Wenger Backs Decision to Scrap Infantino’s World Cup Stake Sale Plan

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, has said the decision to scrap federation president Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup was absolutely necessary and beyond question.

The former Arsenal manager, appointed to his FIFA role in 2019, became the latest high profile figure to criticise Infantino’s scheme, which had sought to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private equity investors.

Infantino’s plan, pursued through his FIFA Forward Enterprise, sparked a barrage of criticism and was rejected by three continental confederations, ultimately forcing him to abandon the divisive proposal.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, had threatened to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if Infantino pressed ahead with the stake sale plan, reflecting the scale of opposition within the sport.

Wenger’s comments add further weight to the criticism that ultimately forced FIFA’s climbdown, with football stakeholders broadly welcoming the decision to keep the World Cup’s ownership structure unchanged.

The episode marks a significant setback for Infantino’s broader commercial ambitions for FIFA’s flagship competition, with the federation now expected to explore alternative revenue strategies going forward.