Arsene Wenger praised Gianni Infantino in February on the tenth anniversary of the FIFA president’s accession, saying the governing body had seen a “huge improvement” in world football under his leadership. The endorsement has taken on new weight as Infantino faces mounting pressure to resign over a plan to privatise the World Cup for £3.1 billion.
“Gianni is always ready to move forward and to create new ideas. He’s open to new ideas,” said Wenger, who has served as FIFA’s chief of global football development since November 2019, 18 months after leaving Arsenal following 22 years in charge.
The ideas in question have generated controversy across a summer that saw the World Cup expanded to 48 teams — and could grow to 64 within four years, with the tournament already spread across six countries. Mandatory hydration breaks were introduced at the tournament, and the halftime show at the final in New Jersey ran long enough to leave both finalists waiting in their dressing rooms for close to half an hour.
Infantino also awarded President Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize during the competition. Meanwhile, the Iran team was relocated to train in Mexico while tensions between the United States and Iran escalated, and Somalian referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US.
The sharpest controversy, however, surrounds the proposal to carve up the World Cup and sell it to private investors for £3.1 billion. Under the plan, FIFA’s 211 member associations would each receive £30 million if they accept the proposal by September 19. The offer has met with widespread resistance, including the threat of a boycott from UEFA.
Wenger, 76, sits within Infantino’s inner circle and would have been among those with knowledge of the plan. Before the World Cup final, he said the new 48-team format had been a success, though he acknowledged that the hydration breaks had not been universally popular.
FIFA attempted to contain the damage on Friday as calls for Infantino to step down grew louder. “Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain,” the organisation said in a statement.
Wenger’s tenure at FIFA has included leading the £160 million FIFA Talent Coach Programme, aimed at developing young players in countries with limited pathways to professional football. He has also headed a taskforce on player welfare addressing concerns about the football calendar, though he has separately proposed staging the World Cup every two years.
Whether Wenger played any direct role in shaping the privatisation proposal remains unclear, but his public silence on the matter has drawn scrutiny.
