FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger wants African nation to win World Cup

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Africa has made significant progress in football and is capable of taking another major step by producing the continent’s first-ever FIFA World Cup winner.

Wenger, who currently serves as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has expressed confidence in Africa’s growing football potential, insisting that the continent has the quality and numbers to compete for the biggest prize in world football.

The Frenchman acknowledged the progress made by African football over the years but stressed that the next objective should be to see a national team from the continent lift the World Cup trophy.

“Africa has made a fantastic step forward. There is still another step to make. We want to see an African team WIN the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible!” Wenger said, as quoted by CAF Online.

Africa has steadily strengthened its presence on the global stage, with several national teams establishing themselves as competitive forces at major international tournaments.

Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar remains a landmark achievement, making the North African nation the first African team to reach the last four of the competition.

Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and other African nations have also produced memorable performances at previous World Cups, demonstrating the continent’s ability to challenge some of the world’s most established football powers.

However, no African country has yet progressed beyond the semi-final stage, leaving the prospect of winning the tournament as one of the continent’s biggest ambitions.

Wenger’s comments underline the need for Africa to build on its existing progress and translate its footballing talent into sustained success at the highest level. Developing young players, improving coaching standards, strengthening domestic competitions and providing better pathways for talent are among the areas that could help African nations close the gap on the traditional World Cup contenders.

The expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature more teams than any previous edition, also offers African nations a bigger platform to showcase their quality against the world’s best.

For Wenger, the ambition goes beyond simply participating and reaching the latter stages of the tournament. He believes an African nation can ultimately go all the way and become world champions.

With the continent continuing to produce talented players who compete at elite clubs around the world, the challenge now is to turn that potential into collective success on football’s biggest stage.