Ever since the FIFA World Cup ended, most of the fans and soccer boards have been asking for one thing: for Gianni Infantino to be removed from the presidency and not be elected as the FIFA President again. While everyone has been divided so far, this might be the largest pushback against Infantino until now, as the players have asked him to step down.

“As players, football has given us everything, and we have given our lives to it. We have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA’s current leadership. Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership’s ability. Enough is enough,” a statement from Emmanuel Petit, Mikaël Silvestre, and Lucy Bronze read.

Gianni Infantino is facing his strongest challenge yet, with players now demanding change at the management level. Former stars including Mikael Silvestre, Lucy Bronze and Emmanuel Petit backed the criticism and want change.

Didier Drogba, David James, Robert Pires and Juan Sebastian Veron also joined the statement. The statement accused FIFA of ignoring players and fans while protecting leadership interests. That criticism is a big factor because now it sits beside some of soccer’s most powerful associations.

The anger has been building for months, with many blaming Infantino for each dispute.

The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal became the biggest flashpoint in the controversy after Infantino proposed selling 20% of its stake to private investors. The plan targeted about $4.2 billion while promising extra funding for FIFA’s 211 associations.

UEFA pushed back and threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless the proposal was abandoned. FIFA eventually scrapped the plan, but the damage was done.

That fallout also brought fresh questions about FIFA’s funding and Infantino’s growing political strength.

Many said that the development money can create loyalty among associations that depend heavily upon FIFA funding. Reuters reported that the abandoned plan would have offered up to $20 million per association. That matters because those same associations will vote during Infantino’s 2027 re-election campaign.

The commercial argument also followed Infantino through his biggest decisions about soccer’s future. The 2026 World Cup expanded from 32 teams to 48. This meant more games. Infantino then said that FIFA is eyeing another expansion, potentially reaching 64 teams for the 2030 World Cup.

FIFA says the expansion gives smaller nations more chances while ignoring player workload concerns. The constant growth makes soccer feel increasingly shaped around money, and many don’t like it.

Now the criticism has moved beyond players and into FIFA’s own political structure.

UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF are considering a no-confidence vote at FIFA’s Congress against Infantino. Their presidents accused him of breaking trust and called for transparency and accountability. Samuel Eto’o says that the election politics explains the criticism around Infantino. But the statements from the players give a very different view.