Fifa

FIFA chief Infantino apologises for World Cup row, fails to appease critics

Gianni Infantino gave an apology to the toughest critics who want to oust him as FIFA president but no new details or documents on issues that most concern them at a showdown meeting of the ruling council of soccer's governing body on Thursday. Infantino provided no documents about the $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan he launched and quickly dropped in July. Nor did he give details to explain the Folarin Balogun red-card case at the World Cup or how U.S. President Donald Trump intervened to help the national team forward. FIFA will, however, review whether to continue awarding the peace prize that was created to give to Trump last December. Infantino was pressed by European soccer officials for written evidence about his secretive private equity plan for the World Cup with investor Joshua Kushner, which provoked a global rift and the biggest crisis of his near 11-year presidency. He frustrated them further by asking for written questions, FIFA vice president Debbie Hewitt said

FIFA plans to double development funding; India could receive $25 million

The plan also includes $99 million for each of FIFA's six continental confederations over the same period

UEFA sets criteria for candidate to challenge Infantino and overhaul FIFA

European soccer body UEFA has detailed the kind of FIFA president it wants to replace Gianni Infantino - "a respected and unifying figure, deeply rooted in football." A candidate that "represents FIFA globally and provides leadership without exercising management functions," UEFA said on Thursday after a meeting of its 55 member federations that shaped a strategy to find an opponent for Infantino before a Nov. 18 deadline. Exactly who that candidate could be was not discussed on Thursday, though it will not be UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and potentially also not be European in the search for global votes among 211 FIFA member federations. Ceferin did use the meeting to confirm he will stand for re-election for a fourth and final term. The decision was expected despite Ceferin saying in 2024 he would not be a candidate at the next election, which is scheduled for April 22 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Slovenian lawyer Ceferin has led global efforts by soccer officials since July to o

FIFA leadership battle looms as European football chiefs discuss Infantino

European soccer leaders were gathering Wednesday with time pressing to find a candidate and shape their strategy for trying to oust Gianni Infantino as president of FIFA. UEFA has called its 55 member federations to a previously scheduled summit Thursday in Berlin that arrives in the midst of European efforts to get a new leader for soccer's world body. Infantino's divisive World Cup private investment plan - that failed within days of being revealed in July - pushed UEFA to act on long-standing mistrust of its former employee's increasingly executive presidency at FIFA. UEFA's longer term plans include preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland for possible financial mismanagement in the World Cup sell-off deal, and has asked courts in the United States to authorize discovery of evidence. "Somewhere along the way things went too far with FIFA, and we're looking to put things back where they belong," UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said last ...

Saudi Arabia shelves $2.5 billion Neom Stadium plan for 2034 World Cup

The Neom Stadium was billed as an elevated arena in a glitzy 100-mile (160-km) steel and glass structure known as The Line, in turn part of the broader development known as Neom

FIFA challengers seek $10m grants for federations from post-World Cup funds

FIFA's member federations should each get an extra USD 10 million from its swelling cash reserves after a successful World Cup, the soccer body's vice presidents from Europe and North America said in a letter Friday to its president Gianni Infantino as they step up efforts to oust him for trying to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors. The letter says FIFA should have cash reserves of USD 6 billion after the World Cup and can afford such a "one-off release" - which would total USD 2.1 billion to the 211 federations - UEFA's president Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF's leader Victor Montagliani tell Infantino in a letter seen by The Associated Press. UEFA and CONCACAF want to remove Infantino - either before or at the FIFA presidential election next March - after leading a global backlash in July against his World Cup sell-off plan to investors led by Joshua Kushner. The call for USD 10-million payments to the national federations - who will elect the next president - is

UEFA vs Infantino: How the battle for FIFA's future is escalating

According to media reports, UEFA has launched legal proceedings in the US and Switzerland over Infantino's handling of a controversial proposal to bring private-equity investment into FIFA

What to know about the backlash against Fifa President Gianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino, the increasingly embattled FIFA president, was everywhere in the conversations as European soccer leaders gathered this week in Monaco for the Champions League draw. UEFA, the European soccer confederation, is spearheading the backlash against Infantino over his failed World Cup sell-off plan that created a deep rift in the sport one month ago. Many of its member federations have withdrawn their support for the FIFA leader, who is up for re-election in March 2027, and some have called for his resignation. Infantino has not given any indication he plans to step down. Here's what to know about the growing pushback against the FIFA president. UEFA ramps up the pressure with legal action ============================= On Thursday, UEFA escalated the situation by revealing that it is preparing a possible criminal complaint against the FIFA president in Switzerland where the organization is based for alleged mismanagement. The European soccer confederation filed re

New York City area saw $3.5 billion in economic impact from Fifa World Cup

The global sporting event generated $1.9 billion in direct spending on lodging, restaurants, bars, shopping and transportation in the states

Ceferin says no FIFA challenge but urges Infantino to step down from post

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 warns FIFA of 'terrible mistake' if Gianni Infantino is replaced

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, AFC accuse FIFA of 'breach of trust' over WC plans

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 defends Infantino against allegations tied to his time at UEFA

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

Gianni Infantino gets internal support to stay on as Fifa president

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

JPMorgan at centre of another global football controversy after Fifa deal

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 drops World Cup stake sale plan after backlash from federations

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

Fifa's private equity push opens new front in power struggle with Europe

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

UEFA considering boycott of Fifa events in brewing fued over investment

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

Mexico sees tourism boost as 3 mn foreign visitors attend Fifa World Cup

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

Fifa World Cup final wasn't 'what we dreamed,' says Nike Football chief

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