'Gives Africans the chance to dream!' - Samuel Eto'o backs FIFA president Gianni Infantino amid UEFA criticism

FECAFOOT president Eto'o has publicly backed FIFA boss Infantino amidst growing opposition from UEFA. Speaking to L'Equipe, the former striker defended Infantino's leadership following criticism from European football's governing body. Infantino has faced mounting pressure from UEFA leaders seeking to remove him from his post. However, Eto'o insists that the FIFA chief has delivered tangible benefits for global football development, particularly across Africa.

Eto'o praised Infantino for providing African nations with crucial support to construct infrastructure and nurture young talent. He argued that European football frequently protects its own commercial motives at the expense of other regions.

"Football is already a commercial product! Who funds football? Companies that buy advertising space," Eto'o said. "Who owns those companies? Europe looks out for its own interests, too, under pressure from clubs.

"Why should we be judged for looking out for ours? Today, President Infantino is giving Africans the chance to dream of developing the sport. He has helped improve African football, otherwise, we wouldn't see so many federation headquarters being built.

"We funded part of it, while the rest came through FIFA's support via the FIFA Forward project. It’s tangible. And it will allow us to develop talent. In a few years, when we have players like Roger Milla or [Kylian] Mbappe, it will be thanks to that funding."

Addressing claims that Infantino bypassed governance procedures, Eto'o highlighted the democratic power of the 211 member federations in the General Assembly. He stressed that key initiatives like the FIFA Forward project are legitimately ratified by federation presidents.

He added: "UEFA is an important confederation for FIFA and contributes enormously to football, but it should not be viewed as the only or the most important confederation. It is a skewed debate. And people do not realise the challenges facing federation presidents in Africa. Do you think we could even play football without governments? For some federations, 95% or even 100% of the funding comes from states that are already grappling with immense challenges."

Looking ahead to the FIFA presidential election in March, Eto'o confirmed he will stand firmly behind Infantino. He emphasised that high revenues from major international tournaments remain essential for overall development.

"There is always a risk in an election [of losing], but that doesn't stop me from supporting him," Eto'o stated. "People attribute all sorts of things to him. Managing something that stirs such global passion is difficult. But look at the profits from the World Cups in Qatar and the United States. That is what we want for football. If we don't have money, we can't develop the sport. People need to realise that."