February 3 – Evision, the media and entertainment subsidiary of UAE mobile telecoms business e& (formerly Etisalat), has announced a strategic partnership with FIFA+ to bring the football-focused channel to STARZ ON, its free ad-supported streaming platform. This collaboration aims to enhance football content offerings in the MENA region by providing 24/7 access to premium FIFA programming at no cost.
February 3 – You can’t play the ‘beautiful game’ without a ball, and the game is littered with iconic and controversial balls. The Adidas Telstar and tango from the 1970 and 1978 World Cups are still considered the crown jewels with football aficionados while the Adidas Jabulani from 2010 was described by Brazilian goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, as “a ball you buy in a supermarket”.
January 31 – In a potential breakthrough move, representatives of the world players’ union Fifpro are reported to have met with FIFA over the packed fixture calendar that has led to the threat of strike action.
January 31 – With the current player transfer window set to close next week, FIFA has released its 2024 FIFA Global Transfer Report that highlights a staggering volume of player movement across world football.
January 28 – The widow of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi has urged FIFA to commemorate her late husband at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
January 28 – In a new low, FIFA has rejected a request by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Africa to monitor the conditions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, the hosts of the 2034 World Cup.
January 27 – With a visit to Italy’s far-right deputy prime-minister Matteo Salvini, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has once again marked his presidency by his keenness to use his football honorarium for non-football involvement in extremist political circles.
January 27 – International singing superstar, Robbie Williams, has been named as a ‘music ambassador’ for FIFA and will perform a song for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
January 24 – To successfully run an international tournament containing 32 teams from varying continents, an army of volunteers is an ‘absolute must’ for any organising committee. With the FIFA World Club Cup just a few months away from kick-off, the world’s governing body has been silent until now.
January 21 – Who says sport and politics don’t mix? Among the scores of dignitaries attending Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony was FIFA boss Gianni Infantino who has admitted the pair share a “great friendship.”
January 20 – On Monday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino will attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the United States in Washington DC, the football boss confirmed on his Instagram page.
January 20 – FIFA has banned Manuel Álvarez, one-time general secretary of the Venezuelan FA, for five years for financial wrongdoing and fined him nearly $1 million.
January 17 – Human Rights Watch has spotlighted “a legacy of widespread migrant labor abuses” in Qatar following the 2022 World Cup and “widespread abuses under the kafala system on PIF-funded projects” in Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup.
January 17 – A complaint accusing Saudi Arabia of abusing migrant workers has been deemed admissable by the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation amid fears this could increase as the country prepares to host the 2034 World Cup.
January 17 – FIFA, on Thursday, launched ticket sales for the knockout round of its revamped 32-team Club World Cup with final tickets starting at an eye-catching $633.