… Even South America's governing body CONMEBOL - seen as close to Infantino - failed to swing behind it, finally issuing a statement saying it had requested "additional information and clarifications." - Saturday - The white flag was raised. …
… the tournament proposition," it said in a research brief. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); South American confederation CONMEBOL …
… South American confederation CONMEBOL, whose president Alejandro Dominguez is regarded as a close ally of Infantino, demanded further information on the "scope, structure, governance and potential effects" of the project. …
… In April, South American governing body CONMEBOL became the first continental confederation to publicly back Infantino's re-election bid, with CAF quickly joining the growing chorus of support. …
… An official proposal to boost the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams was put forward by South American governing body Conmebol in April 2025, but no decision has been reached. …
… CAF's decision to support Infantino comes after South American football's governing body CONMEBOL also pledged to support the Swiss-Italian official earlier in April.
Iran, World Cup loom over FIFA Congress By AFP April 30, 2026 06:40 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter FIFA president Gianni Infantino (2nd R) speaks during the 75th FIFA congress at the CONMEBOL headquarters …
France's Football Federation announced it will not support Gianni Infantino's candidacy for FIFA president in the March 2027 election, joining other European federations including Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Sweden and Wales in withdrawing support. The FFF stated that trust in the FIFA president has been betrayed and that world football governance no longer reflects their values.
France's Football Federation announced it will not support Gianni Infantino's candidacy for FIFA president in the March 2027 election, joining other European federations including Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Sweden and Wales in withdrawing support. The FFF stated that trust in the FIFA president has been betrayed and that world football governance no longer reflects their values.
Two Argentine sports marketing executives, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, admitted to bribing international soccer officials to secure lucrative media rights in a scheme that defrauded FIFA, CONCACAF, and CONMEBOL. Under a deferred prosecution agreement with US prosecutors, they agreed to forfeit $50 million and avoid trial.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has departed after breaking ranks with senior FIFA directors and criticizing Infantino's plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including World Cups. Lamour had refused to sign off on the deal and described it as "the project of one person."
US President Donald Trump said on Monday it would be "a terrible mistake" to replace FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is facing criticism from three continental confederations over deception and failed efforts to privatize parts of the World Cup.
US President Donald Trump said Monday it would be "a terrible mistake" to replace FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who faced criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC over a failed plan to sell World Cup broadcasting rights to private investors.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino withdrew his plan to raise private investment for a new commercial subsidiary to run World Cup operations after global backlash. UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC released an open letter criticizing his leadership style, despite calls for unity.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino lost UEFA's "confidence" after withdrawing a plan to allow private investment in the World Cup, prompting the European body to reiterate a boycott threat. While the Confederation of African Football backed Infantino, CONMEBOL and UEFA criticized him over the cancelled financing scheme.
South American football's governing body CONMEBOL welcomed FIFA's withdrawal of its private investor plan but expressed concern about FIFA's repeated unilateral actions.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says he will not challenge FIFA boss Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency in Rabat next March, though UEFA is locked in a bitter dispute with FIFA over Infantino's scrapped private investor plan.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandoned a plan to bring private finance into the World Cup after UEFA threatened to boycott tournaments, but UEFA said on Thursday that not all of its conditions have been met and reiterated the boycott threat. CAF backed Infantino while CONMEBOL criticized him.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandoned a proposed plan to allow private investment in the World Cup following widespread opposition, including from UEFA and other football stakeholders. The plan, which would have retained FIFA's majority share in a new entity while raising $4.2 billion, sparked a furious global backlash within days of being made public.
FIFA is considering expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition and plans to appoint an independent agency to assess the impact of this expansion on the tournament.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the organization has abandoned a proposal to allow private investment in the World Cup following fierce opposition from football officials globally. The plan, floated on Tuesday, would have created a commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion that could raise up to $4.2 billion.
African football chief Patrice Motsepe praised FIFA president Gianni Infantino as a devoted steward of the game and friend of Africa, defending him against criticism over decisions including a suspension delay for a US striker and hydration breaks.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the federation will examine a 64-team World Cup format after the 2026 tournament, citing the success of the current 48-team expansion and the need for the competition to be inclusive of all nations and regions.
Former Argentina captain Antonio Rattín, who was sent off in the 1966 World Cup quarter-final against England, died on Saturday. Rattín was a central midfielder who spent his entire career with Boca Juniors and played 34 times for Argentina, including in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reaffirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup and play their games in the United States as scheduled, despite uncertainty stemming from Middle East tensions since February.
FIFA's 76th Congress convenes in Vancouver less than two months before the World Cup opens across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with roughly 1,600 delegates expected to discuss the Iran war, World Cup logistics, and Russia's international ban. Iran's football federation officials abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, threatening to overshadow the meeting.