CONMEBOL has slammed former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger over his criticism of African football development.

Speaking during a recent coaching conference in Germany, Wenger said that if PSG and France star Kylian Mbappe "had been born in Cameroon, he wouldn't have become the striker he is today". Mbappe's father, Wilfried, is originally from the African country.

CONMEBOL said Wenger's comments as FIFA's head of global development go "beyond showing an unusual ignorance about the valuable input of African players in world soccer, and particularly in Europe, show a denigrating twist that hides the effort of footballers and sporting institutions that are not in Europe".

"Just like Africans, we South Americans know first hand that kind of behaviour that comes from the belief that the world begins and ends in Europe."