Arsene Wenger rejects UEFA request to challenge Gianni Infantino for FIFA presidency

Arsene Wenger has turned down a request from UEFA to stand against Gianni Infantino in the election for the FIFA presidency.

The 77-year-old Frenchman had emerged as a potential candidate to oppose the incumbent at the election scheduled for March. However, after discussions with senior figures in football, Wenger has decided not to enter the race, according to The Times.

His decision represents a setback for UEFA, which had spent several months searching for a credible challenger to Infantino. The European governing body believed Wenger was among the few figures with sufficient international standing to mount a serious campaign against the FIFA president.

People within FIFA are also understood to have encouraged Wenger not to stand. He ultimately chose not to challenge Infantino, the man who appointed him to his current position.

Wenger has been FIFA’s chief of global football development since 2019. He took up the role after ending a remarkable 22-year spell as Arsenal manager the previous year.

The decision comes amid growing tension between UEFA and Infantino over a proposal to sell commercial stakes in future editions of the World Cup to private investors.

The plan, known as the FIFA Forward Foundation, provoked widespread opposition from football authorities around the world before it was eventually abandoned. Wenger publicly distanced himself from the proposals, saying he had only become aware of them through media reports, and welcomed the decision to drop them.

Infantino, 56, has been FIFA president since 2016 and has secured significant support from football associations in Africa and Asia, strengthening his position ahead of the election.

Japanese football official Kozo Tashima has already announced his intention to challenge Infantino. UEFA can still search for another candidate before the nomination deadline on Wednesday.

Any candidate wishing to stand must secure the backing of at least five national football associations. The election will take place on 18 March in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.

Wenger remains one of the most respected figures in the game after guiding Arsenal to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cup triumphs.

His decision had been viewed by UEFA as a possible route to a closely contested election because of his international reputation and his long career at the top level of football. Without Wenger, the European body must now determine whether another candidate can meet the nomination requirements before Wednesday’s deadline.

Infantino’s support across Africa and Asia means he enters the election with a strong base, while Tashima is currently the only declared candidate known to be seeking to oppose him.