Arsene Wenger, Fifa’s chief of global football development, has publicly endorsed Gianni Infantino’s decision to abandon a controversial plan to sell stakes in a World Cup company to private investors, describing the move as “absolutely necessary and beyond question”.
The former Arsenal manager’s statement on Tuesday follows a week of intense scrutiny over Infantino’s proposal to establish Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) and offload a 20 per cent share to private equity firms.
The initiative faced significant opposition, with three continental confederations rejecting it outright, and Uefa going as far as threatening to boycott the World Cup and other Fifa competitions if the plan proceeded.
Wenger, who clarified he had no intention of following senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro in resigning, distanced himself from the FFE scheme. He asserted his belief in Fifa’s role in serving the game with “commitment, transparency, and integrity”.
In his statement, the Frenchman explained: “The recent events at Fifa deserve some clarity from my side ... I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports.
“The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
He also outlined his responsibilities, including overseeing data analysis, online training, youth development through 60 academies, and acting as a technical adviser to Ifab.
Wenger’s intervention comes amid a growing chorus of European football associations withdrawing their support for Infantino.
The Football Association is understood to be writing to Fifa to confirm its change in position, while the Football Association of Wales has already publicly stated its withdrawal of support.
This follows Uefa’s declaration on Saturday, which, while welcoming the FFE plan’s abandonment, stated it had “lost confidence” in Infantino’s leadership.
Concerns also extended to the European Football Clubs (EFC) group, whose members are understood to have contacted Fifa directly. They were worried the FFE plan, intended to cover Club World Cups, would materially impact existing agreements between the EFC and Fifa regarding joint ventures for competition rights.
Currently, Fifa has no agreement in place with the EFC for the staging of the 2029 Club World Cup.
The controversy surrounding Infantino deepened further with Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour stating last Friday that staff at the global governing body had been “deceived” by its president.
