Eto’o still backs Infantino on FIFA’s Forward Enterprise proposal

Cameroon Football Federation President Samuel Eto’o has come out to indicate he still believes the proposal by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to introduce the Forward Enterprise was good for the game despite the massive backlash.

FIFA had planned to sell a minority, non-controlling stake of roughly 20% in its Competitions to external investors to raise up to $4.2 billion, valuing the new commercial unit at $20 billion. In this arrangement, FIFA offered each of its 211 member associations up to $40 million in extra development funding over four years if they supported the plan and a further $66 million over the next 12 years.

However, after facing fierce global backlash and boycott threats from major football confederations, on July 31, 2026, FIFA Scrapped the Proposal, with Infantino acknowledging that the project created deep divisions that went against FIFA’s core mission of uniting the sport.

Eto’o insists Infantino was not wrong in his proposal but points the rejection towards the forthcoming FIFA elections.

“I don’t think that president Gianni Infantino was wrong,” he said in an interview with CNN Sports.

“I think all these things are happening because of the timing. There’s an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing. All of this has happened because there is an election coming up. That’s all there is.”

“The proposal is even very good for the African nations, because it would allow us — should allow us if it went all the way through — to truly compete with the big nations,” he said.

The former Cameroon striker believes with increased funding for smaller nations, there would be a balance of power eventually.

“I remain convinced that for us as Africans, this project was something that could have been incredible. It would have reset the balance of power in football to ensure that our talent doesn’t disappear and end up playing for other nations.”

“We want to see the Messis, we want to see the Mbappés, but I would like to see Mbappé play for Cameroon,” he said. “I would like to see some Mbappés be able to grow here.”

Eto’o who said his administration would attempt to have the proposal re-examined by FIFA’s members — also suggested that the outrage over the proposal had been exaggerated, saying: “I am convinced that the voices that were raised, those are not the voices of the majority.”

He added: “The biggest nations occupy the media space.”

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