Sportsupdated 2h ago3 min read
Arsene Wenger Emerges as Surprise Candidate Against FIFA President Gianni Infantino
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Arsène Wenger identified as potential candidate to challenge Infantino. Wenger, Kang, and Klaveness identified as potential candidates for the March 2027 FIFA presidential election.
Wenger floated for FIFA
FIFA president Gianni Infantino looks set to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term next year, but European football figures have told BBC Sport they want former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to run as a surprise candidate. The FIFA Council is set to meet in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme plunged the organisation into crisis, and BBC Sport says the meeting will bring scrutiny over governance reforms and disciplinary procedures in the wake of the Folarin Balogun affair. BBC Sport reports that Infantino will face critics at the gathering in Zurich, while the growing expectation is that he will be returned despite only carrying the backing of roughly half of Fifa's 211 members.
BBC Sport says the only person to declare their intention to run is the former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega, and it adds that there is no indication that Wenger is plotting a bid in Zurich. Wenger’s supporters point to his role in FIFA’s global football development since 2019, and a former Uefa and Fifa executive, Alex Phillips, told the BBC that “He isn't a football politician, but it would bring football and integrity to the leadership of Fifa”.
Backers, rivals, and silence
A European executive told RMC Sport that Wenger is “the ideal man for the post,” and the executive said Wenger “knows the file, the organization and its possible development axes.” A prominent insider in football’s circles said, “I find this idea absurd,” and the insider added that Wenger “has been Infantino’s greatest supporter for many years; he strongly defended the World Cup every two years.” BBC Sport says Wenger joined Infantino and other FIFA Council members for dinner in a Zurich restaurant on Wednesday evening, and it reports that when BBC Sport asked about his intentions via Fifa, no comment was provided.
BBC Sport reports that one person close to Wenger said he would be “an ideal candidate, but he is his own man,” while another senior official at a European national association told the BBC that Wenger “truly understands football development because he's been running it.” Wenger distanced himself from the aborted FFE plot, saying in a statement, “I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports,” and he said the decision to withdraw was “absolutely necessary and beyond question”.
Election rules and timelines
The FIFA Council risks being eventful this Thursday, with reunions between Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin, and the political backdrop is framed as preparation for the March 2027 congress in Rabat, Morocco. Candidates opposed to Infantino have until November 18 at 23:59 CET to declare their candidacy, with the backing of five FIFA member associations. Wenger, 76, has been a respected figure at FIFA since 2019, and Kang, 67, owns women’s football clubs including OL Lyonnes, London City Lionesses, and Washington Spirit.
Lise Klaveness has openly opposed Infantino since her election as president of the Norwegian Football Federation in 2022, and she called for the abolition of the FIFA Peace Prize in April 2026. Le Quotidien.sn frames the stakes as Infantino’s re-election being threatened by Wenger, and it says the election is scheduled for March 18, 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, while it describes Wenger’s candidacy as explored “by Infantino’s opponents” rather than agreed.