UEFA could back Wenger against Infantino at FIFA
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Umuseke
According to the BBC, as reported by Umuseke, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, 77, could challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, with possible backing from UEFA. A decision is expected before 18 November 2026, after the contested FIFA Forward Enterprise project was suspended on 4 August 2026.
UEFA, the European football confederation, could back the candidacy of Arsène Wenger, former Arsenal manager, for the FIFA presidency against Gianni Infantino, according to the BBC, as reported by Umuseke. The Frenchman, aged 77, is expected to make his decision this week, ahead of the 18 November 2026 deadline for submitting his application.
To be a candidate, Wenger must be supported by at least five FIFA member national federations and meet the conditions of the electoral regulations. He currently sits on FIFA’s bodies, where he has been responsible for global football development since 2019, and he is expected to leave that post if he enters the race. He has not yet publicly responded to these reports.
The context is marked by the suspension, on 4 August 2026, of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which planned to sell stakes in certain of the federation’s commercial activities, including those linked to the World Cup, to private investors. UEFA had then expressed its concerns. The vote is scheduled for 18 March 2027 at a congress in Rabat, Morocco.
Read also: Arsène Wenger considers challenging Gianni Infantino.
