May 2 – In a move that seems likely to fuel increasingly fraught relations between FIFA and UEFA, Europe’s leading federations have reportedly been offered up to $75 million every two years under plans by Gianni Infantino for a new global league, part of his ambitious proposed $25 billion overhaul of world football.
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson
May 1 – Gianni Infantino’s grandiose plan to radically change the landscape of world football kicked into gear Monday when FIFA hosted initial talks with confederation leaders over investment proposals for two new competitions worth an estimated $25 billion.
By David Owen
May 1 – Spare a thought for FIFA Congress delegates whose efforts to collect the $250 per diems to which they are entitled at this year’s event in Moscow may be complicated by pesky “Russian legislation”.
May 1 – FIFA have named the 13 video assistant referees who could become heroes or villains with their decision making at next month’s World Cup in Russia.
April 30 – Former Brazilian FA (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero, who had his suspension turned into a life ban for bribery and corruption by FIFA’s ethics committee last Friday, says he will appeal against the verdict even though it wouldn’t appear he has much chance of clearing his name.
April 27 – Former Brazilian FA (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero, already suspended by FIFA’s Ethics committee last December, has had that suspension turned into a life ban from all football-related activities at both national and international level.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – Just six days after apparently being reported to FIFA’s ethics committee for an alleged conflict of interest relating to Morocco’s 2026 World Cup bid, FIFA number two Fatma Samoura has been told she has no case to answer, fuelling speculation of a botched behind-the-scenes plot to have the Moroccans thrown out of the process.
April 24 – In a major geo-political snub to neighbouring Russia, Ukraine’s football federation (FFU) has announced it is boycotting the FIFA Congress in Moscow in June.
April 26 – FIFA has expanded its digital media footprint in China with the launch of an official FIFA WeChat account and a microsite in Mandarin, FIFAofficial.cn, in advance of its showpiece World Cup in Russia.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Fresh suspicions that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may be behind an alleged plot to exclude Morocco from the 2026 World Cup vote have provoked a furious response from the North African underdogs as tensions escalate ahead of the ballot in June.
By Paul Nicholson
April 25 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has summoned the FIFA Bureau to Zurich at short notice to discuss issues arising from the Bogota, Colombia, FIFA Council meeting where he infamously tabled the $25 billion offer for the Club World Cup and Nations League competitions.
By Paul Nicholson
April 24 – Detail is starting to emerge on FIFA’s proposed $25 billion revamp of its global competitions structure. With FIFA Bureau members heading for Zurich for emergency meetings and FIFA saying it will call an unscheduled FIFA Council meeting before its Congress in June, FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s cards, or at least some of them, are slowly being laid out on the table.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 19 – Amid widespread concern about supporters being left in the dark, FIFA have confirmed that giant screens will be used at World Cup matches for replays of incidents decided by the video assistant referee – accompanied by written explanations.
April 19 – In a move that is viewed in many league and confederation circles as a money-motivated assault on confederation club competition revenues by the FIFA administration, plans are reportedly afoot to ditch the Confederations Cup, the traditional World Cup warm-up tournament, and expand the Club World Cup.
April 19 – In the latest crackdown on third party ownership of players, FIFA have handed out a raft of sanctions to clubs for transfer deals.