Thierry Henry has called on footballers to recognize and use the influence they hold as Fifa continues to navigate a period of intense scrutiny over its handling of the 2026 World Cup. The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker, now a leading voice in football broadcasting, made the comments while speaking with the Guardian on Tuesday alongside fellow analysts Kate Scott and Jamie Carragher as CBS and Paramount gear up for their coverage of this season's Champions League.
Asked directly about the unfolding power struggle within international football's governing body, Henry did not hold back in expressing his belief that players are underestimating their own leverage. "For me, the players have more power than they think they have," he said. "And if they want it to change, they can make it happen – especially nowadays."
His remarks come at a turbulent moment for Fifa, which has been engulfed in controversy stemming from its management of next year's World Cup. The situation intensified following revelations that Fifa president Gianni Infantino had pushed to sell off the tournament's lucrative commercial rights. That disclosure triggered a wave of backlash directed at Infantino, with Uefa reportedly weighing legal avenues to challenge his conduct.
The conversation echoed themes from football's last major institutional crisis – the failed European Super League project of 2021. Scott, who hosts the CBS panel alongside Henry, Carragher and Micah Richards, has previously examined that saga in depth through an Apple TV documentary. She drew parallels between the public reaction to the breakaway league and the current sentiment surrounding Fifa's leadership.
"I think it's going to be really interesting to see [what comes next]," Scott said, reflecting on how the football community might respond. She suggested that much of the sport's global audience may now be hoping for a shift in Fifa's presidency, similar to the widespread rejection of the Super League concept. "I think probably a large portion of world football has come to a point where they would like to see a change in [the Fifa presidency]... I think if you're invested in the game and you love the game, it just kind of leaves a bad taste."
Infantino has held the Fifa presidency since 2016 and has been re-elected on two occasions, both times running unopposed. The next presidential election is scheduled for 18 March 2027, and as of now, no rival candidate has emerged to challenge him. Scott acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding that future vote, noting Infantino's political skill. "I have no idea which way that will go, because obviously one thing that Gianni Infantino has proven to be within world football is a very smart power broker and has understood how to make allies, use those allies to his benefit," she said.
Despite that uncertainty, Henry maintained that meaningful change would ultimately depend on whether players choose to assert themselves. He pointed to examples from American sports leagues as evidence that athlete-driven pressure can force institutional change. "You guys in the US know fully well: when the player wants to do something, the league listens. You saw it with the NBA. You saw it with the NFL," he said, adding that players are too often expected to simply perform and stay silent: "At one point, the players are always on the side: go entertain, take your money, leave."
Henry acknowledged that punditry alone would not resolve football's governance issues, but reiterated his central point about where real power resides. "Us debating about it here, what's going to change? We can all have a view whether it's a good one or a bad one... But for me, the players have more power than they think they have. And if they want it to change, they can make it happen – especially nowadays."
Based on reporting from the Guardian US (Soccer Desk newsletter).