A group of former international players, including World Cup winners and FIFA legends, called Monday for sweeping changes at soccer's governing body, accusing President Gianni Infantino's leadership of losing sight of the game's core values as pressure mounts on him ahead of next year's election.

The group, which includes several former World Cup champions, said FIFA needs a new era of accountability and a greater role for players and fans in how the sport is governed.

"We share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world," former France World Cup winners Emmanuel Petit, Bixente Lizarazu and Robert Pires, former U.S. women's world champion Briana Scurry and former England international Lucy Bronze said in a joint statement.

"Like them, 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 to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football."

The statement adds to growing criticism of Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016 and is seeking another term despite opposition from some of world football's most powerful regional bodies.

Infantino came under particular pressure after abandoning a controversial proposal to create a commercial entity for FIFA tournament rights and sell a 20% stake to private investors. UEFA and other confederations opposed the plan, with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin describing it as worse than the breakaway European Super League proposal.

"The plan is dead," Ceferin said in an interview with the podcast The Rest is Politics: Leading. "For me, the most important thing is that we stopped another try to sell the sport."

The dispute has fueled wider questions over Infantino's future. Several FIFA confederations, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, have expressed opposition to his leadership, while senior figures familiar with the discussions told Reuters last week that regional power brokers are considering whether to pursue a no-confidence vote before next year's election.

Ceferin, who has repeatedly been mentioned as a possible successor, said he will not challenge Infantino himself but believes the FIFA president could face an opponent if he seeks another term.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin looks on during the UEFA Super Cup football match between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Europa League winners Aston Villa, Salzburg, Austria, Aug. 12, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Infantino is expected to run for re-election at the FIFA Congress in Morocco next year, with Nov. 18 set as the deadline for challengers to nominate.

"I think he will have a candidate against him. I don't know yet who," Ceferin said.

Ceferin said Infantino has two choices: recognize that he no longer has the backing of the wider football community and leave, or contest the election and face a challenger.

He stressed that the issue goes beyond the officials who ultimately cast votes.

"The political support of the football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches" also matters, he said.

Ceferin, 58, ruled himself out of the FIFA race, saying he remains committed to UEFA and would rather preserve his credibility than pursue the organization's top job.

"I'm not interested because of two reasons," he said. "One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here."

The former players' group also called on football's wider community to take a more active role in determining the sport's future.

"We call on all stakeholders to step forward and help reshape the future of our sport," they said. "There are good people within FIFA who want to rebuild trust, but a new era requires a structural change: a real, direct say for players and fans in how football is run."

The group includes former Peru forward Claudio Pizarro, former Argentina international Juan Sebastian Veron, former Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor, and FIFA legends Didier Drogba and David James.

FIFA legends are former players recognized for their contributions to the sport who support FIFA initiatives, including exhibition matches and social and charitable projects around the world.

The former players said their message was ultimately about restoring trust in an organization they believe has become too distant from the people who make the game what it is.

"Those who step onto the pitch and those who sit in the stands deserve a genuine voice to help reshape football's future together," they said. "For the fans, for the players, and for the good of the game, we will be silent no more."

Reuters contacted FIFA for comment.

Ceferin also questioned the political relationship between Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom the FIFA president has developed a close relationship ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"To be honest, I think you are naive if you think that a politician like that, or any politician, is your good friend," Ceferin said. "The moment you are a problem, you stop being a friend of a politician."