Javier Zanetti, three of the most decorated defenders of their generation, publicly threw their weight behind FIFA president, joining the growing list of South American legends that are speaking up in his defense.
: Multiple football legends including Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Mikaël Silvestre and Juan Sebastián Verón have released a statement against Gianni Infantino and FIFA:
“As players, football has given us everything, and we have given our lives to it.… pic.twitter.com/avhpIFblcM
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) August 24, 2026
It was a show of unity that stood in sharp contrast to the criticism he faced just a day earlier
A Presidency Under Fire
Per ESPN, Infantino’s troubles began with a plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors.
The plan was met with instant backlash and was eventually pulled. But the damage was done.
Since then, several confederations, including UEFA, the AFC and Concacaf, as well as a number of countries and former players, have called for him to step aside.
The pressure increased on Tuesday as a group of European greats – Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Bixente Lizarazu and Didier Drogba issued a joint statement accusing the current leadership of losing sight of what is best for the game while looking after its own interests.
England international Lucy Bronze was also critical of Infantino around the same time.
South America’s Answer
The answer arrived less than twenty-four hours later, from across the Atlantic.
Cafu and Roberto Carlos, World Cup winners with Brazil, supported Infantino along with Zanetti, the former Argentina international and now vise president of Inter Milan.
The list has been joined by Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Pastore and former Mexico striker Jared Borgetti, pointing to what they said was greater player representation inside FIFA over the past decade.
The Mexican federation has been notable in continuing to back Infantino as one of the few in Concacaf, even as the confederation has called for change.
What happens next
Infantino has been FIFA president since February 2016 and is expected to stand for a fourth term when the federation’s congress meets in March 2027.
He is unopposed for now, but the past two weeks have shown that unopposed doesn’t mean unchallenged.
The next few months are likely to be some of the most contentious of his presidency, with confederations divided and legends of the game on opposite sides.
