Arsène Wenger and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström have distanced themselves from Gianni Infantino’s failed World Cup investment plan.
Gianni Infantino’s failed attempt to introduce private investment into FIFA competitions continues to create problems for the world football governing body, with some of its most senior officials now publicly distancing themselves from the controversial proposal.
What began as an ambitious plan to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that would oversee the World Cup and other FIFA competitions, has quickly developed into one of the biggest governance crises of Infantino’s presidency.
The proposal, which would have allowed minority private investors to buy stakes in FIFA’s commercial business, was withdrawn after fierce opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.
Now, the fallout has reached FIFA’s own leadership team.
Wenger and FIFA leadership Distance Themselves From Infantino
Former Arsenal manager and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, has publicly stated that he had no involvement in the investment proposal and only became aware of it through media reports.
In a strongly worded statement, Wenger insisted that withdrawing the project was “absolutely necessary and beyond question,” adding that he believes FIFA must remain an independent organisation that operates with transparency, integrity and in the best interests of football.
🗣️ Arsene Wenger statement on Gianni Infantino’s failed FFE plans. “The recent events at FIFA deserve some clarity from my side.
“At FIFA, I am the Chief of Global Football Development.
“Together with my team, I oversee the data analysis of the game, the FIFA online training… pic.twitter.com/cGJxK0OjXY
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 4, 2026
The criticism did not stop there. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, one of Infantino’s closest allies since the Swiss administrator became president in 2016, also acknowledged the damage caused by the controversy.
In an internal message to FIFA staff, Grafström described the past week as “a sad and reproachable series of events” and admitted the organisation had been thrown into turmoil that was “difficult to comprehend and accept.”
His message attempted to reassure employees that the crisis would not derail FIFA’s broader mission, urging staff to remain focused on serving football’s 211 member associations while promising they would be protected from the political fallout.
Exclusive – full internal email sent by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström calling Infantino’s World Cup share plan a “sad and reproachable series of events” – “difficult to comprehend and accept” but “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go” https://t.co/JEpNqJGzuA pic.twitter.com/IP7NeKRwRj
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 4, 2026
Although he did not directly criticise Infantino, the tone of the statement suggested discomfort with how the proposal had been handled.
The comments from Wenger and Grafström follow even sharper criticism from FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who reportedly accused Infantino of misleading staff by pursuing what he described as a “project of one person.” Former senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro has also resigned, calling the investment proposal “a bad deal for football” that would have mortgaged the sport’s future.
With UEFA threatening legal action, several national associations withdrawing support for Infantino’s leadership, and influential figures inside FIFA now publicly distancing themselves from the failed project, pressure on the FIFA president continues to intensify.
While the World Cup sell-off plan has been abandoned, the political consequences are far from over, and attention is now turning to whether Infantino can rebuild trust before the next FIFA presidential election.
