FIFA confirms Saudi Arabia's tourism board will not be a sponsor for Women's World Cup
The decision not to make Saudi Arabia's Visit Saudi a key sponsor of the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has been welcomed by human rights and football organisations after concerns were raised about the country's human rights record and oppression of women and LGBTQ+ people.
While discussions over a possible commercial partnership between FIFA and Visit Saudi had taken place, no contract was ultimately signed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged the talks at the annual congress in Rwanda but said "these discussions didn't lead to a contract.
" Australia and New Zealand, the hosts of the event, had written to FIFA protesting against any such commercial partnership.
FIFA President Calls for Equal Pay for Men’s and Women’s World Cups
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced plans for equal prize money for both the men's and women's World Cup in 2026 and 2027.
He called upon broadcasters to pay more for the rights to the women's finals.
The prize money for the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is $152m, a considerable increase from previous years.
However, Infantino plans to broaden the prize pool to pay the players as well, with some of the $110m in pure prize money going towards the teams.
Gianni Infantino re-elected as FIFA President for a third term
Gianni Infantino, a Swiss lawyer, has been re-elected as the President of FIFA for a third term, which will last four years.
The election that took place in Kigali saw Infantino run unopposed and be confirmed in office through acclamation.
Despite opposition to him from some member federations and controversies, including the treatment of migrant workers and his failed plan to host the World Cup every two years, Infantino is set to oversee multiple World Cups as well as huge increases in FIFA revenues.
FIFA Confirms Expanded World Cup Format for 2026
FIFA has confirmed an expansion of the men's World Cup in 2026, to include 48 teams and 104 matches.
The United States, Canada and Mexico will jointly host the tournament, which will consist of 12 groups of four in the opening round.
The final is scheduled to be held on 19 July.
The format had previously been proposed with 16 groups of three.
Women's World Cup contenders in disarray as France, Canada and Spain face crises
Three leading teams in the upcoming Women's World Cup, France, Canada and Spain, are facing major issues.
France captain, Wendie Renard, withdrew from the national team to focus on her mental health.
Canada's Olympic champions were fighting with their governing body over equal pay.
Spain is grappling with a split between players, leading to 15 players being excluded from selection.
French football federation president Noël Le Graët resigns amidst allegations of harassment
Noël Le Graët, the president of the French Football Federation, has resigned from his role after a legal investigation into alleged sexual and moral harassment and a report commissioned by the sports ministry.
A government audit found that Le Graët no longer had the necessary legitimacy to lead and represent French football due to his behaviour toward women and his management style.
The 81-year-old Le Graët had already stepped away from his duties until the audit's findings were reviewed by the federation's executive committee.
He submitted his resignation to a meeting of the executive committee which was accepted.
Le Graët has denied any wrongdoing and several members of the FFF have said that he will continue his role with world governing body FIFA.
Brazil mourns football legend Pele as thousands pay respects at stadium
Thousands of Brazilians are honouring the late, legendary football player Pele in a 24-hour public wake at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium in Santos, his former football club.
After a private funeral for family members, Pele will be buried at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery.
Fireworks and a heavy police escort greeted Pele's hearse as it left the hospital in São Paulo where he died on December 29 due to complications from colon cancer.
The Brazilian government declared three days of national mourning after Pelé's death.
FIFA to ask every country to name a stadium after footballer Pele
FIFA plans to commemorate the late football legend Pele by asking every country in the world to name a stadium after him.
Pele died on December 29, 2021, after a battle with cancer.
His coffin was placed inside the Vila Belmiro stadium, the home ground of the club where he spent most of his career, on Monday, as fans paid their respects.
Fifa investigates ‘Salt Bae’ and others’ unauthorised access to the World Cup final pitch
FIFA is investigating how celebrities, including chef Nusret Gokce, known as Salt Bae, were able to access the pitch after the World Cup Final in Qatar.
Salt Bae, the Turkish chef and social media personality, was seen holding and kissing the World Cup trophy and attempting to take photographs with Argentina players after their win against France.
FIFA rules specify that only a select few individuals, including tournament winners and heads of state, can hold the trophy.
Several news outlets report on the incident, highlighting ethical boundaries as Gokce is known to be close to FIFA officials.
Reflections on Qatar 2022 and Expectations for 2026
The article discusses the recently concluded Qatar 2022 tournament and reflects on its successes and shortcomings.
It commends the quality of football played and highlights Argentina's well-deserved victory in the final against France.
However, it also notes various issues such as the extreme heat that players and fans had to endure, the accessibility challenges for disabled fans, and the country's human rights record.
Looking ahead to the next world cup in 2026, the author urges organizers to use Qatar as a learning opportunity and prioritize the welfare of all stakeholders.
Infantino calls Qatar 2022 'the best World Cup ever' while ignoring migrant worker compensation
The articles discuss FIFA President Gianni Infantino's statements made during the closing stage of the FIFA World Cup held in Qatar in 2022.
He referred to the event as the "best World Cup ever," while avoiding the issue of compensating migrant workers.
The sources present different angles about the World Cup in Qatar, with one criticising Infantino's comments and the other discussing the success of the tournament.
Fifa discusses men’s World Cup every three years
The idea of a triennial men's World Cup is being reconsidered by Fifa officials, following the abandonment of plans for a biennial tournament.
The shift to a triennial event would require a significant overhaul of the global fixtures calendar.
The proposal is seen by some as reflecting Fifa President Gianni Infantino's desire to host the tournament more frequently.
Although it remains hypothetical, the concept is supported by some African and Asian nations, potentially increasing its chances of being realised if other stakeholders join in.
