Arsene Wenger not expected to challenge Gianni Infantino for Fifa presidency

Arsene Wenger has ruled out contesting for the Fifa presidency, providing a boost for incumbent Gianni Infantino. The former Arsenal manager was considered a potential rival to Infantino, who has faced criticism from European football’s governing body, Uefa, over plans to seek private investment in a World Cup company. Uefa announced in August that they would identify a credible candidate to challenge Infantino, with Wenger being encouraged to do so.

However, Wenger informed Uefa that he will not stand against Infantino. A senior European football figure suggested Wenger would be the only person capable of beating Infantino and prioritizing football. Wenger, despite being European, has served as Fifa’s chief of global football development since 2019 and is highly respected in the football world due to his successful careers in France, Japan, and Africa.

This decision by Wenger could solidify Infantino's position as president, despite the fallout from the controversial plan to create Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company aimed at managing Fifa’s commercial interests. The proposal for FFE, led by a private investor group, faced rejection from Uefa, along with the Asian confederation and Concacaf.

Infantino, who has been working with Wenger at Fifa since November 2019, has gained support from the Confederation of African Football, while the Asian confederation has reversed its stance and will now back his re-election as president ahead of the Fifa Congress next March.