Bahrain, UAE and Seychelles named as bidders for 2023 Beach World Cup
February 15 – Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Seychelles have been announced by FIFA as the three countries bidding to host the 2023 Beach Soccer World Cup.
FIFA
French give FIFA a free tax ride for Paris operations
February 15 – FIFA operations in Paris will not be subject to corporate taxes and social security contributions.
Club World Cup stays in Europe as Chelsea beat Palmeiras in extra time
February 13 – Kai Havertz’s extra-time penalty strike crowned Chelsea World Champions with a 2-1 victory against Brazil’s Palmeiras in the final of the Club World Cup. The London club have now won every trophy available in the Roman Abramovich era.
Weary-looking Chelsea face a confident Palmeiras for Club World Cup title
February 11 – A decade after losing the 2012 competition, Chelsea will seek to win their first Club World Cup against Palmeiras from Brazil on Saturday to wrap up a tournament of which the future remains shrouded in mystery.
Kenya women appeal to Infantino to keep Uganda match on and World Cup hopes alive
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Kenya’s women footballers have urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to personally intervene to allow a crucial World Cup qualifier to go ahead and save their dream of reaching next year’s finals.
Belgium keep top World ranking slot as Senegal enter top 20
February 2 – Belgium have retained top spot in the FIFA ranking ahead of Brazil and world champions France, with recently crowned African champions Senegal and The Gambia among the biggest risers.
An animated Collina gets everyone onside with SAOT test
February 10 – Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referee Committee and FIFA’s Technology and Innovation, has emphasised that the referees and assistants on the field will still have the final decision, despite the advanced trials of the semi-automated offside technology system (SAOT).
Lukaku goal is enough to set up Chelsea vs Palmeiras Club World Cup final
February 9 – Europe and South America will again compete for the global club crown after Chelsea eliminated Asian champions Al Hilal 1-0 in a lively semi-final to set up a Club World Cup decider against Palmeiras from Brazil.
Al Hilal coach Jardim complains Chelsea have been favoured by CWC schedule
February 9 – Al Hilal coach Leonardo Jardim has criticised FIFA for favouring European teams at the Club World Cup, echoing comments from Al Ahly boss Pitso Mosimane earlier in the tournament.
Qatar 2022: More than 17m match tickets requested in first sales window
February 9 – The World Cup remains the hottest ticket in town. Football fans from across the globe applied for 17 million tickets in the first sales period of the World Cup in Qatar, with the final proving to be the most in-demand match with 1.8 million ticket requests.
FIFA logs over 3,500 transfers in Jan window and spend of $1.bn+
February 9 – The first set of data on transfer spending and trends from the January 2022 transfer window has been released by FIFA showing an international market that is very much on the bounceback with fees breaking the $1 billion mark.
Morocco debate rolling the World Cup bidding dice again for 2030
February 8 – Morocco is rumoured to be considering a bid for the 2030 World Cup – the sixth time the country would have attempted to land football’s showpiece tournament.
IFAB to take another look at VAR
February 8 – World football’s lawmakers will once again discuss changes to the offside law at their annual meeting next month, being conducted virtually.
CAF clears Hayatou ruling FIFA ban was based on ‘insufficient evidence’
February 7 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned FIFA’s one-year ban of former Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou.
IOC members turn angrily on absent Infantino over biennial World Cup proposal
February 4 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its members have attacked FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup, saying that global finals every two years would cause ‘immeasurable damage’ to global sport.