By Paul Nicholson
May 13 – FIFA secretary general, Fatma Samoura, in the job for barely a year, has been caught paying over CHF28,000 to a cleaning company for the servicing of her own private living quarters.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 12 – Frustrated and angered by FIFA’s constant delaying tactics, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) is taking their case for a resolution to football’s Middle East crisis to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
May 12 – Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, two-time losing FIFA presidential candidate, has emerged from his relative silence over recent months to denounce the regime of Gianni Infantino in the wake of events at this week’s FIFA Congress in Bahrain.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 11 – After a 48-hour assault on his leadership, Gianni Infantino finally explained the overhaul of FIFA’s top watchdogs today but did little to enhance his desire to be regarded as the standard bearer of democracy and fair play.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 11 – Fifteen months after being elected, under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino, supposedly the new voice of transparency and accountability, took aim at the media today for indulging in “fake news” in its criticism of his leadership.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 11- Football’s long-running Middle East impasse erupted into chaos and confusion today as FIFA decided once again to delay a ruling on Israeli clubs playing in the occupied territories.
May 11 – FIFA’s Congress ratified the decision of the FIFA Council to open up the bidding for the 2026 World Cup and give member associations from CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and the OFC time to express their interest in hosting the tournament. The deadline for submissions is August 17.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 11 – The Greek official controversially selected by FIFA to become the new lead judge of its ethics committee was nominated by UEFA in the latest twist to the biggest story to emerge in the build-up to Thursday’s 211-member Congress.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 10 – Whatever spin Gianni Infantino puts on it – and he has promised to give his side of the story at the end of tomorrow’s full Congress – FIFA’s ousted ethics chiefs insist they were given no notice whatsoever of the decision to remove them from office and that the lack of a transition period will set FIFA’s much-touted reform process back several years.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 10 – FIFA’s entire governance apparatus – or lack of it – has come crashing down after the two men mainly responsible for cleaning up the organisation were ousted from their positions today in what will be regarded by many as the ultimate purge orchestrated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 10 – FIFA have decided to leave open the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup until August, rejecting an attempt by the United States, Canada and Mexico to fast-track their plans.
By Andrew Warshaw, Manama, Bahrain
May 9 – Last-ditch talks aimed at resolving football’s Israeli-Palestinian impasse broke up amid bitterness and acrimony today, a crushing blow for FIFA and its chief Middle East negotiator Tokyo Sexwale, at the end of his mandate.
By Andrew Warshaw in Manama, Bahrain
May 9 – FIFA’s two top officials waded into the Sulley Muntari racism affair today expressing their solidarity with the player but stopping short of a strong condemnation of the under-fire Italian authorities for their initially insensitive approach.
By Paul Nicholson in Manama, Bahrain
May 8 – The heat on the Palestine-Israel dispute was turned up a notch today prior to FIFA’s Congress on Thursday with Asian Football Confederation president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa telling the AFC Congress in his opening remarks that the AFC stood united with Palestine and urged “FIFA to come up with the best solution as soon as possible”.
By Samindra Kunti
May 8 – Brazil were crowned Beach Soccer World Cup champions for a record fifth time after a 6-0 victory over Tahiti in the final in Nassau, Bahamas. Tahiti finish runners-up for second consecutive time.