Monthly Archives: August 2026

Inside the week that shook Gianni Infantino, FIFA and the football world

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“The grand announcement was supposed to come on the eve of the World Cup final at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, when FIFA president Gianni Infantino planned to unveil his plan to sell a stake in its competitions to private investors, including Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared. The previous evening, he held court alongside the U.S. president at Trump Tower. Infantino described the 2026 World Cup as ‘the greatest human, social and cultural event mankind has ever witnessed.’ In front of a room of billionaires, extended Trump family members and soccer federation executives, Infantino’s grip on the sport appeared impregnable. He wrote on Instagram that he had already received pledges of support from more than 200 of the 211 member federations for re-election in 2027, having announced his candidacy in April, with the African, Asian and South American confederations unanimously backing him. The World Cup may have been mired in the scandals of rejected visas, Trump interference and numerous statewide investigations into FIFA’s ticketing practices, but it yielded $15billion (£11bn) in revenues, which had a muzzling effect on those who were uneasy with Infantino’s leadership. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)
NYT/ATH: UEFA threatens FIFA, Joshua Kushner with legal action over World Cup investment plan (Video)
Al-jazeera: Infantino’s FIFA World Cup crisis: Who could replace president? (Video)
A World Cup without UEFA would be worthless – and FIFA know it
Guardian: Pressure on Gianni Infantino increases as Uefa members prepare to oppose re-election

There can be no letup. Humiliated Infantino must stand down at Fifa or be removed

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“There is no time to dance around the subject. Gianni Infantino must stand down as Fifa president or otherwise be legally removed. No fresh chances can be made available for an official who has demolished trust in football’s integrity and governance, trashing all remaining credibility of the body that oversees the world’s most-cherished sport. Infantino was forced into a humiliating climbdown on Saturday morning when he accepted the failure of his plan to sell off portions of the World Cup to private investment. He resolved to resume dialogue about football’s growth ‘in the spirit of shared interest in our game’. But such a naked attempt to save his own skin cannot hold. Every day Infantino remains in power is a fresh stain on an institution whose reputation is on the floor. …”
Guardian

Liverpool players make up after armband spat but Curtis Jones edges closer to an Anfield exit

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Dominik Szoboszlai is among the favourites to become Liverpool vice-captain
“It was all smiles when Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas stepped out at Chicago Fire’s training ground. As the Liverpool trio chatted and knocked a ball around as they waited for the start of Friday’s opening training session, the mood was friendly and relaxed. There was certainly no sign of bad blood following their very public spat at New York’s Yankee Stadium just over 36 hours earlier. Jones had cut an agitated figure when he made a beeline for Szoboszlai after the 1-0 victory over Wrexham. Their heated exchange on the field lasted more than two minutes, with Jones unhappy that Szoboszlai had given the captain’s armband to Tsimikas rather than him when the Hungary midfielder was substituted 13 minutes from time. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)
Guardian – Faster, faster: Iraola in a rush to plug Liverpool gaps before Premier League starts