Former UEFA president Michel Platini publicly called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, citing multiple controversies that have recently engulfed the world football governing body. Speaking on Sunday, Platini criticized Infantino’s leadership, particularly in relation to the recently concluded World Cup hosted in North America and Infantino’s attempt to introduce private investment into FIFA events.

Platini, who led UEFA before Infantino took the helm at FIFA, stated that Infantino failed to uphold the rules of the game, which he described as a fundamental responsibility of the FIFA president. Among the issues highlighted by Platini were the extended hydration breaks during matches, which sometimes lasted up to four minutes and reportedly served as opportunities for advertisements by the host broadcaster. He also expressed concern over the final’s halftime entertainment segment, which exceeded the regulatory limit of 15 minutes.

Another point of contention involved the suspension of a red card given to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. The decision to lift the sanction followed a phone call from then-U.S. President Donald Trump to Infantino, a move Platini described as highly problematic and a breach of fairness and rule enforcement.

“The advertisement breaks are not in the rules, the 30-minute half-time break in the final is not in the rules, and the red card, that’s the worst,” Platini said. “He is the guarantor of the rules, but he doesn’t respect them, he must go.”

Infantino’s controversial plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, known as FIFA Forward Enterprises, has drawn sharp criticism from UEFA and other football confederations including CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA has accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” related to the private financing proposal and threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless the plan is abandoned.

Platini suggested that removing Infantino from office would not be achieved through sporting institutions, stating, “If UEFA want to bring down Infantino, it will be through the courts.” He also remarked on Infantino’s alleged pursuit of money and power throughout his tenure.

Platini himself faced allegations of fraud in 2015 while serving as UEFA president and as a candidate to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president. Blatter had been accused of making an illicit $2 million payment to Platini. Although Platini was cleared of wrongdoing in 2025, he was compelled to resign, paving the way for Infantino’s election as FIFA president in 2016. Platini noted, “He didn’t bring me down, he benefitted from it.”

Infantino is seeking re-election as FIFA president in March, amid mounting pressure from football organizations worldwide.