Tite steps down as Brazil coach, Kylian Mbappé’s incredible talent
The articles cover two different aspects of the world of sports.
The first one reports that Tite will step down as the Brazil coach after six years in charge.
The second one focuses on Kylian Mbappé's unique talent as a football player.
FIFA President hails Qatar World Cup group stage as "the best ever"
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup as the "best ever" due to the number of upsets and the representation of different continents in the last 16.
Matches were played in beautiful stadiums and received a television audience of over 2 billion viewers.
Various teams caused major upsets, with the likes of Saudi Arabia and Japan beating Argentina, Spain, and Germany.
FIFA Told Teams to Focus on Football, not Politics at the World Cup
FIFA officials urged teams to "let football take center stage" in a letter sent out weeks before the highly scrutinised World Cup in Qatar.
However, fans from around the world have a different idea of what they want to see on the "center stage" amid concerns surrounding the host nation's human rights record and its stance on LGBTQ issues.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a one-hour speech on the eve of the opening match, defending the host nation, which drew criticism from those who condemned Qatar's treatment of migrant workers.
English fans' culture changing to be more diverse and welcoming
The Guardian reported on how English fans' culture has been changing as Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup qualifying matches.
The report highlights that more faces looking diverse were seen among the England supporters, which shows how the fan culture is becoming more welcoming.
Mixed reactions as FIFA prohibits rainbow wristbands display
FIFA has come under fire for prohibiting the display of OneLove anti-discrimination rainbow armbands in the World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
Players and fans alike from seven European nations, including England and Germany, were due to wear the armbands during the tournament to support the LGBTQ+ community.
The article collates multiple reactions to the incident including Germany's symbolic protest against FIFA and England's captain, Harry Kane, risking further punishment beyond a yellow card for wearing the armband.
BBC failed to speak up on Russia's human rights record at 2018 World Cup - Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker, the BBC's prominent soccer commentator, has stated that the BBC should have spoken out more about human rights issues when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, accusing the event of "sportwashing".
Lineker, who is leading the BBC's coverage of this year's World Cup in Qatar, said that the presenters had not properly reported on Russia's record outside of soccer, which made him "feel slightly uncomfortable".
Mr. Putin's annexation of Crimea and human rights were issues that required being talked about.
In 2014, Russia seized Ukrainian territory in Crimea and was condemned globally, yet called to host the 2018 World Cup.
Germany's players cover their mouths in World Cup photo protest
During Germany's opening World Cup match against Japan, the team covered their mouths with their right hand in their team photo.
This is seen as a rebuke of FIFA's warning that players would be punished if they wore armbands to protest discrimination in Qatar.
The armbands were to be worn as a symbol for inclusion and diversity in response to Qatar's human rights record and laws criminalizing homosexuality.
The seven European federations, including Germany's, had planned to wear the armbands.
Morgan Freeman Opens Controversial Qatar World Cup
The Qatar World Cup was officially opened by Hollywood actor, Morgan Freeman, who narrated the opening ceremony at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.
The ceremony was a mix of culture and entertainment featuring men dancing with swords, camels and a parade of World Cup mascots.
BTS superstar Jung Kook and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi performed the official World Cup soundtrack, 'Dreamers.
' However, controversy still plagues the event owing to the country's human rights record.
Qatar World Cup boosts FIFA's revenue by over $1bn
FIFA has revealed a record revenue of $7.5bn generated by the four-year cycle of the Qatar World Cup, surpassing the $6.4bn generated by the previous cycle in Russia.
The increase was attributed to deals with sponsors such as Qatar Energy, QNB, Ooredoo, and crypto.
com, as well as reduced costs due to the tournament's compact nature.
The revenue boost was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to over 200 national associations.
FIFA President criticised for comments on Qatar
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino has come under criticism for defending Qatar's human rights record in relation to the treatment of migrant workers and the rights of LGBTQ+ people during a press conference on the eve of the World Cup opening match.
He stated that Europe should apologise for its own record and moral failings before criticising Qatar.
Infantino was also criticised for declaring "today I feel gay" and "today I feel (like) a migrant worker", using his own experiences with discrimination to try and show solidarity with marginalised groups.
FIFA President's Controversial Speech Ahead of 2022 World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has started amidst controversy over Qatar's human rights record and treatment of migrant workers.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered an hour-long speech on the eve of the tournament's start, drawing condemnation from human rights groups for accusing Western critics of Qatar's human rights record of hypocrisy.
He also made tone-deaf comments about minority groups and criticised media coverage of Qatar's issues.
Infantino's speech was described as "crass" and an "insult" by some sources, while others described it as an "extraordinary monologue" or "explosive tirade".
Eric Dier expresses disappointment with off-field issues overshadowing World Cup
Eric Dier, the England defender, has expressed his disappointment regarding the treatment of migrant workers and human rights issues in Qatar and how they have dampened excitement for the World Cup.
The government of Qatar has faced intense criticism regarding its labour system and its treatment of migrant workers, with allegations made by various human rights groups.
Although Qatar denies these allegations, worker deaths linked to World Cup projects in the country make it impossible to focus solely on the football tournament.
Beer sales ban in Qatari World Cup stadiums
Fans attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will no longer be able to purchase alcohol within stadium perimeters following a last-minute U-turn from FIFA, who had previously announced Budweiser as the official beer sponsor.
However, fans can still partake in alcoholic beverages in the FIFA Fan Festival or at stadium hospitality areas.
The ban has raised questions over who is really in charge and leaked reports suggest that Qatar's royal family may have influenced the decision.
Chris, a 34-year-old British football supporter, expressed his disappointment but was understanding of the decision.