The key facts

  • Arsène Wenger will not run for FIFA president, The Athletic and The Telegraph report
  • Emmanuel Macron personally urged Wenger to run and tried to assemble a coalition of European leaders in his support
  • Candidate registration closes on 18 November; UEFA says it may put forward another candidate

Wenger will not run against Infantino

Arsène Wenger, the 77-year-old former head coach of London's Arsenal, does not intend to put his name forward for the FIFA presidency. This was reported by The Athletic, citing its own sources, and The Telegraph also writes about it (summary by Kun.uz). According to The Telegraph, the question of Wenger's candidacy was raised even at the state level: French President Emmanuel Macron personally tried to persuade him to take part in the election and sought to form a coalition of European leaders who would back him. However, Wenger, who heads FIFA's department for global football development, decided not to stand against Gianni Infantino — the very president who appointed him.

Why Wenger was the chosen bet

The French specialist was seen as the only candidate capable of competing with the current FIFA head. Infantino's position weakened significantly in the summer after an attempt to sell the commercial rights to world championships to a private structure controlled by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law. At the time, UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF demanded his resignation. Infantino, however, did not leave his post: he rallied FIFA's leadership around himself, held negotiations and ultimately secured the AFC's support.

The opponents have almost no time left

According to The Telegraph, one senior UEFA official said that another candidate could be put forward instead of Wenger: 'We have one more worthy candidate. We will not back down.' But time is running out: candidate registration closes on 18 November, and Infantino's opponents need to agree on a single figure in time. The publications do not indicate that such a candidate has already been chosen — they only report an intention to find one.