Cafu: Football Finally Listening to Players

Cafu has seen football from every angle – from the touchline as a World Cup-winning captain to the boardroom as a respected voice. Now, he says, the game finally feels like it is listening back.

In a message on social media, the Brazilian great underlined how structural changes at FIFA have pulled players directly into the heart of decision-making, not left them on the margins as figureheads.

“Over the past 10 years, we have followed the work that FIFA and President Infantino have carried out to promote representation in football – something that had not happened before,” Cafu said. “Players and former players have been given a voice and a place at the table by taking part in committees, projects, and working groups.”

This is not the old model of ex-stars wheeled out for photo opportunities. Cafu stressed that former players are now feeding their experience straight into sporting policy. The people who once lived the game at full speed are helping to write its rules and shape its future.

He made it clear that this influence is not symbolic. “Our opinions are heard, and many of the initiatives carried out in the name of the sport have been shaped by our reflections, ideas, plans, and participation,” he added.

For Cafu, that responsibility stretches far beyond elite stadiums and major finals. He framed football as a tool for change, not just entertainment. “We know how football can transform lives, improve societies and expand opportunities to people all over the world; and we are committed to continue bringing that hope to them,” he said.

That commitment, he insisted, is long term. Former players intend to stay embedded in FIFA’s structures, backing what he described as “the great progress that our sport has experienced in the past decade,” and working to “ensure that it continues to reach and benefit people in all the countries where football is played around the world.”

The working groups that now include these ex-professionals are set to keep their place in the engine room of the organisation, helping to design future regulations and development programmes.

The ambition is bold but simple: push the game’s growth into every corner of the planet. For Cafu and his peers, the job is not done until football’s reach – and its benefits – are felt wherever a ball can be kicked.