sports governance

UEFA drops FIFA boycott threat over World Cup sell-off

UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving binding assurances that Gianni Infantino's plan to sell private stakes in the World Cup will not be revived, according to the Associated Press and multiple reports…

World Cup winners demand reform at FIFA, call Infantino ‘blinded by power’

A coalition of former international soccer stars, including World Cup winners and FIFA-designated legends, issued a joint statement on Monday demanding immediate reform at FIFA, accusing President Gianni Infantino of being "blinded by power" and calling for structural changes that…

Six Arab soccer federations back Infantino amid FIFA crisis

Six heads of Arab national football associations issued a joint statement on Thursday declaring their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, even as the Football Association of Ireland became the latest body to withdraw its backing amid a deepening…

BBC tally shows 124 FIFA members oppose Infantino

A new analysis by BBC Sport has mapped the positions of all 210 FIFA voting member associations toward president Gianni Infantino, revealing a deeply fractured global football community. The tally shows 73 associations still backing Infantino, 124 opposed, and 13…

Norway calls on FIFA’s Infantino to resign as Europe’s boycott threat holds

Norway's soccer federation on Friday formally called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign, escalating a leadership crisis that has split global football into warring camps after his failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA upholds World Cup boycott despite Infantino apology

European football's governing body declared on Thursday that its 55 member associations remain committed to boycotting FIFA competitions, dismissing FIFA president Gianni Infantino's apology and the backing he received from senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco as insufficient…

FIFA leaders reaffirm support for Infantino at crisis meeting in Morocco

FIFA said on Wednesday that its leadership reaffirmed "full support" for President Gianni Infantino at a crisis meeting with senior officials in Rabat, Morocco, as the embattled head of world soccer's governing body sought to shore up his position amid…

Infantino holds crisis meeting as FIFA World Cup stake sale fallout deepens

FIFA President Gianni Infantino held an emergency meeting with senior officials in Salé, Morocco, on Wednesday as the fallout from his abandoned plan to sell commercial rights to the World Cup deepened, with Portugal great Luís Figo joining a growing…

Top FIFA executives distance themselves from Infantino’s failed World Cup sell-off

Less than two weeks after overseeing one of the most financially successful World Cups in history, FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces an existential threat to his leadership as senior executives publicly turn against him and UEFA pursues legal action over…

UEFA threatens FIFA with legal action over World Cup sell-off plan

European soccer's governing body UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action over president Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private investors, warning that potential evidence should not be destroyed, as the embattled…

UEFA, AFC, CONCACAF plot to paralyze FIFA and oust Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly sought support from the Trump administration as a cross-continental alliance of soccer confederations threatens to cripple the governing body's operations and force him from power. The escalating standoff follows the collapse of Infantino's controversial…

FIFA scraps $20B World Cup sell-off after global revolt

FIFA's plan to sell a roughly 20% stake in its commercial operations to outside investors has collapsed following a worldwide backlash from soccer officials and internal dissent among top executives, the New York Post reported on Friday. The deal, which…

UK PM Burnham calls on FIFA’s Infantino to resign over World Cup sale plan

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Friday became the first leader of a major country to call for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign, saying the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors disqualifies…

FIFA COO says he was deceived by Infantino’s privatization plan

FIFA's internal crisis deepened on Friday as two senior figures publicly broke with President Gianni Infantino over his secretive plan to sell stakes in the organization's commercial operations to private investors, with a third continental governing body joining the opposition.

Real Madrid, Juventus join growing revolt against FIFA spinoff plan

Opposition to FIFA's plan to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary and sell a minority stake to private investors escalated on Friday as Real Madrid and Juventus joined a growing coalition of clubs and confederations challenging the scheme.

EU lawmakers move to summon FIFA’s Infantino over World Cup investment plan

The European Parliament is preparing to summon FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a hearing over his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, escalating a crisis that has already prompted UEFA's 55 member nations to threaten…

CONCACAF joins UEFA in rejecting FIFA World Cup stake sale

All 41 member federations of CONCACAF voted on Thursday to reject FIFA president Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell minority stakes in the World Cup to private investors, joining the 55 European associations that earlier the same day threatened a full…

All 55 UEFA members vote to boycott World Cup over FIFA investor plan

All 55 UEFA member associations voted unanimously on Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions if president Gianni Infantino proceeds with plans to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors, plunging world soccer into its…

UEFA threatens boycott over FIFA’s $20B spinoff plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced plans on Tuesday to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, immediately drawing fierce condemnation from UEFA and escalating tensions between world football's two most powerful bodies to a breaking point.

Council of Europe questions World Cup integrity over Balogun reversal

The Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body, published an open letter to FIFA on Sunday questioning the integrity of the 2026 World Cup and calling on football's governing body to establish a stronger framework ahead of the…

FIFA’s Infantino referred to Olympic ethics body over Trump ties

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is being referred to the International Olympic Committee's ethics investigators over a possible breach of political neutrality, after U.S. President Donald Trump lobbied to overturn a World Cup player's suspension during the 2026 tournament.

IOC targets mid-2029 to elect 2036 Olympics host city

The International Olympic Committee approved a new timetable on Wednesday for selecting the host of the 2036 Summer Olympics, targeting mid-2029 for the final vote and introducing a new "Strategic Dialogue" phase aimed at increasing transparency in what has become…