The 2026 World Cup, won by Spain, continues to carry a lot of controversy. On the one hand, there are the alleged connections of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who according to some rumors at one point would have favored the United States, supporting US President Donald Trump in the now-famous issue of the suspension lifted against Balogun. On the other hand, the growing controversy over a proposed deal with a “private equity” fund by FIFA, which has led several European federations to withdraw their support for Infantino himself. For this reason, his position as president has been seriously shaken.
Recently, a kind of revolt broke out on social networks against the governance of FIFA, where among the supporters were former world football legends such as Petit, Pires, Lizarazu, former Inter player Dacourt, Drogba and Veron, who openly came out against Infantino, joining a long post by Silvestre, the former Manchester United figure. Well, during the night Javier “Pupi” Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Pastore gave Infantino an important demonstration of support on the eve of the upcoming FIFA presidential elections. An important stance, especially because it came from three important figures of Argentina, which has recently been heavily sanctioned by FIFA after the events of the 2026 World Cup final.
A shared message during the night, that of the two former Inter players and “Flaco”, which is practically identical in form and content, except for some very small changes. But the meaning is this: “Unconditional support for Infantino”. A kind of open declaration of war against a large part of the other international federations, which on the contrary are demanding a change of direction. And so, in the face of an increasingly hostile political climate, characterized by the resignation of high-level executives, Infantino has received – somewhat unexpectedly – a decisive support from prominent former footballers.
“In the last decade, we have seen the commitment of FIFA and President Infantino to guarantee player representation in the world of football, something that previously did not exist. Current and former players have had a voice and an active role in our sport through their participation in committees, projects and working groups. Our opinions are heard and many initiatives for the good of football are taking shape thanks to our contribution, ideas, projects and active participation.
We have seen firsthand how football can transform lives, improve societies and increase opportunities for everyone around the world; we are committed to continuing to bring this hope to people. We will continue to support the extraordinary evolution that has characterised our sport over the last decade, so that it continues to reach and benefit people in every country where football is played in the world.”
Enough is enough! pic.twitter.com/86YKFQbCZx
— Mikael Silvestre (@IamMSilvestre) August 24, 2026
An open letter from Javier Zanetti, who in addition to being Inter's vice-president, also holds the position of vice-president of the FIFA Social Responsibility Committee for the two-year period 2025-2029, while Cambiasso is a member of FIFA's Technical Study Group (TSG). Pastore remains the only one without an official position at FIFA, but he still wanted to support Infantino. But what is the objective? In a moment of general chaos, when former important figures in world football have wanted to strongly support the desire to change the FIFA presidency again, Infantino has fielded "opponents of the same level" in his support. It is not clear what path this story will take, but the feeling is that it is entering a decisive phase for the future of international football.
