With each passing day, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appears to be losing more and more support. A former Ballon d’Or winner is the latest to call for his resignation.

Infantino has faced huge backlash for his scheme to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors. Once made public, the likes of UEFA and CONCACAF were quick to reject the proposal, and the European footballing body has since led the way in declaring no confidence in the FIFA head.

The Welsh FA then came out as the first nation to withdraw support for Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March 2027. Adding to the voices of dissent, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted to GIVEMESPORT that Infantino should step down.

REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier

Infantino’s popularity is as low as ever, and it won’t help that respected footballers are turning on him. Former Portugal star Luis Figo is among those to speak out, as he called for the administration’s resignation:

Figo is best known for his time in Spain, where he won two La Liga titles with Barcelona, before controversially moving to Real Madrid in 2000 – which was the same year in which he won the Ballon d’Or. It’s interesting that he directly references the FIFA Peace Prize during his comment.

Infantino drew great criticism when he awarded US president Donald Trump the inaugural peace prize. It was even reported that this was a source of “deep embarrassment” for some within FIFA.

With Infantino losing popularity, it remains unclear if he even retains support from Trump. There have been reports that the US president has been privately ignoring phone calls from the FIFA boss, while publicly Trump has denied having any involvement in the failed plan to privatise the World Cup.

Figo’s Rage Continued as He Slammed Infantino

REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez

In a written article for the Daily Mail, Figo continued his outcry against Infantino. He wrote: “What I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed,” before asking:

He then slammed the FIFA boss for land a $30m-a-year job for himself, noting: “It’s not honest when you fail to mention that, after you have delivered the head of the World Cup on a platter to your mates in DC, they are going to give you a job worth five times your current salary.”

He added: “Football does need a discussion about money. But not the money that could go out of the game to investors or on bloated administrator salaries. I mean the money that should be spent on building pitches and training coaches to make sure that every child in the world has the chance to fall in love with the most beautiful sport on the planet.”

Big Cass returned to WWE television this past Monday night on Raw, eight years after his last appearance, but he didn’t come back with his former tag team partner Enzo Amore, which has sparked the question; will he be returning anytime soon?

Monday Night Raw this week, the 3rd of August, was held at Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa, and while Je’Von Evans was celebrating his win over Ethan Page, the returning Big Cass interrupted with a boot to his face and a brutal attack.

“I am here to stack bodies,” he later revealed in a backstage interview. “You were just the first. You surely won’t be the last.”

Although he didn’t return with his former tag team partner, Enzo Amore did take to social media to post his reaction, sending a nine-word tweet after watching the events unfold.

Big Cass & Enzo Amore

Cass initially left WWE a few months after his partner at the time, Enzo Amore, after a failed singles run and a constant battle with injuries.

The pair are best known for their time together from 2013 to 2017. Amore made his professional debut in May 2013, shortly before forming an alliance with the 6ft10 giant in July. In 2015, they won Tag Team of the Year.

However, just a couple of years later, it all turned south for the up-and-coming tag team.

Enzo Amore’s Controversies During WWE Career

“Stuck up” Amore was kicked off the WWE talent bus in 2017 by Roman Reigns and later suspended in 2018 following sexual assault allegations. The case was eventually closed, however, and no charges were filed. He was ultimately fired due to failing to inform WWE of the investigation.

In 2017, it was revealed that Amore was heard bragging about how much money he was making from the wrestling business. This was the last straw for Roman Reigns, who kicked Amore off the talent bus during the European tour. It wasn’t just bragging about his finances, though, he could also be heard saying things that “those who couldn’t help but hear him thought were negative about the business.”

Later on, Corey Graves confirmed the story on “Bring It To The Table”, saying: “The guy has tonnes of faults on and off-screen. Enzo is Enzo 24 hours of the day, which rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

Amore was eventually suspended the following year after he was accused of rape. The WWE released a statement at the time that read: “WWE has a zero tolerance for matters involving sexual harassment or sexual assault. Until this matter is resolved, Enzo Amore has been suspended.”

The investigation was later closed with no charges filed, but he was fired as he failed to keep WWE informed.

Although talented, Enzo Amore and his loud, annoying mouth seemingly ended his career… but never say never, especially when it comes to WWE.

Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth in excess of £20m to sign Atletico Madrid star Matteo Ruggeri, according to Marca.

The Villans have had a very busy summer so far after bringing in Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, and Alejandro Garnacho, while they have lost Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Morgan Rogers.

Unai Emery is keen to bolster the squad after they won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League, and a new left-back to compete with Ian Maatsen is among the priorities, which has seen them move for the Italian.

Aston Villa Agree Deal for Ruggeri

Ruggeri, who has been described as ‘extraordinary’, has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Wanda Metropolitano by Diego Simeone heading into the new season, and Villa have moved to strike a deal for the 24-year-old.

According to a report in Spain, Villa have now agreed a deal worth an initial €18m (£15.4m) plus a further €6m (£5.1m) in add-ons to sign the left-back after making him a top target.

The only thing left is to get the green light from Ruggeri himself before a move to Villa Park is finalised, although it is understood that he is leaning towards accepting the move despite interest from Juventus, Roma, and a late enquiry by Liverpool.

Ruggeri was scheduled to fly to Korea with Atletico Madrid as part of their pre-season training camp, but the deal is now so advanced that he is not expected to be on the flight with his teammates.

It is now expected that he will join up with Emery’s squad this summer and compete for a starting spot for the Villans, with the Premier League outfit delighted to get a deal over the line before the new season begins.