Cafu Advocates for Player Involvement in Football's Future

Cafu has never been shy about responsibility on a football pitch. Now, in retirement, he says the game is finally giving that responsibility back to the players.

In a message on social media, the Brazil legend highlighted what he sees as a fundamental shift in how football is run: players and former players are no longer just faces for campaigns, but active participants in the sport’s decision-making.

“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.”

That “place at the table” is not, he stressed, a ceremonial seat. The days of ex-stars being wheeled out as ambassadors and then quietly sidelined belong to another era. Cafu underlined that the experience gathered over hundreds of games at the highest level is now feeding directly into sporting policy.

He described a relationship in which the group of former players feels genuinely respected by football’s central authority, with their ideas helping to shape the sport’s direction.

“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.

From there, Cafu widened the lens. This is not just about boardrooms and committees; it is about football’s power beyond the white lines.

“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. The commitment, as he framed it, is ongoing: former players standing ready to “support the great progress that our sport has experienced in the past decade, ensuring that it continues to reach and benefit people in all the countries where football is played around the world.”

The message was clear: this is not a one-off consultation, but a long-term partnership. The working groups that have been set up will stay active, continuing to influence future regulations and development projects from inside the system rather than shouting from the sidelines.

The ambition is expansive. Cafu spoke of guaranteeing that football’s growth touches every corner of the globe, with the voices of those who played the game at its peak helping to steer that journey. For him and his peers, the task now is simple and enormous at the same time: make sure the world’s most popular sport truly reaches everyone it can.