Arsene Wenger Breaks Silence On Gianni Infantino's Plans To Sell Stakes In FIFA

Published 4 August 2026 · sports

News sports football Arsene Wenger Breaks Silence On Gianni Infantino's Plans To Sell Stakes In FIFA Arsene Wenger Breaks Silence On Gianni Infantino's Plans To

News sports football Arsene Wenger Breaks Silence On Gianni Infantino's Plans To Sell Stakes In FIFA Arsene Wenger Breaks Silence On Gianni Infantino's Plans To Sell Stakes In FIFA Published By, Last Updated: August 04, 2026, 17:25 IST Arsene Wenger called scrapping FIFA's World Cup privatization plan "absolutely necessary." He stated he was not involved in the project, which was Gianni Infantino's idea. Arsene Wenger with AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey (AIFF Media) Arsenal manager and FIFA’s chief of global football development Arsene Wenger has finally spoken on the now-scrapped plan to privatise the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments. In a statement, he said scrapping the plan, the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, was ‘absolutely necessary’.

Wenger was facing the music on social media for his silence on the issue. As someone who was considered a righteous figure in his managerial career, the Frenchman was being regularly called upon to comment on the controversy. Infantino was seeking investments from some businessmen close to US President Donald Trump and, if successful, would have pocketed millions of pounds for himself in the form of a new position. Infantino had even offered FIFA’s 211 member associations $40m each if they backed the proposal and warned of reduced income if they didn’t. Ultimately, he was forced to withdraw it after several countries came together in their outright rejection of the idea. “The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side," Wenger said in a statement.

“At FIFA, I am the Chief of Global Football Development. Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world," he added, reinforcing how he was not involved in the decision. “In addition, I am a technical adviser to IFAB. 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 added.

Wenger fell short of naming Infantino in the statement. The Swiss-Italian administrator is now under pressure to hold onto his job, and is said to be reaching out to Trump and his aides for help. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: August 04, 2026, 17:25 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...