FIFA bans Venezuelan Manuel Alvarez for five years and fines him $1m

January 20 – FIFA has banned Manuel Álvarez, one-time general secretary of the Venezuelan FA, for five years for financial wrongdoing and fined him nearly $1 million.
January 20 – FIFA has banned Manuel Álvarez, one-time general secretary of the Venezuelan FA, for five years for financial wrongdoing and fined him nearly $1 million.
January 17 – Human Rights Watch has spotlighted “a legacy of widespread migrant labor abuses” in Qatar following the 2022 World Cup and “widespread abuses under the kafala system on PIF-funded projects” in Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup.
January 17 – A complaint accusing Saudi Arabia of abusing migrant workers has been deemed admissable by the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation amid fears this could increase as the country prepares to host the 2034 World Cup.
January 17 – FIFA, on Thursday, launched ticket sales for the knockout round of its revamped 32-team Club World Cup with final tickets starting at an eye-catching $633.
January 16 – In 2030, Spain will co-host their first World Cup since the fiesta hit Iberian shores in 1982, but before a ball is kicked, the all-important media rights are up for grabs.
January 14 – Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Philadelphia Union has been slapped with a temporary transfer ban by FIFA.
January 2 – FIFA has adapted its transfer regulations on an interim basis after the recent Lassana Diarra case described by some legal experts as Bosman Mark 2 – but accepts it could be open to immediate challenge.
December 23 – FIFA and Netflix have inked a deal for the exclusive rights in the US to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, marking another significant streaming deal for a major tournament.
December 20 -A senior Swiss lawyer who for nine years has sat on various Swedish FA committees and is currently chair of its appeals committee, has resigned from the federation over its failure to protest the award of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
December 20 – A record-breaking 1,181 international fixtures were played in 2024, yet with just 21 matches since November, the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking has seen little change heading into the new year.
December 20 – FIFA have put the first round of Club World Cup tickets on sale, in a move which puts dynamic ticket pricing in place for the first time in football.
December 19 – Real Madrid defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 to clinch the Intercontinental Cup and land manager Carlo Ancelotti a record fifteenth trophy at the club.
December 19 – Vinicius Junior has hit out at his critics after bouncing back from losing out at the Ballon d’Or by winning the FIFA Best trophy award, accusing his detractors of trying to “invalidate” and “diminish” him.
December 18 – In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, European lawmakers have expressed “grave concern” over the hosting of the 2034 World Cup by Saudi Arabia.
December 18 – In a further decentralisation of the organisation, FIFA have announced that the world governing body will be opening an office in Rabat, Morocco.