{"id":1829,"date":"2026-08-04T11:53:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1829"},"modified":"2026-08-04T11:53:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:53:53","slug":"ex-arsenal-boss-wenger-was-not-aware-of-infantinos-fifa-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1829","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Arsenal boss Wenger was \u2018not aware\u2019 of Infantino\u2019s FIFA plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (3 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Ex-Arsenal%20boss%20Wenger%20was%20%E2%80%98not%20aware%E2%80%99%20of%20Infantino%E2%80%99s%20FIFA%20plan&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fn7ljsd\"><title>x<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row u-hidden--desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Whatsapp\" href=\"\/\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fn7ljsd\"><title>whatsapp-stroke<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row copylink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Copy link\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.news\/n7ljsd\"><title>copylink<\/title><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><title>google<\/title><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><title>info<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-featured__media\">\n<figure class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26216359950953-1785841116.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"FIFA president Gianni Infantino, right, and Arsene Wenger, Chief Officer (FIFA) and former soccer coach\"><\/div><figcaption>FIFA executive Arsene Wenger, left, is vocal on many footballing matters but has only just broken his silence on the World Cup plans by Gianni Infantino, president of football&#8217;s governing body [Martin Meissner\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\"><a class=\"avatar\" aria-hidden=\"true\" href=\"\/author\/kevin-hand\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/PXL_20210627_155635971-1-1696493612.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span><a href=\"\/author\/kevin-hand\">Kevin Hand<\/a> and <!-- -->The Associated Press<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 4 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">4 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p>FIFA executive Arsene Wenger has distanced himself from President Gianni Infantino\u2019s failed plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors and says it was \u201cabsolutely necessary\u201d to drop the proposal.<\/p>\n<p>Wenger\u2019s statement on Tuesday on the controversy came after a preservation letter from UEFA, <a href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/4\/uefa-confirm-legal-letter-served-to-fifa-after-infantino-world-cup-plan\">confirmed to Al Jazeera<\/a> by European football\u2019s governing body, was sent to FIFA, the world governing body.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/3\/fifas-infantino-sought-trump-backing-after-failed-world-cup-stakes-sell-off-plan\">Report: FIFA\u2019s Infantino sought Trump backing after failed World Cup plan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/3\/wales-fa-withdraws-support-for-infantino-re-election-after-fifa-stake-plan\">England set to follow Wales in withdrawing support for FIFA\u2019s Infantino<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/2\/fifa-boss-infantinos-position-looks-unacceptable-head-of-european-league\">\u2018Nobody knew\u2019: European Leagues head on Infantino World Cup commercial plan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 4 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/4\/uefa-confirm-legal-letter-served-to-fifa-after-infantino-world-cup-plan\">UEFA confirms legal letter served to FIFA after Infantino\u2019s World Cup plan<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Upon confirming the legal request was sent, UEFA said it would be making \u201cno further comment at this stage\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press news agency, however, has reported that it has seen a letter from lawyers representing UEFA that has named Wenger, the French coaching great, among 18 executives whose data and communications should be retained as potential evidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,\u201d said Wenger, who was hired by Infantino in 2019 and is FIFA\u2019s chief of global football development.<\/p>\n<p>The statement by the former Arsenal coach did not name Infantino and comes after a weeklong furore across world football.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 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,\u201d Wenger wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Infantino withdrew his $20bn proposal early on Saturday after a furious backlash by global football officials and organisations, including UEFA warning of a boycott of all FIFA games and events.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The plan would have created a subsidiary, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the money-making parts of the nonprofit football body\u2019s work, including organising tournaments like the World Cup and selling broadcasting and sponsorship rights and tickets.<\/p>\n<p>It proposed raising $4.2bn from investors by selling stakes amounting to about 20 percent in FFE, based on an equity valuation of $20bn.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201canchor investor\u201d would have been Thrive Eternal, launched by Joshua Kushner, whose brother, Jared Kushner, is a son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA\u2019s 211 member federations \u2013 already the essential owners of the governing body as a nonprofit association under Swiss law \u2013 were offered $20m each. The deadline to accept was September 19.<\/p>\n<p>They also were promised a doubling of their FIFA funding for the four years through 2030 to $20m instead of the previously announced $10m.<\/p>\n<p>Infantino shared details of the project to FIFA management just one week after the July 19 final of the financially successful World Cup in North America that drove FIFA\u2019s revenues to $15bn for the 2023-2026 commercial cycle, almost double the income tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n<p>Wenger said his FIFA duties were to \u201coversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training centre, the development of youth education through 60 academies across 60 countries where they are most needed, and youth competitions around the world\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (3 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo FIFA executive Arsene Wenger, left, is vocal on many footballing matters but has only just broken his silence on the World Cup plans by Gianni Infantino, president of football&#8217;s governing body [Martin Meissner\/AP] By Kevin Hand [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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