Could Wenger really take on Infantino and run for Fifa presidency?

Arsene Wenger and Gianni Infantino stood alongside one another

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Arsene Wenger joined Fifa as chief of global football development in 2019

ByDan RoanSports editor

Published24 minutes ago

Despite the backlash caused by his failed plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors, Fifa president Gianni Infantino looks increasingly likely to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term next year.

But could there be a sensational twist?

Senior figures within European football have told BBC Sport they want former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to run as a surprise candidate.

But would the man who has been the governing body's head of global development since 2019 really challenge his own boss? And what lies behind the support he has?

On Thursday the Fifa Council will meet for the first time since the emergence of Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme plunged the organisation into crisis, leading to calls from the game's leaders in Europe, North America and Asia for him to step down.

A defiant Infantino will come face to face with some of his fiercest critics at what could be a spicy gathering in Zurich.

Fifa is set to propose a $3.4bn (£2.6bn) increase in the amount of money it hands out for football development. But Infantino will also face scrutiny over governance reforms, FFE, the awarding of the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize last year to US President Donald Trump, and disciplinary procedures in the wake of the Folarin Balogun affair.

But the meeting will also bring into sharp focus the failure so far to identify a unifying figure with the worldwide appeal to challenge Infantino.

While potential rivals like Victor Montagliani, the president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin have let it be known they are not contenders, Infantino has been busy touring the world, shoring up his position.

The growing expectation is that such is the support he retains in his power base of Africa, South America and Oceania, he will be returned, despite only carrying the backing of roughly half of Fifa's 211 members.

To date, the only person to declare their intention to run is the former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega, although few rate his chances.

So could Wenger be the answer?

Here in Zurich, there is no indication that he is plotting a bid. On Wednesday evening Wenger joined Infantino and other Fifa Council members for dinner in a Zurich restaurant. As a senior member of Fifa's management team, he will also be present at Thursday's meeting.

When BBC Sport asked about his intentions via Fifa, no comment was provided.

Meanwhile, those close to the 76 year-old, who left Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years in which he became the most successful manager in the club's history, will not be drawn on whether he is interested.

One told BBC Sport he would be "an ideal candidate, but he is his own man". A high-ranking Fifa official insisted he had no idea if Wenger was tempted.

But what is clear is that he does have supporters, who believe he commands the level of respect beyond Europe that would be essential if the Uefa-led rebellion against Infantino is to have any chance of success.

"He's a brilliant football man who truly understands football development because he's been running it," claimed one senior official at a European national association.

"People don't see him as just a European. He's very respected in Asia, for instance, from his time working in Japan. A lot of people are saying he'd be the ideal candidate. With him, it's not about money, status or ego. He genuinely loves the game.

"He's made a difficult role work and understands Fifa, and that's why he'd be a really good candidate.

"That said, he's in a really difficult position."

That was highlighted amid the fallout over FFE, when Wenger, who has traditionally been loyal to Infantino, distanced himself from the aborted plot.

"I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports," Wenger said in a statement at the time. "The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity."

Some may have expected Wenger to resign over the controversy, given his thinly veiled criticism of Infantino, the way he had been kept in the dark, and the condemnation of the plot from stakeholders across the game. But he has carried on in a role in which he oversees youth development at academies in 60 countries, as well as youth competitions around the world. He is also a technical adviser to rule-making body International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Wenger has caused controversy at times in his Fifa role, notably for proposals such as biennial World Cups, and the idea of a 'daylight' offside law.

But he also has a global profile, including in Africa, where Infantino recently received a major re-election boost when receiving the backing of all 54 member national associations after promising an increase in funding.

Known as a champion of African players when in charge at Arsenal, Wenger's support of an expanded 48-team World Cup in order to drive development in countries beyond the game's traditional powers has been well received in the continent.

Indeed, at the weekend Wenger was in Cape Verde at a Confederation of African Football conference, telling the delegates: "We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible."

Such sentiments would do him no harm if he was to stand for president.

BBC Sport has been told that a large number of Fifa's staff also want Wenger to run, and believe he could change the organisation's image.

Others, however, are more sceptical. One well-connected figure in Fifa circles told BBC Sport that he would be "amazed if Wenger would rise up against the man who appointed him in the first place. Arsene has had some fairly 'out there' ideas. In terms of the administration of the game and the relationships on a political level, in the kind of places you're going to need to corral and command power, I'm not sure he's the man for that."

Another senior European official said: "He has the stature, but I'm not sure he smacks of the future. Maybe he could do a single term to introduce reforms. He is very respected in the game and has done a good job of the development programmes, but whether he'd split from Gianni, I just don't know."

If Wenger does want to run, he has until 18 November to declare his candidacy, and would need to be nominated by at least five national associations.

As a manager, Wenger is remembered as a legendary figure who changed English football with his forward-thinking approach to tactics and nutrition.

Could he attempt a shake-up of a different kind at Fifa? It is an intriguing prospect.