Gianni Infantino

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour has left the organisation, just weeks after publicly criticising President Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments. FIFA confirmed that Lamour’s working relationship with the governing body ended on August 17, 2026, without providing further details. Lamour Leaves FIFA After Criticising Infantino Plan Lamour joined FIFA’s senior leadership team in November 2024 after previously being part of Infantino’s campaign team during his successful presidential bid

Qatar and Morocco are among six Arab football associations that have publicly expressed support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, despite growing criticism of his leadership following the collapse of a controversial private investment proposal. Six Arab Federations Express Support The football associations of Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania issued a joint statement backing Infantino and reaffirming their confidence in his leadership. The statement highlighted the role of Arab football in strengthening cooperation and bringing communities together, while praising Infantino's efforts to

Casablanca: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly offered Morocco the opportunity to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political backing as he battles growing opposition ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election, according to multiple media reports. The reports emerged as Infantino travelled to Morocco for a series of meetings with FIFA officials and African football leaders following the collapse of his controversial proposal to sell a stake in FIFA's future commercial revenues. The failed plan has triggered criticism

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to hold a crisis meeting with senior FIFA officials in Morocco as pressure mounts following the collapse of his controversial proposal to sell part of FIFA's commercial rights. The failed plan has triggered widespread criticism from football governing bodies and cast uncertainty over his bid for a fourth term as FIFA president. Crisis Meeting in Morocco Infantino will meet top FIFA officials on Wednesday at the organisation's Africa office in Sale, Morocco, as he seeks to stabilise

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting criticism after his proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of FIFA events, including the FIFA World Cup, was withdrawn following widespread opposition from regional football confederations. The backlash has prompted UEFA and CONCACAF to publicly question Infantino's leadership, raising concerns over governance, transparency and the future direction of world football. Controversial World Cup Rights Proposal Withdrawn The controversy centred on FIFA's reported $4.2 billion proposal to sell stakes in a new commercial entity

European football's governing body, UEFA, has warned that it will boycott the FIFA World Cup if FIFA proceeds with plans to allow private investors to acquire stakes in a new commercial entity overseeing its major competitions. In a strongly worded statement, UEFA said the World Cup "is not for sale" and insisted that football's governance should never be influenced by private investment. UEFA Warns of World Cup Boycott UEFA stated that no UEFA national teams would participate in any FIFA competition if the

FIFA has announced plans to establish a new commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at $20 billion, in a move aimed at expanding football's commercial growth while continuing to invest in the sport worldwide. The proposal will be presented to FIFA's 211 Member Associations and the FIFA Council for approval. According to FIFA, FFE will consolidate the organization's commercial and event-related operations, while FIFA will retain full control over football governance, competitions, regulations, and the international match calendar. The governing body

The first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup has only just concluded, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino has already acknowledged that the tournament could one day expand to 64 teams. Speaking to Swiss television during the tournament, Infantino said the proposal is one of several ideas that could be explored after the competition, reigniting debate over the future size of football’s biggest event. Bigger Tournament, Bigger Financial Impact A 64-team World Cup would have major financial implications for global football. Making qualification easier for more

The United States' FIFA World Cup campaign has been thrust into controversy after FIFA suspended the automatic one-match ban on striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play against Belgium in Monday's Round of 16 clash. The decision came after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red-card incident, sparking global debate over politics and football. The unprecedented move quickly became one of the tournament's biggest talking points, with fans, pundits, and football officials questioning whether FIFA had

FIFA has confirmed that fans will be allowed to bring rainbow flags to the FIFA World Cup Group G match between Egypt and Iran in Seattle, despite objections from both participating nations. The fixture, scheduled during Pride weekend, has been designated as Seattle's "Pride Match" by the city's local organising committee, sparking debate ahead of kickoff. The controversy emerged after the World Cup draw paired Egypt and Iran for the Seattle fixture. Both Muslim-majority nations expressed concerns over the Pride-related branding. Egypt's Football

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has crossed a major milestone. One million fans have now attended matches across stadiums in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally celebrated the occasion. He met Aaron Bren, the one-millionth fan to enter a World Cup stadium in this tournament. The moment was captured in Los Angeles, California, and shared across FIFA's official social channels under the hashtag #FootballUnitesTheWorld. Who Is Aaron Bren, the One Millionth Fan Aaron Bren became a piece of

The MoU has seen the participation of a select number of SC staff and stakeholders providing delivery support for FIFA World Cup 2026 as part of their transfer knowledge and expertise. The MoU was signed by: SC Secretary General, H.E Hassan Al Thawadi FIFA President, Gianni Infantino During a ceremony in Doha, Qatar. As part of the deal, there will be a special team of experts from Qatar with many having key roles in presenting mega tournaments including: FIFA World Cup 2022 FIFA

An aide to US President Donald Trump has called for the Fifa to swap Iran with Italy in the next World Cup, according to reports in the Financial Times on Wednesday. According to the FT, which cites people familiar with the matter, the plan is also part of an effort to mend relations between Mr Trump and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after her government and widely supportive sections of the Italian media fell out with the American president following his assaults on

Iran will play their World Cup matches in the US as scheduled despite armed conflict between them and the tournament's co-hosts, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday. Iranian FA president (FFIRI) has now tried to bash the US as the team is trying to move their three group matches in this World Cup from America to Mexico, citing American military backing of Israel when the two began assaults that led into renewed war in our region. Earlier this month, the FFIRI said

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he is determined to see that Russia's four-year suspension from international competitions "is lifted because it has achieved nothing". Russian clubs and the national team were banned from Fifa and Uefa competitions after their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “This ban has not produced anything positive at all; it has only created more frustration and hatred,” Infantino said. “If we could play football in other parts of Europe with Russian girls and boys, it would probably do a power of good.”

FIFA is set to examine reports on two separate instances of alleged racism in recent international matches; the game between Republic of Ireland U21s and Kuwait U22s in Austria was abandoned; New Zealand's game against Qatar was also cancelled at half-time The Republic of Ireland U21s' match against Kuwait U22s in Austria was called off after an allegation that a Kuwaiti player racially abused one of Ireland's substitutes. The senior international between New Zealand and Qatar, also in Austria, was cut short after

African Portuguese speaking country Cape Verde became the first country responding to the call made by FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to name a stadium after apele, reported Sportbible. Following Pele’s death in December, Infantino paid tribute to the three-time World Cup winner at his memorial service in Brazil and proposed at the memorial service that each nation should name one stadium after Pele. Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva confirmed their Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde would be renamed after Pele.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be an exceptional edition, held on eight world class stadiums close to one another. He added that this feature could allow fans to watch two or three matches a day. He also said he expects 1.5-2 million fans to visit Qatar and five billion to watch the matches. Infantino was participating in a session called Countdown to the Greatest Show on Earth as part of Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by

Doha: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described as ‘impressive’ Qatar preparations for the 2022 World Cup - which will be the first one to be held in the Middle East - according to a report published on Wednesday on the www.qatar2022.qa website. The Beautiful Handmade 24 Karat Farjo - Gold Islamic Art, a one-of-a-kind original art, has a collection of exquisite masterpieces that manifests Qatar's vibrant culture. All products are handmade with love and dedication throughout the entire process. The head of the

Qatar will be celebrating its ninth edition of the National Sports Day on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The National Sports Day has been celebrated across Qatar since 2012 and is an extremely popular day which aims to bring people together in celebration of sports, while encouraging people of all ages to stay fit and active. There will be a number of events happening in Qatar on National Sports Day ranging from athletics, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, table tennis, boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, karate and judo.