A growing coalition of current and former professional footballers has publicly demanded reform at Fifa, intensifying pressure on president Gianni Infantino over his handling of the sport's global governing body.
Mikael Silvestre, the former Manchester United and France defender who serves on Fifa's Players' Voice Panel, published a statement on X on Monday under the heading "Enough is Enough!" The post has since been shared widely, gaining backing from prominent figures including England defender Lucy Bronze, 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit, and former England goalkeeper David James.
The statement was prompted by Infantino's contentious proposal to sell equity stakes in major competitions, including the World Cup itself, to private investors. According to the statement, the players involved "share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world" regarding the direction Fifa has taken.
The document was sharply critical of the organisation's governance, asserting: "We have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under Fifa's current leadership." It continued by accusing the leadership of repeatedly making significant decisions without input from either players or supporters.
"For too long we've seen major decisions taken without players being consulted or considered, and without any regard for the fans who sustain the sport," the statement read. It went further, suggesting that Infantino's grip on power has clouded his judgment: "Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership's ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football. Recent events have made silence impossible."
The statement called for solidarity across all levels of the sport, urging unity "from grassroots to the top of the game" in pursuit of "structural change" that would give players and supporters genuine input into how football is governed.
Infantino's position has come under mounting scrutiny in recent weeks, largely as a result of fallout from the Fifa Forward Enterprise controversy. Several confederations have voiced strong opposition, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin going so far as to threaten a boycott of all Fifa competitions. Ceferin has indicated he expects Infantino to either step down voluntarily or face a formal challenge when elections take place in March. National federations including those of England, Wales and Scotland have also withdrawn their backing for the Fifa president.
Silvestre's participation is particularly notable given his role within Fifa's own structures — the Players' Voice Panel, a 16-member body established by the governing body itself to advise on combating racism in the sport, effectively represents dissent from within.
Not everyone within football shares this critical view, however. Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, now president of the Cameroonian Football Association, has offered a staunch defence of Infantino, arguing the Fifa chief has done nothing improper.
"I remain convinced that for us as Africans, this project was something that could have been incredible," Eto'o told CNN on Monday. "It would have reset the balance of power in football to ensure that our talent doesn't disappear and end up playing for other nations."
Eto'o credited Infantino with expanding opportunities for nations previously excluded from major tournaments. "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," he said. "He enabled smaller nations to get seats at these competitions. He has helped our continent. He's helped our federations to develop much more quickly, and we need to acknowledge that."
The divide between critics and defenders of Infantino's leadership appears set to deepen as Fifa's presidential election approaches in March.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.