June 22 – South Sudan were forced to withdraw from their Arab Cup qualifier against Jordan due to a number positive Covid-19 tests. FIFA awarded a 3-0 win to Jordan, who will participate in the regional tournament which will serve as a test for World Cup hosts Qatar at the end of the year.
June 22 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has met with Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss the legacy of the 2018 World Cup as well as preparations for the global finals in Qatar next year.
June 20 – World federation FIFA have sanctioned the Mexico football federation (FMF) for the ‘puta’ homophobic chants from supporters during Olympic qualifying matches for the men’s team. As a punishment, Mexicans fans will be banned from El Tri’s first two World Cup qualifiers.
June 18 – The Swiss judiciary are not giving up on trying to get former FIFA president Sepp Blatter to answer proceedings against him.
June 11 – FIFA has officially spread its wings in Europe with the formal opening of an office in Paris. The world federation confirmed the news on Thursday when French president Emmanuel Macron and FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened the Hotel de la Marine where the office will be located.
June 8 – FIFA will open an office in Paris to move a part of its operations out of Zurich. The world governing body is expected to formally announce the new office later this week.
June 4 – FIFA have awarded the TV rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to Optus Sport in the host market Australia, the world federation announced on Thursday.
June 3 – At a UN General Assembly event, FIFA president Gianni Infantino once again presented the global governing body as a reformed organisation, stressing the importance of a transparent transfer market, proper bidding processes and praising the partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
June 2 – The Cayman Islands, whose most infamous footballing figure was disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb, are back in the news with another FIFA sanction that this time round looks like a triumph of FIFA bureaucracy over the realities of getting international football played in the most challenging conditions the world has ever seen.
June 1 – World Cup participants in 2022 will be allowed to use five substitutes per match after football’s rule-making body IFAB extended the right until the end of next year.
By Samindra Kunti
May 28 – Swiss bank Julius Baer has been fined $80 million by the U.S. Department of Justice for its role in FIFAGate, the scandal that rocked world football in 2015.
May 28 – With only one international match played since FIFA last published its rankings, the calendar is about move from famine to feast with an explosion of activity including Gold Cup and Euro 2020 and Copa America, as well as World Cup qualifiers.
May 27 – World federation FIFA has launched a consultation on the future of the game, focusing on the congested match calendar, fan experience and laws of the game.
May 26 – A former secretary general of Conmebol, Eduardo Deluca (pictured), has been fined CHF 5,000 as part of an official Swiss inquiry into money laundering.
May 24 – World governing FIFA has brought the bidding process for the Women’s World Cup into line with the process for the men’s equivalent following an amendment of the organisation’s statutes at Congress that will in future see all member associations vote for the host country.
