Eto'o’s position appears rooted in access and resources. The report says he views the expanded 48-team World Cup as a major gain for African football, with more pathways for nations that previously lived on the margins of qualification.
That theme runs through another of his remarks. “Quando se veem federações com orçamentos de 150 mil euros, como podem competir com os grandes países?” Eto'o said, before adding: “Nunca poderemos ter a mesma percepção das coisas que os grandes países.”
It is a blunt political message: African federations do not experience policy from the same financial starting point as Europe’s heavyweights.
That is where the contrast with UEFA becomes sharp. Reports have long pointed to European unease with Infantino’s leadership style, governance questions and ideas around commercial control, even when some of those plans were later dropped.
From an African viewpoint, though, the debate can look different. Development money, tournament access and visibility are not abstract governance talking points; they are the basics of survival and growth.
Eto'o also pointed to the continent’s talent drain. “Se tivéssemos em Camarões um orçamento de US$ 20 milhões ou US$ 40 milhões por ano, claro que teríamos jogadores como Kylian Mbappé e Aurélien Tchouaméni,” he said, underlining how infrastructure and funding shape football pathways as much as raw ability.
The next story to watch is whether that argument turns into an organised continental bloc before 2027. If it does, the road to the next election could be defined as much by Africa’s priorities as by Europe’s objections.