FIFA

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says he won't run against FIFA President Gianni Infantino but warned the beleaguered head of world soccer that he must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March. Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down over his plan, now aborted, to sell stakes in soccer's biggest tournament, the World Cup, to private equity investors. Three of the sport's continental confederations accused him of "deception" and European soccer body UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions. "One option is that he realizes that he doesn't have the support, and that's not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches," Ceferin said in an interview with "The Rest is Politics: Leading" British podcast which is set to be broadcast Monday. "And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in th

Trump's intervention comes after Infantino faced widespread criticism over a controversial proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup and Club World Cup revenues to private investors.

UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC believe that FIFA president Gianni Infantino's recent plan to sell an interest in the World Cup was a "fundamental breach of trust" with the institutions world soccer's governing body serves. In an "open letter to the football family" revealed on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that "when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned." UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF does the same for North, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC governs the sport in Asia. The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and three general secretaries. "Football is the world's greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution ...

FIFA has issued a statement defending its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it calls a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine his leadership of the organization. The statement was released Saturday, a day after a report by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph raising questions about an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European soccer's governing body. UEFA confirmed that a "departure payment" was made to the employee and said it was "in line" with regulations at the time. Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president. In the statement Saturday, FIFA accused Infantino's critics of trying to weaken his authority and remove him from office without due process. "It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president," the FIFA statement said. "Those who do not have the support of FIFA's member associations should

FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and that senior staff in attendance at a crisis meeting in Morocco "reaffirmed their full support" for his presidency. World soccer's governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino's controversial plans, with calls for him to step down. In a statement, FIFA said Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and members of the management board in attendance in Rabat had given their support to the embattled president. Referring to the plans to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the statement said "mistakes made were acknowledged" and that the "process should have been handled differently." FIFA said a letter had been sent to FIFA Council and member associations apologizing for errors and committed to "ensure they do not happen again." Grafstrom's stated support was notable a

After the failed European Super League, JPMorgan is once again facing scrutiny for its role in a controversial Fifa investment proposal that triggered boycott threats and criticism

Fifa President Infantino scrapped plans for a commercial entity to attract private investment in World Cup media rights after strong opposition from UEFA, Concacaf and Asian Football Confederation

The global governing body led by Gianni Infantino plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and other FIFA events, offering stakes of up to 20% to external ‌investors

The two nonprofit organizations have long had an uneasy relationship, exacerbated recently as Fifa encroached on UEFA's turf

Foreign tourists accounted for about 40% of the 7.5 million total trips to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey between June 8 and July 12, with the rest made up of domestic travelers

For a sportswear and sneaker company like Nike, having its teams fall short of the final means missing out on the windfall generated by fans splurging on merchandise

More than 15 million people filled stadiums and fan festival areas combined during the length of the tournament, the biggest World Cup by attendance

Schools and colleges in Kerala, Manipur and Meghalaya will remain closed today after authorities declared a holiday to allow students to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain

Kerala has declared a holiday for schools and colleges on July 20, allowing students to stay up and watch the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain

Delhi has allowed eateries to remain open till 4 am this weekend for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, while Bengaluru has extended food service hours and West Bengal has organised live screenings

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will attend Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey with US President Donald Trump, amid strained regional ties

Fifa will not shift Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina despite wildfire smoke affecting the New York area, with officials expecting air quality to improve before kick-off

Designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy symbolises struggle, victory and fan jubilation, and remains football's ultimate prize

As several scholars have written, a symbol has language. But a symbol also has multivale¬n¬ce. It can mean many things at the same time

Soccer leaders questioned the World Cup' s integrity on a chaotic and unprecedented day in the event's modern history Monday. The furor centered on a phone call that President Donald Trump made last week to FIFA head Gianni Infantino to make the case that U.S. striker Folarin Balogun should not have been suspended for matchup with Belgium because of a red card in a game last week. FIFA lifted the suspension and cleared Balogun to play. The decision appeared to be the first time since 1962 that punishment for a World Cup offense was suspended in the tournament, increasing scrutiny on Infantino's control of FIFA and his close association with Trump. European soccer body UEFA said FIFA "crossed a red line" and called Sunday's decision by FIFA's disciplinary committee "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable." Infantino denied having a role in the decision. Trump called it a "horrible" call and took credit for getting FIFA to review the foul, but said he did not demand an ...