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Wenger and Infantino’s No 2 Grafström criticise ‘sad and reproachable’ World Cup plan

The Guardian UK Tuesday 04 August 2026, 11:36 UTC By Nick Ames 1 min read
Key Points

Senior Fifa duo pile pressure on under-fire presidentWenger reveals he knew nothing about investment planGianni Infantino’s authority was dealt a further blow after his No 2, the Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström, called the failed World Cup private investment plan a “sad and reproachable series of events”. In further evidence that senior Fifa personnel continue to distance themselves from Infantino and his botched scheme, Arsène Wenger issued a statement on Tuesday morning saying the...

  • Senior Fifa duo pile pressure on under-fire president

  • Wenger reveals he knew nothing about investment plan

Gianni Infantino’s authority was dealt a further blow after his No 2, the Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström, called the failed World Cup private investment plan a “sad and reproachable series of events”.

In further evidence that senior Fifa personnel continue to distance themselves from Infantino and his botched scheme, Arsène Wenger issued a statement on Tuesday morning saying the project’s withdrawal was “absolutely necessary and beyond question”. The former Arsenal manager is Fifa’s chief of global development and had publicly been silent about the crisis unfolding in world football.

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Wenger (ORG) Infantino (ORG) Grafström (ORG) World Cup (EVENT) Fifa (ORG) Mattias Grafström (PERSON) reproachable (PERSON) Arsène Wenger (PERSON) Arsenal (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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