FIFA’s chief of global Football development, Arsene Wenger is leading the global body’s biggest ever audit into the future of football.

Wenger is engaging with all 211 national associations to seek their opinion on how to improve grassroots football and the progression into professional football.
Wenger said: ‘Amateur football is a crucial foundational aspect of global football development. A strong amateur football system ensures that anybody wanting to play football has the opportunity to do so at any level, allowing all aspects of the game to flourish in that country.

‘The FIFA Amateur Football Programme, which is closely linked to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, is part of our commitment to develop the base layers of the football pyramid, whilst providing all of our Member Associations with growth opportunities from a global perspective.’

The results from FIFA’s Amateur Football Programme survey will help Wenger compile a thorough report and tie into the governing body’s Talent Development Scheme to help more players make a career in football.

Wenger’s high-profile role with FIFA saw him support a new-look global calendar, with a view to holding the World Cup every two years, Wenger has completed extensive research into automated technology to be used in refereeing decisions and other innovations.
Some of his work included a study into the feasibility of holding the World Cup every two years.