FIFA has dismissed chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, weeks after he said Infantino’s staff had been deceived by his abandoned World Cup investment plan. The firing lands alongside a new legal challenge questioning whether Infantino is even eligible to stand for re-election, as he publicly defended both Saudi Arabia’s 2034 hosting rights and his relationship […]
Yemen’s Houthi movement has struck Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region repeatedly over the past two weeks, killing two civilians and hitting the same Aramco refinery at least twice, even after Saudi Arabia signed a new nuclear-backed defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan. The sustained attacks on Saudi territory raise fresh doubts about the kingdom’s ability to […]
Europe’s leading football clubs threatened to boycott future Club World Cups just hours before FIFA president Gianni Infantino scrapped his private investment plan, a new report reveals, as New Zealand became the latest national federation to withdraw support for his re-election. With Infantino’s allies dismissing critics as jealous of a “high achiever,” the crisis shows […]
All six of FIFA’s continental confederations have now declared their position on Gianni Infantino’s leadership, with the vote split exactly three to three. Saudi Arabia, the 2034 World Cup host, has yet to declare its hand, and its eventual decision could determine which way Asia’s federations ultimately tip. All six of FIFA’s continental confederations have […]
On August 13, 2026, six Arab football federations—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Mauritania—issued a joint statement expressing “full support” for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, reaffirming confidence in his leadership amid a deepening governance crisis at football’s world governing body. The endorsement comes as Infantino faces unprecedented opposition from UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF over […]
A fire that killed 16 Bangladeshi migrant workers at a sofa factory in Riyadh on 9 August 2026 has become a stark test of Saudi Arabia’s promises on labour protection and workplace safety. As the kingdom prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the circumstances of the blaze raise urgent questions about how migrant […]
US President Donald Trump has publicly warned FIFA it would be making a “terrible mistake” if it replaced Gianni Infantino, hours after UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC issued a joint letter accusing him of a “fundamental breach of trust.” Rather than demanding his immediate removal, the three confederations are understood to want Infantino to step […]
Three of FIFA’s confederations have issued a joint open letter accusing Gianni Infantino of breaking trust through deception over his abandoned World Cup investment plan, demanding a fully independent review. The letter, which stopped just short of calling for new leadership, lands alongside a separate report over payments made to a former UEFA employee during […]
As Gianni Infantino fights to keep his job following the collapse of his World Cup investment plan, analysis of his presidency shows a decade-long pattern of deepening financial ties between FIFA and Saudi Arabia, from a $100 million-a-year Aramco sponsorship to a free World Cup streaming deal linked to a Saudi investment fund. With Morocco […]
FIFA president Gianni Infantino received a wave of public backing from South American and African football bodies this week, including a unanimous endorsement from Africa’s 54-member confederation, even as UEFA maintains its boycott threat and Norway calls for his resignation. The consolidation of support outside Europe complicates the narrative of an isolated president, while raising […]