By Mark Baber
July 3 – Sudan has managed to escape a FIFA ban, which had been due to go into force on Friday, after a last-minute deal was reached between feuding factions competing for control of the Sudan Football Association.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – Defiant as ever, Sepp Blatter says he will travel to Russia for next year’s World Cup despite serving a six-year ban from all football-related activities imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee.
By Samindra Kunti
June 30 – Germany and Chile will play the final of the 2017 Confederations this Sunday after eliminating Mexico and Portugal respectively in the semi-finals. For a tournament that was met with scepticism and supposedly fading interest, FIFA is reporting positive TV audiences for the group stages.
By Samindra Kunti
June 30 – The former CBF president Ricardo Teixeira has called the Garcia report “inconclusive” and postulated, facing a US indictment against him, that Brazil is a safe haven.
By Samindra Kunti in Kazan
June 29 – FIFA’s secretary-general Fatma Samoura has said the governing body wants to eradicate doping in the game. Samoura also welcomed the publication of the Garcia report.
From the vantage-point of today, the Garcia report has something of the air of the Dead Sea Scrolls – an important relic offering vital clues about how life was lived in a bygone era.
By Paul Nicholson and Samindra Kunti
June 28 – The Garcia report into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding procedures is both as revealing as it is, for the most part, old news. It shows the political depths that the individuals on FIFA’s executive committee would go to solicit favours from bidders; it also shows how far bids will push their people and the rules to win. What it doesn’t do is find the smoking gun that would derail Russia or Qatar hosting 2018 or 2022.
By Paul Nicholson
June 28 – FIFA reacted swiftly to the leak to German media of the Garcia Report into the 2018/ 2022 World Cup bidding process by posting the full report online. It was a smart move by FIFA that immediately took the focus of the media reports away from Qatar – who had been lined-up for a series articles from the report – and brought balance to the wider issues of the bidding process and activity of all the bidding nations.
By Paul Nicholson
June 27 – The Garcia report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding, has been leaked to a German newspaper. Until now the report, named after FIFA’s former Ethics chief investigator Michael Garcia, has only been released in summary. A summary that was hotly contested by Garcia.
By Samindra Kunti in St Petersburg
June 27 – Confederations Cup organisers say they are satisfied with the way the group stages have gone, but acknowledge that the video assistant referees need time to fine-tune their decision-making. Dubbed as the ‘half time’ press conference, FIFA and its Russian organisers gave their view on the tournament so far and the issues arising.
By Paul Nicholson
June 26 – The dispute over the running of football in Cameroon that has seen FIFA’s unequivocal support of Tombi A Roko Sidiki as Cameroon FA (Fecafoot) president has entered a new phase. News is emerging of a complaint filed to FIFA’s ethics body against president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura.
By Samindra Kunti in St Petersburg
June 26 – Russia’s bid for home Confederations Cup glory crumbled with defeat against Mexico 2-1. The Mexicans now progress to the semi-finals with tournament favourites Portugal, Chile and Germany.
June 26 – Whilst the system of video assistant referees being used at the FIFA Confederations Cup has generated controversy, it seems to be a hit with Russian authorities who are in discussions with FIFA about keeping the system in place for domestic games.
By Samindra Kunti in St Petersburg, Russia
June 23 – Chile held world champions Germany to a 1-1 draw in group B at the FIFA Confederations, with the president of Chile’s FA announcing that the country is considering a bid for the 2026 World Cup.
By Samindra Kunti in Moscow
June 22 – The Confederations Cup heated up last night as tensions flared in Sochi as Mexico edged New Zealand 2-1. Meanwhile in Moscow, hosts Russia face a first-round exit after Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal for Portugal leaves the hosts needing a win against the fiery Mexicans to make it into the next round.