Cameroon football legend and FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, has thrown his weight behind Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president, dismissing mounting criticism of the Swiss football administrator and insisting that his record deserves recognition rather than condemnation.
Eto’o, one of Africa’s most celebrated footballers, said much of the criticism surrounding Infantino’s leadership could be linked to the approaching FIFA presidential election, arguing that the FIFA chief had made significant contributions to the development and global reach of the sport.
Speaking to CNN Sports, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker offered an emphatic defence of Infantino.
“I don’t think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong,” Eto’o said.
He added: “I think the timing of all of that is because there’s an election coming out.”
Eto’o’s intervention comes as Infantino faces renewed scrutiny over some of FIFA’s decisions and the direction of world football under his leadership.
Despite the criticism, however, the Cameroonian football icon argued that Infantino’s tenure had expanded opportunities for countries that previously struggled to reach football’s biggest stage.
“President Gianni Infantino has changed football. He’s given opportunities to nations that didn’t have those opportunities to take part in the most beautiful tournament, the World Cup,” Eto’o said.
His comments appeared to reference FIFA’s expansion of the World Cup, a move that has increased the number of participating countries and created additional qualification opportunities for football nations across Africa and other regions.
For Eto’o, that expansion represents more than a change in tournament format. He believes it has opened doors for countries whose chances of qualifying for the World Cup had previously been limited.
The FECAFOOT president also singled out Infantino’s relationship with African football, arguing that FIFA’s support under his leadership had accelerated development within national associations across the continent.
“He has helped our continent. He’s helped our federations to develop much more quickly. We need to acknowledge that,” Eto’o said.
“We need to accept and recognise what he’s done, and we should support him for everything he’s done up to now.”
The endorsement is significant because Eto’o remains one of the continent’s most influential football figures, both because of his playing career and his current leadership of the Cameroon Football Federation.
Infantino has enjoyed substantial political support within African football during his tenure, with the Confederation of African Football also backing his continued leadership of FIFA.
That support could prove important as the FIFA presidential contest gathers momentum and debates intensify over the future direction of the global governing body.
Infantino’s administration has overseen sweeping changes to international football, including the expansion of major competitions and increased investment in football development programmes.
Critics, however, have raised questions over some governance decisions and the increasingly commercial direction of the global game.
Eto’o’s remarks suggest that Infantino’s supporters are preparing to answer those criticisms with an argument centred on expansion, access and greater investment in developing football nations.
For African football in particular, Eto’o believes the benefits of Infantino’s tenure should weigh heavily in any assessment of his leadership.
His endorsement therefore adds another influential African voice to Infantino’s camp and signals that, despite the controversy surrounding his administration, the FIFA president retains powerful allies as the battle over the leadership of world football gathers pace.
