FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received backing from Javier Pastore, Javier Zanetti, and Esteban Cambiasso, and has issued a joint statement in support of FIFA president Gianni Infantino amid growing criticism of the leader’s tenure.
The trio of former Argentina internationals threw their support behind Infantino as he gears up to run for another presidential term at FIFA’s 2027 election. Their statement focused on the greater inclusion of former and current players in FIFA’s various structures, highlighting the impact of Infantino’s reforms on player participation in the sport’s governance.
The three stated that, since Infantino came to power, there has been an “increased participation and integration of players in various FIFA committees, projects and work groups.”
“Over the past decade, we have witnessed the commitment of FIFA and President Infantino to ensuring the representation of players in the world of football, something that did not previously exist,” they said.
Pastore, Zanetti and Cambiasso added that former and current players now have “a voice that is heard and an active role” in the development of initiatives related to football. “Our views are heard, and many initiatives beneficial to football are taking shape thanks to our contributions, ideas, projects and active participation,” they said.
The endorsement by Pastore, Zanetti and Cambiasso comes as opposition to Infantino’s presidency mounts.
Numerous former internationals, including Mikael Silvestre, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires and Olivier Dacourt, have all recently vocalised their concerns about the FIFA president.
Infantino will run for re-election at the FIFA presidential election in March 2027.
