Eto’o Calls on African Football Federations to Back FIFA President Infantino

Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o has called on African football leaders to support FIFA president Gianni Infantino, praising his leadership and arguing that his policies have created greater opportunities for African football. Eto’o said Infantino has “changed football” by accelerating the development of African football associations and increasing the continent’s representation at the FIFA World Cup. Africa now has nine direct places at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, compared with five places at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. I

Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o has called on African football leaders to support FIFA president Gianni Infantino, praising his leadership and arguing that his policies have created greater opportunities for African football. Eto’o said Infantino has “changed football” by accelerating the development of African football associations and increasing the continent’s representation at the FIFA World Cup. Africa now has nine direct places at the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, compared with five places at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Infantino is expected to seek another term as FIFA president at the FIFA Congress scheduled for March 18, 2027. Eto’o also highlighted the financial challenges facing African football federations. He argued that many African associations operate with extremely limited budgets and cannot compete financially with football federations in wealthier countries. According to Eto’o, some African federations have annual budgets of as little as €150,000. He believes this lack of investment makes it difficult for African countries to develop and retain elite players. He pointed to players with Cameroonian family connections, including Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, suggesting that stronger financial resources could have helped Cameroon attract and retain players of their quality. Eto’o acknowledged UEFA’s importance and its contribution to global football but insisted that Europe should not be viewed as the only or most influential voice within the sport. His comments come as Infantino faces increasing criticism from European football authorities, particularly over FIFA’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, which has since been abandoned. For Eto’o, however, the priority is clear: African football federations should strengthen their collective voice within FIFA and support leadership that he believes has expanded opportunities for the continent.