Eto'o defends Infantino amid FIFA leadership crisis

Samuel Eto'o, the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation and a former star striker, has publicly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid a growing crisis of confidence in the sport's global leader. In an interview broadcast on Monday, August 24, 2026, Eto'o argued that the intense criticism and calls for Infantino's resignation are primarily driven by political maneuvering ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. Infantino has faced severe backlash since abandoning a proposal to sell a 20% stake in a commercial body for FIFA tournament rights, including the World Cup.