Infantino ends year banging drum for 48-team World Cup and FIFA salary transparency
January 2 – Gianni Infantino insists FIFA’s 211 federations are “overwhelmingly in favour” of expanding the World Cup to 48 teams.
FIFA
FIFA-gate: Peru’s Manuel Burga acquitted by Brooklyn jury
By Paul Nicholson
December 27 – Former Peru football boss Manuel Burga, 60, has been acquitted of a corruption charge by the Brooklyn jury that found Juan Napout, of Paraguay, and Jose Maria Marin, of Brazil guilty of similar charges before Christmas.
FIFA-gate News Analysis: It’ll be lonely this Christmas for Marin and Napout
By Paul Nicholson
December 22 – Jose Maria Marin, former head of Brazil’s Football Confederation (CBF) and Juan Angel Napout, former head of Paraguayan football are spending their first Christmas in jail after the jury in what has been dubbed the FIFA-gate trial found them guilty of racketeering conspiracy and accepting bribes in return for commercial rights.
Gulati says 2026 bid has infrastructure in place and looks forward to a clean fight
December 21 – The leader of the tripartite US/Canada/Mexico 2026 World Cup bid committee has promised his team will play by the rules when trying to secure victory over rivals Morocco for the first 48-team finals following the corruption-plagued debacle that overshadowed the 2018 and 2022 process.
Exclusive: FIFA probes Liberian corruption finding fake docs, forged signatures and a battling Bility
By Paul Nicholson
December 21 – After months of damning stories and rumours surrounding financial corruption in the Liberian FA and its controversial president Musa Bility, the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee has stepped in to investigate. Early reports are that their findings are explosive.
FIFA’s vanishing spray inventor just won’t go away
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – The self-proclaimed Brazilian inventor of football’s vanishing spray, which has become an integral part of the game, is persuing FIFA for proper compensation after accusing the organisation of stealing his idea.
FIFA scores World Cup final hat-trick in China with Mengniu joining sponsor roster
December 20 – FIFA has added a fifth sponsor for the Russia 2018 World Cup, the third from China. Chinese dairy products manufacturer the Mengniu Group will be designated the Official drinkable yoghurt and pre-packaged ice cream.
Villar says risk of Spain losing Russia 2018 spot is ‘serious’, blames government
By Andrew Warshaw
December 19 – Disgraced former FIFA and UEFA powerbroker Ángel María Villar has stoked up fears of his native Spain being barred from the World Cup as he tries to cling on to his role as head of his national federation (RFEF).
Russia 2018 spot on the line? FIFA warns Spanish government to keep out of football
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – It’s an unthinkable scenario but Spain’s participation in next year’s World Cup could technically be under threat if the Spanish government meddles in the election of a replacement for disgraced Spanish FA (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar, the former FIFA and UEFA bigwig who was forced to relinquish his posts over corruption charges.
Real Madrid double up on Club World Cups as Ronaldo puts his Best foot forward
December 18 – Real Madrid were crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions for the second year in succession at the weekend in the United Arab Emirates, beating Brazil’s Gremio 1-0 in the final.
Players criticise VAR at Club World Cup, but opinion split as FIFA say it was ‘seamless’
December 18 – Yet more pressure is growing on football’s lawmakers to delay the formal implementation of video technology following contentious decision-making – this time at one of FIFA’s own competitions.
FIFA Ethics bow to pressure and ban Brazilian football boss Del Nero for 90 days
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Brazilian FA president Marco Polo Del Nero’s charmed life as leader of the CBF looks to be close to coming to an end after the FIFA’s ethics committee today banned him, though not before global pressure mounted to un-ignorable levels even in Zurich.
VAR technology takes another hit as trust in video refs waivers
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s determination to have video technology introduced before next year’s World Cup has taken a further knock with a spokesman for the game’s law making body questioning the system’s efficacity, especially in Germany where it is being trialled along with several other leagues.
Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and Bale set up a Club World Cup final against Gremio
December 14 – Real Madrid beat local favourites Al Jazira in the semi-final of the Club World Cup in the UAE to set up a Europe versus South America clash against Brazil’s Gremio who qualified for the final with a 95th minute strike to beat Mexico’s Pachuca.
Proof of FIFA Ethics boss Rojas’ links to Bedoya casts more dark shadows on governing body
By Paul Nicholson
December 13 – The integrity of FIFA Ethics head of its investigation unit, Colombian María Claudia Rojas (pictured), has fallen again into the spotlight with proof emerging that despite previous denials, she did have a close relationship with former president of the Colombian Football Federation, Luis Bedoya, who has pleaded guilty in the US FIFAgate case and is currently awaiting sentencing.