Gianni Infantino faces former players' call for change

Pressure on Gianni Infantino is growing as a group of former internationals demands a change in the way FIFA is run. The intervention adds to calls for greater accountability ahead of the FIFA president’s planned bid for another term in 2027.

Mikaël Silvestre, Emmanuel Petit and Olivier Dacourt published their appeal in three languages. They argue that football’s leadership has moved away from the sport’s core values and that major decisions have too often been made without meaningful input from players or supporters. The statement does not name Infantino directly, but its criticism is aimed at the current FIFA leadership. England international Lucy Bronze, a two-time European champion, has also shared the message.

The former players want supporters and players to have a genuine and direct role in football’s governance. Their intervention follows a petition launched by supporter groups for fundamental reform of FIFA. It also comes after Infantino’s plan to place World Cup revenues in a commercial company open to private investors was abandoned this summer following opposition from European, North American and Asian confederations.

Infantino remains determined to seek re-election at the FIFA Congress in Rabat on March 18, 2027. However, support has begun to weaken. Gibraltar withdrew its backing on Monday, following similar moves by England, Ireland, Wales, Sweden, Israel and New Zealand, while more than 200 federations had supported him two months earlier.