Samuel Eto’o backs Infantino amid FIFA pressure

Samuel Eto’o has defended Gianni Infantino as the FIFA president faces growing opposition before the organisation’s next election. The president of Cameroon’s football federation said Infantino had improved football and deserved African support for the opportunities created under his leadership.

Eto’o believes the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has opened the tournament to countries that previously had little or no chance of qualifying. He also credited Infantino with helping African federations develop more quickly, arguing that those contributions should be recognised despite the criticism now directed at FIFA’s leadership.

The former Cameroon striker also rejected the suggestion that Infantino had acted improperly over the abandoned plan to bring private investors into FIFA. In Eto’o’s view, the backlash is largely political and linked to the election scheduled for March 2027, when Infantino is currently the only declared candidate.

Infantino has been weakened since the private-investment proposal was withdrawn, with UEFA and several other confederations publicly challenging his methods. The CAF leadership has continued to support him, while the 2026 World Cup and the proposed commercial restructuring have intensified scrutiny of his presidency. Eto’o’s intervention adds another prominent African voice to that backing.