Luis Figo demands Gianni Infantino quit, labels him 'deceitful' over World Cup stake plan

Former Real Madrid and Barcelona forward Luis Figo wrote in the Daily Mail on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) that FIFA president Gianni Infantino "must go", calling him "deceitful" as pressure mounted over Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup.

Infantino, 56, had proposed selling a 20% stake in the World Cup to private equity investors through his FIFA Forward Enterprise, a move that provoked widespread criticism and was rejected by three continental confederations, forcing him to abandon the plan. In an effort to regain support he held emergency talks with other FIFA directors in Morocco on Wednesday, a source told AFP, while he defended the proposal by saying it would increase revenue for all FIFA member nations.

"I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go," Figo wrote in the Daily Mail on Wednesday (August 5, 2026).

"I have loved football all my life. I was a professional player for 20 years. And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game.

"But what I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed.

"The man who would do that — the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends — is a relic of the game's past and should have no part in its future."

Infantino's attempt to push the deal through without consulting Football Associations worldwide, along with concerns about potentially moving to an increased World Cup every two years instead of every four, fuelled the backlash. Several senior FIFA officials, including former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, publicly criticised Infantino's conduct.

Figo, who pulled out of the race to become FIFA president in 2015 and is described in the article as 53 years old, said Infantino should resign immediately rather than wait for a re-election bid next year. "Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president that he promised to elevate," said Figo, who won a host of trophies in his glittering playing career. "He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve."

The 53-year-old added: "He has lost the support of his senior staff, his closest advisers, the vast majority of people who devote their lives to this sport and even, it would seem, the FIFA Peace Prize winner (U.S. President Donald Trump).

"It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now."