Gianni Infantino left sweating as Arsene Wenger urged to rival FIFA chief for job

There are growing calls for Arsene Wenger to challenge FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he bids to retain his role at the top of football.

Wenger, who has not been involved in management since leaving Arsenal in 2018, has emerged as a surprise threat to Infantino in his bid for re-election. The 57-year-old's stock has plummeted since the World Cup following his controversial plans to sell off stakes in future tournaments.

Infantino has remained defiant in the wake of the backlash to said plans and wants to keep his job, but senior executives, including some from Europe, have been urging Wenger for weeks to put his hand up as the next FIFA president.

The Frenchman, as well as a mystery candidate, are seen as the two men who could apply the most pressure to Infantino, reports The Telegraph. The upcoming week will be crucial with November 18 the deadline for candidates to come forward.

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Should Wenge, who is now FIFA's chief of global football development, opt against running then UEFA, who have publicly called out Infantino, will back Kozo Tashima, the head of the Japan Football Association. Tashima has been on FIFA's ruling committee since 2015 has said his candidacy is “not about winning or losing but about conveying to the world the honest, sound and upright attitude that Japanese football has built”.

The Football Association have stated that they believe Infantino is no longer the right man to lead FIFA.

Wenger publicly condemned Infantino’s controversial World Cup plan, describing its abandonment as “absolutely necessary and beyond question”. The issue is whether the former Arsenal boss, now 77, thinks he would be too old to run for the presidency.

Despite mass criticism, the Caribbean Football Union has confirmed it would endorse Infantino for another term after he visited the region. Support from Qatar and Saudi Arabia is aiding Infantino in his bid to secure the 106 votes he needs to be re-elected.

However the FIFA boss has faced another difficult week after it emerged his presidential office requested VIP treatment for his daughters and their dogs on a personal trip from Miami airport to Qatar. It has raised further questions over his personal conduct and an possible abuse of his position.

Infantino was also under major scrutiny during the World Cup, with the major flashpoint being FIFA's decision to take the unprecedented step of suspending Folarin Balogun's red card after Donald Trump put in a call to Infantino.