Matches at the 2026 World Cup will feature more TV ads than usual, with FIFA opening the door after instituting a blanket water break edict

Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations

* Letter sent before Fifa council meeting on 15 October * Infantino under pressure before presidential election The Football Association’s chair, Debbie Hewitt, has written to Gianni Infantino, demanding that Fifa releases all documents relating to his abandoned World Cup sell-off plan and the decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension during last summer’s tournament. The Guardian revealed last month that Hewitt and other members of the Fifa council were lobbying for an independent review of the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) sell-off and the Balogun controversy. Their requests have been formalised in a letter sent to the Fifa president and his deputy, Mattias Grafström. Continue reading...

In a letter sent by “Stop The Game” to the Football Association of Ireland, calling on it to boycott the two matches against Israel

* Gianni ⁠Infantino issues statement on controversial plan * ‘This proposal will not proceed,’ confirms Fifa president Fifa president Gianni ⁠Infantino has said world ⁠football’s ⁠governing body ​has scrapped plans to ⁠sell a stake in the World ⁠Cup to private ​investors ‌after widespread ‌backlash. “Having listened carefully ‌to all the views, it has become clear that the project has ‌created divisions of a nature that, ​regardless of the level of support, are no longer ⁠in the interest ​of ​the objective ​set out in ​the ‌first place,” ​Infantino ​said. Continue reading...