Wenger distances himself from Infantino, says he was unaware of FIFA plan to sell stakes

Published Aug 4, 12:59 PM UTC

Arsène Wenger, FIFA's Director of Global Football Development, has publicly distanced himself from Gianni Infantino, claiming he was not involved in and only learned through media reports about the highly controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA's premium products to private investors. The plan, which would have created a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise valued at $20 billion, has been dropped. Wenger's statement follows his name appearing in a UEFA letter demanding FIFA secure executive communications as potential evidence. Infantino's secretary general, Mattias Grafström, also distanced himself, calling recent events 'sad and reprehensible.' Meanwhile, former FIFA president Joseph Blatter has proposed Norwegian federation chief Lise Klaveness as a candidate to replace Infantino, who faces a re-election bid in March 2026. Other potential successors include UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Concacaf's Victor Montagliani, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

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