Fifa's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger says the decision to scrap the plan to have private investment in Fifa competitions was "absolutely necessary".

Gianni Infantino brought in Arsene Wenger as Fifa's chief of global football development in 2019 Fifa's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger says scrapping the plan to have private investment in Fifa competitions was "absolutely necessary and beyond question". Fifa president Gianni Infantino planned to create a commercial subsidiary to run its main events, including its World Cups, with external investors able to buy stakes. Infantino had offered Fifa's 211 member associations $40m (£30m) each if they backed the proposal. But after days of criticism - including Uefa's 55 nations threatening to boycott all Fifa tournaments - Infantino was forced to withdraw the plan. Wenger has been in a role which encompasses data analysis of the game, Fifa's online training and youth competitions since 2019. The former Arsenal boss previously supported Infantino's proposal to play the men's World Cup every two years. A week after Infantino's investment plan was first released, the Frenchman issued a statement through Fifa in which he demanded "transparency and integrity" from world football's governing body.