FIFA keeps up expansionist thinking with reports of HQ move to US
October 4 – FIFA is reportedly considering relocating its headquarters from Zurich to the United States and is looking at both east and west coast venues.
FIFA
Portugal beat Argentina to win Futsal World Cup
October 4 – Winger Pany Varela starred with two goals to crown Portugal futsal world champions with a 2-1 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final in Lithuania, reclaiming the title for Europe for the first time since 2004.
FIFA fan Jordaan says World Cup has not benefitted Africa, but a biennial event would
October 4 – Following the lead of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the South African Football Association (SAFA) has endorsed the proposal for a biennial World Cup, with the governing body’s strongman Danny Jordaan arguing that the tournament in its current form “has not brought progress in African football over the last 100 years”.
FAs summoned to summit for FIFA’s fever(ed) ‘pitch’ on biennial World Cup
October 1 – In a further effort to garner support for his organisation’s much-criticised plan to stage the World Cup every two years, FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a summit with more than 200 national federations Thursday in which he banged the drum for how the game should look going forward.
World Cup every two years is ‘not positive’ for football, says Martinez
October 1 – Belgium coach Roberto Martinez, whose team top the world rankings but have failed to win the world championship, opposes FIFA plans to stage the World Cup every two years, arguing the frequency would “devalue” the tournament.
French split on biennial WC: Le Graet ‘not opposed’, Deschamps says it ‘trivialises’ comp
October 1 – France has emerged as the first major European footballing country to give tacit conditional approval to staging the World Cup every two years.
FIFA’s new Football Tribunal dispute chambers open for business
October 1 – FIFA’s new Football Tribunal comes into operation officially today (October 1) as the world governing body seeks to further streamline and modernise its dispute processes into a more efficient decision-making system.
FIFA and EA expand competitive esports programme ahead of FIFA 22 launch
September 30 – One international match calendar FIFA is having no trouble expanding is its esports programme. Electronic Arts have announced a further growth of its competition ecosystem for the launch of the FIFA 22 game next month.
UK close to greenlighting a red-list solution for Premier League international call-ups
September 30 – The UK government looks to be close to agreeing a set of criteria that will allow Premier League clubs to release players to travel to red-list countries without having to quarantine on their return.
Red-listed Argentina calls up EPL trio from Spurs and Villa but no quarantine deal in place
September 28 – Argentina have selected three English Premier League players for next month’s World Cup qualifiers despite the country remaining on the UK’s travel red list.
Second window of Arab Cup ticket sales opens as FIFA tests Qatar 2022 readiness
September 28 – Tickets for the FIFA Arab Cup, a dress rehearsal for the 2022 World Cup, went on sale again on Tuesday on a first-come, first-served basis with tickets still available for both the opening match and the final.
ECA turns heat up on FIFA for ‘railroading’ biennial World Cup plans
By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – Europe’s leading clubs have issued a savage indictment of FIFA’s biennial World Cup proposals, accusing world football’s governing body of “railroading” everyone else to suit their own interests.
Wenger defends FIFA’s biennial World Cup plan saying he is talking to the ‘whole world’
September 24 – Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager now working as FIFA’s head of football development and the leading proponent of a biennial World Cup, has defended his stance by insisting the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Samoura leads debate in Nigeria on expansion of Africa’s women’s game
September 23 – While FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been walking the halls of the UN and the financial district of New York, meeting with heads of state and financiers, FIFA’s general secretary Fatma Samoura has been treading the path of women’s football in Africa.
A gentle slap? FIFA sanction Hungary for monkey gestures, racist chants, and throwing objects
September 22 – Hungary have been handed a two-match stadium ban, one of them deferred, and been fined CHF200,000 by FIFA after England players were subjected to racist abuse in a World Cup Qualifier earlier this month.