Wenger: Europe's surprise pick to challenge Infantino for the Fifa presidency

European football is searching for a heavyweight rival to Gianni Infantino, and many eyes have settled on Arsène Wenger. Senior figures at national associations across the continent want the former Arsenal manager to become the surprise candidate who contests the Fifa presidency in next year's election. At 76, the Frenchman carries the kind of international respect that the opposition needs if it is to have any chance of stopping the current president, whose re-election increasingly looks on track.

• Senior European football figures are pushing Wenger as a surprise candidate to challenge Infantino.
• Wenger has served as Fifa's chief of global football development since 2019.
• Despite the crisis over the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, Infantino is on course for a fourth term without a clear challenger.
• Wenger has neither confirmed nor ruled out running for the presidency.
• The deadline to enter the race is 18 November, with the backing of at least five national associations required.

Why Europe sees Wenger as the ideal unifying candidate

Influential voices in European football believe Wenger is the right person to lead the rebellion against Infantino. His 22 years in charge of Arsenal gave him a profile that extends well beyond Europe. In Asia, for example, he is still remembered with respect from his time working in Japan before moving to the Premier League. Supporters argue he is not seen as a purely European candidate, which would be essential for building alliances in other continents.

He's a brilliant football man who truly understands football development because he's been running it.

That view, from a senior official at a European national association, sums up the case being made for the Frenchman. They stress that he would not be driven by money, status or ego, but by a genuine love of the game. His inside knowledge of Fifa also counts in his favour: he has made a difficult role work in turbulent times.

Walking a fine line inside Fifa

The biggest obstacle to a Wenger candidacy is his current position within the organisation. He works closely with Infantino and has traditionally been loyal to the president. The crisis triggered by the failed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme tested that relationship. The Frenchman publicly distanced himself from the project and admitted he only learned about it through media reports.

I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports. The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity.

Many expected him to resign after that barely veiled criticism. Instead, he carried on in a role that takes him to youth academies in 60 countries and youth competitions around the world. He also serves as a technical adviser to the International Football Association Board, the body that sets the laws of the game. His time at Fifa has not been without controversy: proposals such as biennial World Cups and a 'daylight' offside law drew criticism from different corners of the sport.

African backing gives the Frenchman another asset

Africa has become one of Infantino's strongest power bases. All 54 of the continent's national associations have backed him after he promised increased development funding. Even so, Wenger retains significant standing there. During his Arsenal years he was a champion of African players, and his support for an expanded 48-team World Cup to drive growth beyond football's traditional powers has been well received.

At the weekend, Wenger was in Cape Verde for a Confederation of African Football conference. He told delegates: "We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible." Those words would do him no harm if he decided to enter the race.

A wide-open race with no clear challenger yet

The Fifa Council meets on Thursday in Zurich in a tense atmosphere. It is the first gathering since the FFE scandal plunged the organisation into crisis and led leaders from Europe, North America and Asia to call on Infantino to step down. The agenda includes a proposed $3.4bn increase in development funding, but also scrutiny of governance reforms and the decision to award the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to United States President Donald Trump.

The meeting will also highlight the failure so far to find a unifying figure with worldwide appeal to take on Infantino. Potential rivals such as Victor Montagliani, the Concacaf president, and Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin have made clear they will not run. Meanwhile, Infantino has been touring the world shoring up his position, and the expectation is that he retains enough support in Africa, South America and Oceania to be re-elected, even though he carries the active backing of only around half of Fifa's 211 member associations.

The only person to have declared an intention to run is the former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega, and few give him much of a chance. In Zurich there is no indication that Wenger is preparing a bid. On Wednesday evening he joined Infantino and other Fifa Council members for dinner, and he will be at Thursday's meeting as part of the management team. Asked about his intentions through Fifa, no comment was offered. Those close to the former Arsenal boss avoid saying whether he is interested. One described him as "an ideal candidate, but he is his own man".

What Wenger would need to do to enter the race

Time is short. If Wenger wants to stand, he has until 18 November to declare his candidacy and would need nomination by at least five national associations. That is not a difficult hurdle for someone with his network, but the real question is whether he is prepared to break from Infantino and embrace a political fight that some believe does not suit him. One well-connected figure in Fifa circles is sceptical: "I would be amazed if Wenger would rise up against the man who appointed him. Arsene has had some fairly out-there ideas, and I'm not sure he's the man to corral power in football's political corridors." Another senior European official added nuance: "He has the stature, but I'm not sure he smacks of the future. Maybe he could do a single term to introduce reforms. He is very respected and has done a good job with the development programmes, but whether he'd split from Gianni, I just don't know."

As a manager, Wenger is remembered as a legendary figure who changed English football with his forward-thinking approach to tactics and nutrition. Whether he could now attempt a shake-up of a very different kind at Fifa remains an intriguing prospect.