FIFA President Gianni Infantino is currently embroiled in a significant controversy surrounding his ambitious, yet highly contentious, plans to privatize the World Cup. The scheme, which sought to create a new commercial subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) with the intent of selling shares in football’s most prestigious tournament to private investors, has been met with fierce opposition from major confederations and prominent political figures.

The FFE proposal has been unequivocally rejected by UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, signaling a widespread lack of support within the global football community. The backlash has been so severe that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT that Infantino should step down from his role. Adding to the pressure, Infantino’s senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, announced his immediate resignation in protest of the controversial plans. Even after Infantino backed down from the privatization proposal, UEFA has expressed a clear loss of confidence in his leadership.

Wenger’s unwavering support amidst the storm

Amidst this swirling controversy, attention has turned to Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development since 2019. Wenger, who retired from football management in 2018 before joining FIFA, has been a vocal proponent of Infantino’s vision and leadership, particularly concerning the organization’s development initiatives. Wenger and Infantino were notably spotted together during the 2026 World Cup, which concluded on July 19.

Speaking to The Mirror in February 2026, Wenger offered a glowing tribute to the FIFA President, highlighting his commitment to progress. “Gianni is somebody who wants to move forward. He’s always open to new ideas and I’m grateful – he was a huge supporter of my suggestions to educate the players in the academies, in the countries and to develop all the countries,” Wenger stated, adding, “He is conscious that every country deserves a chance and he has helped me to get the funds and to get the funds voted by all the federations to support this programme. And I must say, he has been a huge supporter of the Development Programme so overall he’s always keen to move things forward.”

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A vision for global football development

Wenger’s decision to join FIFA in 2019, three years after Infantino took charge in 2016, stemmed from a desire to impact the sport on a global scale. “I thought the best way to have an influence in the world of football is at global level and I decided to join FIFA, to say yes to their question: ‘Would you like to join us and help us to improve the quality of the game in the world?’ And, it was obvious for me,” he explained to The Mirror. “You see the world has changed. When we go to the tournaments, everybody is excited about developing their potential and overall this is a huge success.”

Under Infantino’s tenure and with Wenger’s involvement, FIFA has pursued several development goals, including:

• Expanding the World Cup to 48 teams.

• Targeting 100 academies in 100 different countries.

• Holding the U-15 and U-17 World Cups annually.

Despite these initiatives and Wenger’s past praise, the current storm over World Cup privatization casts a long shadow over Infantino’s leadership, leaving many to question the future direction of football’s governing body.

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