FIFA Legends Call for Leadership Change in Open Letter to Infantino

A group of high-profile current and former footballers, including World Cup winners and FIFA legends, issued a public call on Monday for immediate change in the leadership of world soccer's governing body, intensifying the pressure on embattled President Gianni Infantino. The statement, shared widely on social media, declared that "enough is enough" and accused FIFA's current leadership of being blinded by power.

The open letter was published on August 24, 2026, by a coalition of players including former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, who is a member of FIFA's own Players Voice Panel. Other signatories included France's 1998 World Cup winners Emmanuel Petit, Bixente Lizarazu, and Robert Pires; England's double European champion Lucy Bronze; former Argentina international Juan Sebastián Verón; and former women's world champion Briana Scurry. The group stated they share the "exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world," asserting that major decisions have been taken without consulting players or considering fans.

The intervention is particularly significant as it comes from within FIFA's advisory structure. Silvestre's involvement, alongside other...