May 9 – Sepp Blatter, who continues to speak out about the way FIFA has been operating since he was forced to step down before being banned from the game, has urged his old organisation to allow Morocco to take part in the 2026 World Cup ballot.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 8 – Any suggestion that next month’s 2026 World Cup ballot will be refreshingly void of politics has been wiped away in one fell swoop by South Africa’s sudden change of heart about supporting fellow Africans Morocco.
By Paul Nicholson
May 8 –The United 2026 bid chairmen have reinforced their commercial credentials for hosting FIFA’s first 48-team World Cup, predicting a record revenue of $14 billion for FIFA, a profit of $11 billion.
May 8 – Saudi Arabia has given yet another giant hint that it is backing the joint bid of United States, Canada and Mexico to stage the 2026 World Cup as the tournament increasingly becomes a political combat zone in the Gulf region.
May 4 – The joint North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup insists its campaign has not been damaged by U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial series of tweets calling for support from Africa and beyond.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 3 – The two bidding candidates for the 2026 World Cup made back-to-back presentations in the same European city today as they pitched their respective campaigns before the six Nordic nations whose support could prove crucial come the all-important vote next month.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 2 – The row over alleged dirty tricks from within the FIFA administration to have Morocco thrown out of the 2026 World Cup bid process has prompted former Senegalese international El Hadji Diouf to further denounce claims that he has a family link with FIFA’s number two Fatma Samoura.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 1 – Donald Trump has again entered the World Cup lobbying arena, perhaps not quite with the same threatening tone or language but nevertheless potentially in danger of again violating FIFA’s ethics code and by association undermining his country’s joint bid for the 2026 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 30 – In what can only be construed as a rap over the knuckles, FIFA has been quick to clarify its rules of conduct over government interference following last week’s remarkable politically-charged tweet by US President Donald Trump that appeared to violate the 2026 World Cup bid process.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – The increasingly bitter race to stage the 2026 World Cup has been plunged into unchartered and unprecedented territory after tweets by US president Donald Trump appeared to violate strict FIFA rules over the bid process.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 26 – One of Europe’s most influential voting FIFA nations has warned against Morocco’s 2026 World Cup bid being sabotaged amid suspicions that Gianni Infantino may be behind an alleged plot to prevent the north Africans making it on to the ballot paper in June.
April 26 – The tripartite North American bid to stage the 2026 World Cup has received a significant boost with a strong endorsement in Washington from the House of Representatives, the clearest indication yet of political backing for the bid.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Fresh suspicions that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may be behind an alleged plot to exclude Morocco from the 2026 World Cup vote have provoked a furious response from the North African underdogs as tensions escalate ahead of the ballot in June.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – With precision timing given the growing geo-political tension between FIFA and UEFA, the head of African football has urged Europe to back Morocco’s bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – Just days after FIFA’s 2026 World Cup evaluation panel completed its inspection visits to the two candidates, fresh claims have emerged of unfair treatment towards Morocco that threaten to undermine the all-important vote in June.