April 17 – World governing body FIFA is to send a fact-finding mission to Pakistan to assess the administrative crisis in the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), but the FIFA delegation seems unlikely to issues sanctions preventing Pakistan from taking part in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
April 16 – Jose Maria Marin, disgraced former president of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), has been banned for life by FIFA and fined CHF1 million for taking bribes, 16 months after he was convicted of corruption charges in the United States.
April 15 – The recent resurgence of racism across world football has prompted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to call for a crackdown following several high-profile incidents, echoing UEFA’s call for referees to abandon matches in the worst-case scenarios
April 2 – FIFA has a new communications chief after announcing that Portugal national team spokesman Onofre Costa has taken over from Fabrice Jouhaud, who has led its media department since August 2016 when he arrived from l’Equipe broadcasting.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – FIFA’s top medical official has criticised the decision to allow Fabian Schar to play on during Switzerland’s recent Euro 2020 qualifier against Georgia after suffering from concussion – and warned that authorities have to be ultra-careful when it comes to head clashes.
By Paul Nicholson in New York
March 26 – FIFA beware, former investigators and prosecutors who worked on the US Department of Justice indictments in 2015 say that the investigation is still on-going and there will likely be more indictments on top of the 42 already charged.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – Europe’s leading clubs today re-iterated that they will refuse to participate in Gianni Infantino’s revamped Club World Cup – but have not ruled out changing their minds for future editions if their needs are accommodated.
By David Owen
March 26 – FIFA has yet to rule out buying shares in stock exchange-listed football clubs such as Italy’s Juventus and Manchester United of the Premier League as part of its updated approach to management of its financial assets.
By David Owen
March 22 – The Club Protection Programme (CPP) cost FIFA $106.5 million over the 2015-18 business cycle, well below the initial sum budgeted of $120 million.
March 22 – FIFA has moved to prevent the use of artificial pitches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup after the 2015 tournament in Canada was marred by controversy over artificial turf.
March 22 – Luis Chiriboga, for 18 years president of Ecuador’s FA and one of those indicted in the US-led crackdown on football corruption, is the latest senior official to bite the dust. FIFA have banned him for life for bribery.
March 21 – The four-nation South American bid to host the 2030 World Cup should definitely be regarded as the favourite to win the rights, according to the region’s top official, despite what will likely be a strong challenge from Europe.
By David Owen
March 21 – The winners of this year’s Women’s World Cup in France will get prize money of $4 million, fractionally less than the combined total of Gianni Infantino and Fatma Samoura’s salaries in 2018.
March 21 – FIFA has banned Togolese referee Kokou Hougnimon Fagla for life after finding him guilty of corruption.
By David Owen
March 20 – FIFA has given itself permission to invest in equities as part of its asset management operations.