February 16 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino says multiple hosting of the World Cup can work perfectly well and that 2026, when the process is likely to start, could even be staged by up to four neighbouring countries.
February 16 – FIFA’s ethics committee has opened formal proceedings against two former Central American officials after investigators recommended they be banned for life for alleged corruption.
By Paul Nicholson
February 15 – The Council of Europe has launched an investigation into FIFA, its business activities and its governance, according to former president Anne Brasseur who said she was “very concerned” at FIFA reform progress.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – Concern is intensifying amongst campaign groups and human rights organisations over FIFA’s failure to resolve the ongoing dispute over Israeli lower-league clubs playing official games on settlements in the occupied West Bank.
February 13 – Zvonimir Boban, FIFA’s new deputy general secretary, has been quick to play down any embarrassment caused by Marco Van Basten over the Dutch icon’s revolutionary blueprint for the future of football.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – FIFA looks set to rule by end of this month whether under-fire Russian World Cup supremo Vitaly Mutko is eligible to join its all-powerful ruling Council.
February 10 – The Scottish FA is appealing against a CHF 20,000 fine imposed by FIFA after their players wore armbands featuring the poppy symbol as an act of remembrance during their Armistice Day match with England on November 11.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 9 – The head of the umbrella body representing Europe’s clubs has issued another stern rebuke against FIFA president Gianni Infantino, this time over the proposed expansion of the Club World Cup.
February 6 – Bolivia’s appeal against being docked points for fielding an ineligible player in two World Cup qualifiers has been rejected by FIFA’s appeals panel.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – The role and reputation of Sportradar in detecting global match-fixing and irregular betting patterns has received a major boost after FIFA decided to hire the specialist firm in place of its own detection division.
February 2 – Sepp Blatter has not always talked favourably about his successor but has surprisingly come out in partial support of Gianni Infantino’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – Football’s lawmakers are to consider introducing sin-bins in place of yellow cards in what would constitute the most radical step for years to the way the game is played.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 31 – The head of the European Club Association, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, is back on the attack over FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, describing the move as “nonsense” and warning that the balance of power was shifting back towards his members.
It’s still early days of course but legitimate questions are starting to be asked about the effect Donald Trump’s US presidency might have on the landscape of world football and specifically two huge issues: the 2026 World Cup and the FifaGate scandal.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 26 – Is Angel Maria Villar’s influence as one of FIFA’s most senior figures gradually being stripped away, some might say not before time?