Uruguay and Argentina to make joint 2030 World Cup bid official
August 23 – Uruguay and Argentina will officially launch their joint bid for the 2030 World Cup next week at a ceremony involving the country’s two leaders.
FIFA
Sierra Leone court orders Johansen to step down as row over SLFA control intensifies
August 21 – Sierra Leone may have more important issues to contend with than football following the devastating mudslide that has taken hundreds of lives but the battle to control the sport shows no sign of slowing down.
Valcke breaks silence saying Blatter knew FIFA had US lawyers ready to roll
By Andrew Warshaw
August 18 – Eighteen months after being sacked, former FIFA number two Jerome Valcke has broken his long silence by wading into the debate over Sepp Blatter’s suggestion that a plot to remove him was hatched well before the US-led investigation into football-related corruption that ultimately led to his downfall.
North America warms to 2026 World Cup bid with 46 cities hunting a piece of the action
August 18 – Thirty-four cities in the United States, seven in Canada and three in Mexico, in all encompassing 49 stadia, are on a list of proposed venues to host the 2026 World Cup, the United Bid Committee for the three prospective joint hosts has announced.
FIFA move to protect Johansen, telling Sierra Leone sports minister to butt out
By Paul Nicholson
August 16 – FIFA has again stepped into the Sierra Leone row to protect Isha Johansen, the SLFA president that the world governing body recognises but who football stakeholders and government officials in Sierra Leone argue is holding the position in an unelected capacity after her mandate ended August 3.
Video ref failures draw growing number of critics across Europe’s test leagues
August 16 – The new season roll-out of the video assistant referee (VAR) system has been met with criticism in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium after a series of errors. But FIFA is determined to push through the referral system in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Was FIFA already working with the FBI before the Zurich arrests in May 2015?
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – FIFA had advance warning of the impeding US Department of Justice assault on corrupt officials within its organisation and had taken steps to defend itself via an agreement with top US law firm Quinn Emmanuel.
FIFA ask Iran to explain ban of two national team players who played against Maccabi
August 14 – Iran is being formally asked by FIFA to provide further information as to why it banned two Iranian internationals for life as punishment for playing for their Greek club against an Israeli side.
Finalists line-up for FIFA Interactive World Cup finals in London
July 31 – Eight more qualifiers have made their way through to the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final to be held in London August 15-17.
Greek FA set to return to home rule, but only under FIFA’s watchful eye
By Paul Nicholson
July 27 – The chaos of Greek football might be resolving with long awaited federation elections on August 18 and the removal of the normalisation committee imposed by FIFA, but the Greeks will not be left completely on their own.
Jailed Villar quits VP roles at FIFA and UEFA. Larrea steps up in Spain
By Andrew Warshaw
July 27 – The career of Angel Maria Villar, one of the last remaining members of football’s political old guard who somehow managed to maintain his status while friends and colleagues were being swallowed up by scandal, is now effectively over after the seemingly untouchable lawyer resigned as vice-president of FIFA and UEFA.
Morocco set to bid for 2026 World Cup with 100% support of Africa
By Andrew Warshaw
July 27 – Morocco have decided to gamble once again and take on the joint might of north America and Mexico in a bid to host the 2026 World Cup, according to leading Confederation of African Football (CAF) official Amaju Pinnick.
Exclusive: Battered, bruised and bitter Mayne-Nicholls is back in the game
By Andrew Warshaw
July 21 – Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the FIFA-appointed official who led the inspection team that evaluated the credentials of all 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding candidates, has emerged from his prolonged silence with all guns blazing to launch a blistering attack on those he says turned his life into a “nightmare”.
FIFA says Cameroon complaint on CAS ruling, Infantino and Samoura is still to be decided
By Paul Nicholson
July 17 – FIFA has written to Cameroon club Etoile Filante to emphasise that its Disciplinary Committee has not yet ruled on the complaint that a Court of Aribitration for Sport (CAS) decision that would immediately suspend Cameroon FA (Fecafoot) president Tombi A Roko Sidiki was not being followed.
FIFA refuses to implement CAS decision on Cameroon saying ‘it isn’t our ball’
By Paul Nicholson
July 13 – FIFA has wriggled out of responsibility to enable it to continue to support an unelected president of a national federation, claiming it is not the “competent” authority to enforce the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Tombi A Roko Sidiki is unlawfully holding the position of Cameroon FA (Fecafoot) president.