Senior FIFA executives Arsène Wenger and Mattias Grafström have publicly distanced themselves from President Gianni Infantino following the collapse of a controversial $20 billion proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup commercial rights to private investors.

Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, released a statement confirming he was “not involved in this strategic plan” and only learned of the proposal through media reports. The former Arsenal manager described the decision to abandon the project as “absolutely necessary and beyond question,” reinforcing his commitment to an independent governing body operating with transparency and integrity.

Meanwhile, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström addressed employees in an internal memo, describing the past week as a “sad and reproachable series of events”. Grafström assured staff members that the administration would be protected from ongoing political fallout and urged the organization to remain focused on its core mission following the formal cancellation of the project, formally known as FIFA Forward Enterprise.

The public fallout marks a significant blow to Infantino, who scrapped the initiative early Saturday following fierce opposition across global football. European governing body UEFA had threatened a full boycott of FIFA competitions after details emerged of the plan, which sought to raise $4.2 billion by selling a 20% equity stake in commercial revenue streams—including World Cup broadcasting, ticketing, and sponsorship rights—to private investors.