Top FIFA officials Wenger and Grafström distance themselves from Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan

Two senior FIFA executives, Arsène Wenger and Mattias Grafström, have distanced themselves from FIFA president Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors. Wenger stated in a statement that he was unaware of the $20 billion plan and that it was "absolutely necessary" to drop the proposal.

Grafström sent an email to all FIFA staff, calling the last week a "sad and reproachable series of events" and stating that it created "turmoil which is difficult to comprehend and accept." Neither directly named Infantino or offered support for the now-embattled president. The comments by Wenger and Grafström echo the criticism from FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who called the private equity plan the "project of one person" and said it provoked a furor in global soccer.

The three executives are respected figures among the 211 FIFA member federations who now hold sway over Infantino's grip on a presidency that looked unshakeable after the World Cup ended barely two weeks ago.

Brief written by urgent.news from Associated Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.