The forceful open letter released by Luís Figo, in which he demands the immediate departure of Gianni Infantino from the FIFA presidency, has once again put a question at the centre of the international football debate: could the former Portugal international step forward to lead the body that governs world football?
In the message published this Wednesday, Figo spared the current FIFA president no criticism, accusing him of compromising the institution's credibility and of steering football away from the principles that, in his view, should guide the sport. The letter ends with a sentence that quickly drew attention around the world:
“He must go. Now.” - Luís Figo
The statements come at a time of strong opposition to FIFA's plan to sell stakes in its commercial arm to private investors, an initiative that has met significant resistance from various international football bodies, including UEFA, for which Luís Figo is currently a football adviser.
Although the former captain of the Portuguese national team has not expressed any intention of running for the FIFA presidency, the firmness of his criticism has led many fans and analysts to recall that this would not be the first time his name has been linked with the post.
In 2015, Luís Figo officially announced his candidacy for the FIFA presidency, promising deep reform of the organisation. However, he ended up withdrawing from the race a few days before the election, denouncing a process he considered not very transparent and lacking the conditions for a fair contest. At the time, he said the election was “rigged” and refused to legitimise what he described as a sham election.
Months later, after the departure of Sepp Blatter, Figo backed the candidacy of Gianni Infantino, believing the Swiss official represented an opportunity to renew FIFA. More than a decade later, the relationship appears to have changed radically, with the Portuguese becoming one of the harshest critics of the current leadership.
Despite growing speculation on social media and in some quarters of football, there is no official indication that Luís Figo is preparing a new candidacy for the FIFA presidency. So far, the former player has limited himself to demanding a change of leadership, without revealing any personal ambition to hold the post.
Even so, his past as a candidate, together with the international weight he continues to carry in European football, inevitably puts his name back on the list of possible protagonists should a new race for the FIFA presidency open up.
