Philippe Diallo says Arsène Wenger has the profile for Fifa presidency

Philippe Diallo believes Arsène Wenger could be a contender for the Fifa presidency. Asked about a possible bid by the former Arsenal manager, the president of the French Football Federation said Wenger “ticks a lot of boxes”. In an earlier interview with Ouest-France, he had already supported the idea of Wenger entering the race, saying he had the means to compete with Gianni Infantino.

A head-to-head contest remains hypothetical. Uefa still has to assess the European candidates and put forward a name to face Infantino, the incumbent president who is seeking another term. Diallo said the organisation had already approached several potential candidates and set out the profile it wants. He is now waiting for it to announce its choice by 18 November.

That deadline is drawing closer, and the FFF president made no attempt to disguise the urgency: “Time is pressing,” he acknowledged. Diallo was specifically asked about Wenger, but his support does not amount to an announcement of a candidacy. To explain why the former Arsenal manager could fit the profile, he pointed to Wenger’s standing in football and his international recognition. “He has unquestionable legitimacy in football. He also has international renown, which may be an important factor. So he obviously ticks a lot of boxes to be a candidate,” Diallo said.

The FFF president stressed, however, that those qualities do not settle the matter. A campaign requires a significant commitment, and the choice to take it on belongs to Wenger. He already knows the organisation from the inside: he is Fifa’s director of global football development.

Wenger’s relationship with Infantino offers another piece of context. Last August, he slightly distanced himself from Infantino, notably over a World Cup commercialisation project launched by the Fifa president. Wenger said he had learned about the project through the press and had not been informed beforehand by Fifa. Infantino and Ramon Vega are also among the names mentioned. For now, Uefa has yet to announce the candidate it intends to support, while Wenger remains free to decide whether he wants to enter the race.