Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation, has called on African football leaders to support FIFA president Gianni Infantino, attributing advancements in the development of African football associations to his leadership. In an interview with French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Eto’o stated, "President Gianni Infantino has changed football. Mr Infantino has helped our continent. He has helped our federations develop much more quickly, and we have to recognise that. We should support him for everything he has achieved so far."
Eto’o's remarks highlight a contrast with UEFA's critical stance towards Infantino, reflecting differing priorities between African and European football leaders. He noted that Infantino has provided opportunities for nations that previously had not participated in the World Cup. Infantino is set to seek re-election at the FIFA Congress on March 18, 2027.
This summer, Africa secured nine direct spots at the expanded 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, an increase from five spots in the 2022 tournament in Qatar. UEFA had opposed a now-abandoned proposal to transfer commercial rights related to the World Cups to a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would involve outside investors. Although FIFA announced the project was permanently withdrawn, UEFA continues to challenge FIFA's management of the plan and has sought evidence for a potential criminal complaint against Infantino and other FIFA officials in Switzerland.
Eto’o emphasized that African federations often rely on government funding, making it difficult for them to compete with wealthier nations. He stated, "When you see some federations with budgets of 150,000 euros, how can they compete against the big countries?" He also expressed concern that limited resources lead to African countries losing potential talent to Europe, citing that if Cameroon had a budget of $20 million or $40 million per year, it could have attracted players like Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, who have family ties to the country. Eto’o concluded by stating that while UEFA is significant for FIFA, it should not be viewed as the only or most important confederation.