Eto’o still supports Infantino’s scrapped Forward Enterprise plan

Samuel Eto’o remains convinced that Gianni Infantino’s Forward Enterprise proposal would have benefited football, even after FIFA abandoned the plan following widespread opposition. The Cameroon Football Federation president said the project was not a mistake and linked the resistance to the approaching FIFA election in which Infantino is seeking another term.

FIFA had proposed selling about 20% of a new commercial unit linked to its competitions. The stake would have been non-controlling, with the plan designed to raise as much as $4.2 billion and give the unit an estimated value of $20 billion.

The proposal included additional funding for FIFA’s 211 member associations. Each association could have received up to $40 million over four years, followed by a further $66 million across the next 12 years. Eto’o believes that scale of investment could have narrowed the gap between football’s wealthiest nations and those with fewer resources.

He said stronger financing would give African countries a better chance of developing and keeping elite talent. Eto’o pointed to the prospect of producing players of the level associated with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, while stressing that such footballers should have the opportunity to develop and represent countries such as Cameroon.

The proposal faced strong resistance from major football confederations, including threats of boycotts. FIFA ultimately withdrew it on July 31, 2026, with Infantino acknowledging that the dispute had created divisions that conflicted with the organisation’s aim of bringing football together.

Eto’o said he did not believe the public opposition represented the majority view. His administration, he added, would try to have FIFA’s members consider the proposal again. For the former Cameroon striker, the abandoned plan still represents a possible route towards greater financial balance and improved player development in Africa.