By Andrew Warshaw
July 7 – Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko (pictured) insists his country has learned from the bitter experience of hooliganism at Euro 2016 and that the 2018 World Cup will be safe for all supporters to attend.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 2 – Making sure he avoided any slip-ups after a tempestuous and controversial last few weeks, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, on a trip to 2018 World Cup hosts Russia, said the country was on track to stage the tournament despite economic problems caused by sanctions and the shrinking oil price.
May 31 – French authorities say they are considering launching their own investigation into Qatar being awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
May 13 – The head of Russia’s 2018 World Cup organising committee Alexey Sorokin says he has been assured by new FIFA president Gianni Infantino the tournament will go ahead as planned despite allegations of corruption and the still be to be concluded Swiss probe into the bid process for both 2018 and 2022.
May 2 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have come under renewed scrutiny after announcing than an Indian steelworker employed on a World Cup site has died.
April 28 – The locations of the Official FIFA Fan Fest venues in the 11 cities hosting Russia 2018 World Cup matches have been announced by the Local Organising Committee. In total the sites will have a combined capacity of 267,000.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – Gianni Infantino wasted no time, on his first trip to Qatar since becoming FIFA president, in stressing the need for the 2022 World Cup hosts to maintain efforts to improve workers’ welfare.
April 22 – New FIFA president Gianni Infantino joked that his only remaining question over the Russia 2018 World Cup on his recent visit was on his “bet with Minister Mutko if I will speak better Russian or he better English in 2018.” Mutko may not have mastered the English-language but the Russians are increasingly showing they have a grip of World Cup communication.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 20 – New FIFA president Gianni Infantino says video replays could be introduced in time for the 2018 World Cup.
By Samindra Kunti
March 24 – Brazil’s Lavo Jato scandal is further escalating. This time bribes may have been offered in relation to the construction of Arena Corinthians, a 2014 FIFA World Cup venue.
March 24 – The International Labour Organisation (ILO), one of the oldest established United Nations agencies with 186 member states, says Qatar is making progress toward ending forced labour and improving conditions for migrant workers but that the real test will be whether it actually enforces new legislation by an ILO-imposed December deadline.
March 22 – Organisers of the 2022 Qatar World Cup are considering the option of housing fans under the stars in Bedouin-style super-tents.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 15 – Two weeks after the South African authorities accused FIFA of not acting decisively enough following a lengthy match-fixing investigation, three officials have been banned over their role in rigging a string of international friendlies in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup which the country hosted.
February 22 – While Europe’s football elite will be strutting their way round France in five-star accommodation and with plenty of cash to flash, another group of footballers will be taking far more significant and humble personal journey to Glasgow. The Scottish city will host the 2016 Homeless World Cup from July 10-16, the 14th edition of the event and the second time it has been hosted in Scotland.
February 17 – Football fans looking for cheap accommodation at the Russia 2018 World Cup are unlikely to find it in Moscow or St Petersburg, but could find value in Kaliningrad and Rostov.