Infantino Calls Emergency FIFA Meeting After Wenger Distances Himself From World Cup Investment Plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting of FIFA staff in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, as pressure continues to mount over the governing body’s now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup and other competitions to private investors.

The urgent gathering comes just hours after FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, publicly distanced himself from the controversial proposal, saying he had no involvement in the plan and that withdrawing it had become “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”

Wenger’s remarks are widely seen as one of the strongest signs yet of internal unease within FIFA following days of criticism from football associations, confederations, clubs, governments and supporters around the world.

The investment proposal, which would have placed part of FIFA’s commercial rights into a new entity backed by private investors, sparked an unprecedented backlash. UEFA led the opposition, declaring that “football is not FIFA’s to sell,” while CONCACAF and all 41 of its member associations also unanimously rejected the proposal, citing concerns over transparency, governance and the rushed approval process.

Facing growing resistance, FIFA officially withdrew the proposal earlier this week, prompting UEFA to describe the move as “a victory for the whole game,” while insisting that the governing body still has significant work to do to rebuild trust among its members.

Wenger’s latest statement has further increased scrutiny on Infantino’s leadership. Although he holds one of FIFA’s highest-ranking football positions, Wenger stressed that he neither helped develop nor approve the investment proposal, adding that its withdrawal was the only acceptable outcome under the circumstances.

The emergency meeting in Morocco is expected to address the fallout from the failed proposal, internal governance concerns and FIFA’s next steps after one of the most significant public disputes between the world governing body and several major football confederations in recent years.

The controversy has also raised broader questions about decision-making inside FIFA. Critics argue the proposal was prepared without sufficient consultation with member associations, while supporters of reform are now calling for stronger oversight to ensure similar initiatives cannot be advanced without proper governance procedures.