Ex-Arsenal boss Wenger was ‘not aware’ of Infantino’s FIFA plan
Summary
FIFA executive Arsene Wenger said he did not know about President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors, a proposal that was later dropped. The plan faced strong opposition from football groups, including UEFA, which sent a legal letter to FIFA about the issue.Key Facts
- Arsene Wenger is FIFA’s chief of global football development and said he only learned of the plan from news reports.
- President Gianni Infantino proposed selling about 20% of a FIFA subsidiary to raise $4.2 billion from investors.
- The plan included creating FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage money-making parts like tournaments and sponsorships.
- Investors were offered stakes based on a $20 billion valuation of FFE.
- One main investor was Thrive Eternal, linked to Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is President Trump’s son-in-law.
- FIFA’s 211 member federations were offered $20 million each and a promise to double their funding through 2030.
- UEFA opposed the plan and sent a legal warning to FIFA, threatening to boycott FIFA events if it went ahead.
- Wenger said his role at FIFA focuses on youth programs, training, and football development, not financial strategies.
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