August 26, 2026
World Cup winners Fabio Cannavaro and Cafu have joined a group of former footballers backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino, despite his aborted plan to open the World Cup to private investment.
Their social media messages expressing support for Infantino came after another group of former players, led by Frenchman Mikael Silvestre, called for “change” in FIFA’s leadership.
Infantino’s now-scrapped plan had thrust FIFA — and football — into crisis, with many leading figures in the game calling on the Swiss leader to step down.
“Over the last ten years, world football has improved,” and footballers “have once again taken center stage,” Cannavaro — who was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning team, posted on social media on Wednesday.
