A group of prominent current and former footballers has publicly pressured Fifa president Gianni Infantino to step down, sharing a statement declaring "enough is enough" amid growing anger over his leadership. The intervention carries particular weight because several signatories have worked as Fifa ambassadors through its "Fifa Legends" programme, making the criticism an unusually direct challenge from within the football establishment itself, following Infantino's failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup.

Signatories include former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikaël Silvestre, who also sits on Fifa's players' voice panel, along with England defender Lucy Bronze, former England goalkeeper David James and 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit, with more names expected to join. Their statement accuses Fifa's leadership of losing sight of the game's core values and making major decisions without consulting players or fans, demanding structured reform and a genuine voice for both groups. Infantino, who has resisted resignation calls and spent time courting smaller Caribbean federations in the Dominican Republic, found a defender in Samuel Eto'o, president of Cameroon's football federation, who told CNN Infantino had "not done anything wrong" and urged support for his re-election in March, along with revival of the contested Fifa Forward Enterprise funding scheme.