Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Senegal replaced Tunisia as the highest ranked African national team when the monthly statistics were released by FIFA Thursday. The Senegalese rose from second place on the back of a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory in Equatorial Guinea during November. Tunisia lost …
Read More »Blatter urges investigation of Infantino’s meetings with Swiss prosecutor
Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter called for an investigation into his successor Gianni Infantino, after Switzerland’s Attorney General admitted meeting the current boss of world football’s governing body. The attorney general, Michael Lauber, told journalists earlier on Wednesday that his meetings with current FIFA boss …
Read More »Infantino tells Qatar it has to host best World Cup ever
Doha, Qatar | AFP | FIFA president Gianni Infantino has warned Qatar that the first World Cup in the Middle East – which begins in four years on November 21 – has to be better than Russia. “The Russian World Cup was the best ever, and the World Cup in …
Read More »FIFA announce increased prize money for women’s World Cup
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | FIFA are to double the prize money on offer at the women’s World Cup in time for next year’s tournament in France, president Gianni Infantino confirmed on Friday. Speaking at the end of a FIFA Council meeting in the Rwandan capital Kigali, Infantino confirmed an …
Read More »FIFA put plans for lucrative new Club World Cup, Nations League on hold
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | FIFA President Gianni Infantino has delayed any decision over his plans for a lucrative new Club World Cup and global Nations League amid widespread opposition, instead setting up a taskforce to further look into the proposals. Speaking at a press conference in the Rwandan capital …
Read More »FIFA chief heading for trouble over pet projects
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to ignite new opposition Friday over his ambition to introduce two money-spinning pet projects — a revamped global club cup and a bold new international championship. Infantino’s Saudi-backed plans, which have already been harshly criticised, are on the agenda …
Read More »Sierra Leone’s African Cup ties against Ghana scrapped
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Sierra Leone’s African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana this week have been scrapped owing to the nation’s unresolved row with FIFA, the Confederation of African Football said Wednesday. Sierra Leone was suspended by FIFA over government interference in football and was given a deadline of …
Read More »COMMENT: Why host the world cup?
All revenue from ticket sales, international broadcasting rights, and sponsorships goes directly to FIFA COMMENT | ANDREW ZIMBALIST | Whom would you trust more, Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel? Whereas Putin is reveling in the attention that Russia is receiving as host of the 2018 World Cup, …
Read More »FIFA boss Infantino plans strategy to win new term
Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA chief Gianni Infantino is busily promoting money-spinning schemes for world football ahead of an expected bid for a second term, including a revamped Club World Cup and a so-called Global Nations League. Infantino faces a re-election vote in June next year, three years after he …
Read More »Trump tells Nigeria, other Africans to back US World Cup bid
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump called on Nigeria and other African countries Monday to endorse the US-Canada-Mexico joint bid for the World Cup in 2026, tying it to US support for them. “I hope all African countries and countries throughout the world, that we also will be …
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