In recent weeks, everything seemed to indicate that Gianni Infantino would face one of the most serious crises of his presidency at FIFA.

Pressure for him to step down was mounting, while the failed attempt to push through the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan sparked strong reactions from confederations and national soccer federations.

However, despite calls for his resignation, Infantino remains in office, while the FIFA presidential election in March of next year is approaching.

Samuel Eto’o Stands by Infantino
And while some may want to wait until then to try to remove him, the FIFA president still enjoys significant support. One of his most prominent supporters is the president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o.

The former world-class striker told CNN Sports in an exclusive interview that Infantino “has done nothing wrong” and spoke in favor of revisiting the plan that caused the latest major upheaval at FIFA.

Eto’o was one of the top soccer players of his generation, winning major titles and scoring hundreds of goals with teams such as Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.

In 2021, he was elected president of FECAFOOT and has since sought to raise the profile of Cameroonian soccer, as well as African soccer in general.

“I don’t think President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong,” he told CNN Sports when asked about the FIFA president’s handling of the FFE.

“I think the timing of all this has to do with the elections, since Gianni Infantino is a candidate. All of this happened because of the elections. That’s all,” he added.

Eto’o’s public support is a significant boost for Infantino, who is facing growing backlash from several confederations.

UEFA has left open the possibility of boycotting future tournaments, while CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have called for changes in FIFA’s leadership.

The next battleground could be the U-20 Women’s
World Cup. The crisis may soon spill over onto the field. The Women’s U-20 World Cup, scheduled for September, could become the next flashpoint, as European teams may not participate.

Such a development would mean that six of the teams that have qualified for the tournament would not compete, including host Poland.

The “Unbelievable” FIFA Forward Enterprise
Plan The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been one of Infantino’s few staunch supporters. However, the question remains as to whether all national federations belonging to CAF share the confederation’s position.

Cameroon, however, appears to be clearly on Infantino’s side. The FIFA president even mentioned Eto’o by name in a thank-you post on Instagram last week.

Eto’o argued that Infantino has changed world soccer and called on the other African federations to support him. “President Gianni Infantino has changed soccer,” he said.

As he noted, during his presidency, more opportunities were given to countries that until now had not been able to participate in top-tier competitions. “He gave nations that didn’t have these opportunities a chance to participate in the most beautiful tournament, the World Cup. It allowed smaller nations to secure spots in these tournaments,” he said.

“It has helped our continent. It has helped our federations grow much faster, and we must acknowledge that. We must accept and acknowledge what he has done and support him for everything he has done to date,” he added.

Eto’o Wants the Plan
Back on the Table The FECAFOOT president argued that the FFE could contribute to a fairer distribution of global soccer’s financial resources, enabling smaller federations to improve their facilities and resources and compete with the major soccer powers.

According to him, such a plan could help countries like Cameroon attract top soccer players of African descent. As a prime example, he cited Kylian Mbappé, who is of Cameroonian descent on his father’s side.

“There are federations on other continents that are in the same situation as us, more or less at the same economic level, and are trying to develop the soccer we love so much,” he said.

“We want to see Messi, we want to see Mbappé, but I’d like to see Mbappé playing for Cameroon,” he added.

FIFA has already apologized for some of its actions and has withdrawn the proposal regarding the FFE.

At the same time, following the crisis meeting held in Morocco last month, the world governing body publicly expressed its support for Infantino.

FIFA’s current position is that media reports and coverage presented the plan out of its proper context.

Eto’o shares this view; he continues to believe that the FFE was a good idea and hopes it could be brought back for discussion if Infantino is re-elected.

“The larger nations dominated the media landscape. They presented their own point of view, and President Gianni Infantino wanted to keep the soccer family united and decided to withdraw the plan,” he said.

“I remain convinced that, for us Africans, this plan could have been something incredible. It would have restored the balance of power in soccer, ensuring that our talent would not be lost and would not end up playing for other countries,” he said.

Eto’o also argued that many of those who criticized the plan had not fully understood its contents.

“At the end of the day, those who spoke about the plan and expressed their views didn’t properly understand what it’s about and, in some cases, viewed it from their own subjective perspective,” he said.

He even called on the presidents of the national federations to reexamine the proposal. “I want to see all my colleagues, all the presidents, read the draft again. After President Infantino’s reelection, we will have the power to ask that the draft be brought back to the table for discussion,” he said.

“I remain convinced that, if there is a democratic vote, this proposal will be adopted, because it is good for the majority,” he added.

Who Supports Infantino
? Eto’o is not the only one who continues to support Infantino in an increasingly fragmented soccer landscape.

CAF’s support could prove crucial, while the FIFA president still has allies in other parts of the world.

CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, praised FIFA for withdrawing the controversial plan, though it did not call for Infantino’s resignation.

Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Association has expressed its full support for the FIFA president.

He also has the backing of Mexico, a member of CONCACAF, as well as national federations belonging to the AFC, such as those of Qatar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

These differing stances also reflect an important aspect of the ongoing battle: some national federations appear to be distancing themselves from the position adopted by their own confederations.

This is essentially a numbers game, given that FIFA has 211 member national federations. The crucial question is how many of them will support Infantino and how many will seek his removal.

The Election Battle and the Possibility of an Extraordinary Congress
Next year’s presidential election cannot come soon enough for some of Infantino’s critics. So far, however, it remains unclear who his main opponent might be.

Candidates for the FIFA presidency must submit their nominations by November 18. There is, however, a possibility that the process could begin earlier.

According to FIFA’s statutes, if 20% of the 211 member associations submit a formal written request, an extraordinary congress may be convened. In such a case, even a motion of no confidence against Infantino could be brought up for discussion, giving FIFA members the opportunity to decide his future.

CNN Sports, however, notes that it was unable to find official guidelines that clearly describe how such a procedure could be implemented.

Infantino Remains in Office
For now, however, Gianni Infantino remains at the helm of FIFA. Criticism against him continues, and the controversial FFE plan has sparked deep divisions within the global soccer community. At the same time, however, the support he continues to enjoy from major national federations, as well as the stance of figures such as Samuel Eto’o, show that the battle for the FIFA presidency is far from over. The question now is not only how many people want Infantino to leave, but also how many are willing to do whatever it takes to keep him in his position.

*photo source: AP