February 8 – In a seven-hour testimony former CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero has pleaded his innocence to FIFA’s Appeals Committee in a bid to avoid an enforced exit from Brazil’s supreme football body. Del Nero was banned for life from football by FIFA in April 2017 for taking bribes.
February 7 – The Asian Cup win for Qatar last Friday in the UAE has pushed the hosts of the 2022 World Cup 38 places up the FIFA Rankings, released today, to 55th position, the highest spot the country has achieved since 1993.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 6 – Gianni Infantino will rule FIFA for at least four more years after it was confirmed, as anticipated, that he will stand unopposed in June’s presidential election.
By David Owen
February 6 – FIFA has moved to assert control over the Qatar 2022 World Cup delivery process. The governing body has announced establishment of a joint venture with the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) that will take responsibility for the planning and delivery of operations and services for the tournament, scheduled for the first time for a northern-hemisphere winter.
By Paul Nicholson and Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – Ramon Vega has landed in Rome in advance of the UEFA Congress to carry out some last minute lobbying in advance of the deadline for nominations for the FIFA presidential elections that will be held in June in Paris.
February 4 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under investigation in Switzerland for suspicion of bribery and potential corruption of the Swiss judiciary.
By Paul Nicholson
February 1 – It is harder to get five nominations for the FIFA presidency than it is to get 100 votes in the election, said Ramon Vega, who is putting together a challenge for the top job at the world governing body.
February 1 – Concacaf are the latest confederation to come out and formally support Gianni Infantino for re-election as FIFA president in Paris on June 5.
February 1 – Africa will compete for four berths at the U-20 World Cup in Poland at this month’s U-20 continental championship in Niger. Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal have a strong case to win the tournament as defending champions Zambia failed to qualify for the finals.
By Paul Nicholson in Abu Dhabi
January 31 – FIFA’s rush to become involved in the civil extradition case of Australian refugee, Bahraini passport holder and part-time football Al-Araibi has again raised questions over the validity and motivations of FIFA’s human rights policy.
By Paul Nicholson
January 31 – Ramon Vega, the former player and businessman who is challenging for the FIFA presidency, has said that lack of financial transparency would be unacceptable in any corporate boardroom anywhere in the world.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Former Swiss international Ramon Vega has confirmed he is “actively considering” launching a challenge to Gianni Infantino for the Fifa presidency in June.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – FIFA has staged a rare u-turn by reducing the two-year ban on Zambia’s former African Footballer of the Year, Kalusha Bwalya (pictured).
January 29 – Unconfirmed rumours suggest FIFA is thinking about moving its headquarters from Zurich to Paris in the latest power play by Gianni Infantino.
By Samindra Kunti
January 29 – FIFA and the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) have confirmed the release of the money for $100 million 2014 World Cup legacy fund. The world governing body had up to now repeatedly refused to release the money over compliance concerns.