Arsene Wenger Reveals Why He Joined FIFA and Infantino’s Support in Football’s Global Development

Rabat—On February 26, FIFA will celebrate 10 years of leadership under Gianni Infantino. Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger recently shared the core mission that convinced him to join world football’s governing body: expanding opportunity, investing in youth development, and ensuring every nation has the tools to compete and grow.

Since becoming FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development in 2019, Wenger has played a central role in creating programs designed to reduce inequality in football. His work aligns with Infantino’s broader strategy to democratize access to the game and strengthen development across all continents.

“We wanted to show the countries a chance to reach their potential,” Wenger said. “We want to give every child a chance to play the game. A lot has been done to help countries.”

Building academies and expanding access worldwide

A cornerstone of FIFA’s development strategy under Infantino has been the creation of structured pathways for young players, especially in emerging football nations. For Wenger, it’s of the utmost importance to expand access through both competition and education.

“We have a festival we want to create for the whole world where you don’t have to qualify, just the chance to play. So all countries will participate,” he explained.

Central to that ambition is FIFA’s academy project, which aims to establish elite training environments across the globe.

“Our objective is to create 100 academies in 100 different countries that show you how big the impact will be worldwide,” Wenger said. “It will change the world. And I’m convinced that under-17 and under-15 World Cup every year will change football in the world.”

These initiatives will allow countries with fewer resources to build competitive structures from the grassroots level. Beyond infrastructure, education is also a pillar of sustainable progress for the former Arsenal manager.

“We want to get every country to reach its potential, and for that there is still a lot of work to do on the education of football,” he added.

Infantino is conscious that ‘all countries deserve a chance,’ Wenger says

Wenger credited Infantino’s leadership and openness to innovation as decisive factors in both his decision to join FIFA and the implementation of major development programs.

“Gianni is somebody who wants to move forward and is always open to new ideas,” Wenger said. “And I’m grateful that he was a huge supporter of my suggestions to educate the players in academies to give all the countries a chance.”

“He’s conscious that all the countries deserve a chance and he has helped me to get the funds warranted by all the federations to support this program,” Wenger added.

That support has allowed FIFA to accelerate investment in development structures worldwide, reinforcing Infantino’s emphasis on inclusivity and global competitive balance.

“I must say, he’s been a huge support in the development program,” Wenger said. “So overall he’s always keen to move things forward.”

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