Tag: FIFA

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup 2026 games in the United States of America (USA) as scheduled, as football’s power-brokers met in Vancouver on Thursday.

Iran’s participation at this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.

Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates as FIFA’s 76th Congress got underway in western Canada.

“Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America.”

Infantino’s remarks drew swift support from close ally US President Donald Trump, who told reporters in the Oval Office he was “OK” with Iran’s participation.

“Well, if Gianni said it, I’m OK,” Trump said. “I think let ’em play.”

Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.

In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran’s World Cup place.

The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran’s footballers would be welcome. But the tension surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday’s summit.

Iran’s delegation was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday’s meeting got underway after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week.

Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver.

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Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj, a former member of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and two colleagues flew home after being “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

Canada, which designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2024, said Wednesday that individuals linked to the force were “inadmissible.”

Iran, who are due to be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup, face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G.

The Iranians open their World Cup 2026 campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

FIFA supremo Infantino went into Thursday’s summit with his organization under fire over skyrocketing ticket costs for the World Cup, which one supporters group has branded a “monumental betrayal” of fans.

Infantino brushed off those criticisms in his address, insisting that all revenues from the World Cup, estimated between $11 and $13 billion, would be pumped back into football development.

“There are expensive tickets, yes, (but) there are also affordable tickets,” Infantino said. “And what is important is that all the revenues that we generate from the world go back to the entire world and finance football in all of your countries.”

Infantino’s close ties to US President Trump have also come under scrutiny. Advocacy group Fairsquare filed a formal complaint in December, arguing that Infantino had breached FIFA rules concerning political neutrality by awarding Trump the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” during last year’s World Cup draw.

However, Infantino received a huge boost to his hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football on Thursday after receiving pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have both said they will back Infantino if, as expected, he stands for a fourth term in 2027.

The African and Asian confederations account for 101 votes in FIFA’s presidential election out of a total of 211.

Infantino has already secured support for re-election from South American football’s ruling body CONMEBOL, which is worth a further 10 votes.

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Global football governing body FIFA is considering a further increase in prize money for all 48 teams set to compete at the upcoming World Cup 2026, with discussions currently underway with national associations.

The proposal is expected to be reviewed at the upcoming FIFA Council meeting, scheduled ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, where a final decision could be taken.

Earlier in December, FIFA had already announced a significant financial uplift for the 2026 tournament, confirming a prize pool of $655 million, a 50% increase compared to the previous edition. That figure formed part of a broader $727 million financial commitment to the expanded World Cup.

However, fresh talks suggest the governing body is now exploring an even higher payout structure, backed by strong financial growth.

FIFA is projected to surpass $11 billion in revenue during the 2023–2026 cycle, placing it in what officials describe as its strongest financial position to date.

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A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the ongoing discussions, stating that the organisation is looking at increasing overall financial contributions, including payments to participating teams as well as development funding for its 211 member associations.

Under the previously announced model, the bulk of the prize pool was allocated as performance-based earnings, with the tournament winners set to receive $50 million and the runners-up $33 million.

Teams eliminated in the group stage were to earn $9 million each, while every qualified nation would also receive $1.5 million to cover preparation costs.

The 2026 edition will be the first to feature 48 teams, marking a significant expansion in the tournament’s history. It is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP on Tuesday that Iran “will be at the World Cup” and will play their group matches in the United States of America (USA) as scheduled, despite the Middle East war.

“Iran will be at the World Cup,” Infantino said at half-time as Iran beat Costa Rica 5-0 in a friendly in southern Turkey. “That’s why we’re here. We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team, I’m very happy.”

“I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine,” added Infantino, whose attendance at Tuesday’s game was unannounced.

Infantino went on to stress that Iran’s “matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw”.

The World Cup, being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, starts on June 11.

Iran are set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are then scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran’s participation had been thrown into doubt by the war with the USA and Israel that broke out on February 28.

“For us, what matters most are FIFA’s rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever FIFA decides. Every host country has made commitments to FIFA and must honour them,” Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), told AFP at the match.

The FFIRI had said earlier this month it was “negotiating” with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said that her country is prepared to host Iran’s first-round matches at the tournament if needed.

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Infantino initially said that US President Donald Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team would still be welcome. But Trump then stated that Iran’s team should not travel to the tournament “for their own life and safety”.

Iran hit back at Trump’s comments, saying that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup”.

On Tuesday, Mohammad Nabi said Infantino had been en route from Mexico to Qatar.

“Having learnt that we were organising friendly matches here, he came to see us in person, and we had a fruitful discussion,” Mohammad Nabi said.

“Given our history in this competition, it is only natural that FIFA should support the Iranian team. Mr Infantino is providing the necessary support to our national team and has given our players a great boost.”

Asked before the game if Iran would be at the World Cup, back-up striker Dennis Eckert Ayensa told AFP: “Inshallah” (god willing).

Iran, who also played a friendly against Nigeria in the Turkish town of Belek last Friday, crushed Costa Rica, who have not qualified for the World Cup 2026, 5-0 on Tuesday.

Skipper Mehdi Taremi, with two penalties, Ali Gholizadeh and Mohammad Mohebbi put Iran four goals up by the break. Half-time substitute Mehdi Ghayedi added a fifth in the 51st minute, by which time coach Amir Ghalenoei had started to empty his bench.

Before the game, Iran’s players wore black armbands and posed with photos of what officials said were young victims of the war, including those killed in an airstrike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the conflict.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced plans to visit Pakistan in the near future, reaffirming the world governing body’s commitment to supporting the development of football in the country.

Speaking to ‘Pakistan TV Digital’ on the sidelines of the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Infantino said he had already conveyed his intention to travel to Pakistan to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Infantino expressed optimism over recent changes within the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), noting that a new leadership setup is in place and moving in the right direction.

“I will come to Pakistan very soon. I promised the prime minister,” Infantino said. “We now have a new president of the federation who is doing a fantastic job.”

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The FIFA president described Pakistan as a country with immense footballing potential and stressed his desire to see it rise among Asia’s leading teams.

“Pakistan is a great football country,” he said. “We need to bring Pakistan to the top of Asia for sure. We are working on that.”

Pakistan’s engagement with FIFA has seen noticeable progress in recent months. In December, FIFA appointed Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool to its Institutional Reforms Committee, a move seen as a step toward deeper institutional cooperation.

Earlier, in November 2025, FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa visited Pakistan, where he held meetings with football officials and government representatives to discuss the development of infrastructure and governance in the sport.

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Netflix is set to release a FIFA football simulation game exclusively on its gaming platform in summer 2026, timed to coincide with the World Cup, the streaming giant said Wednesday.

The game, developed and published by Delphi Interactive, will be available to Netflix subscribers and can be played solo or online with friends using only a smartphone, the company said.

Los Angeles-based Delphi Interactive is also working on a premium James Bond game in cooperation with Amazon and Danish gaming publisher IO Interactive.

The upcoming game from FIFA, world football’s governing body, does not yet have a title or release date, with more details to arrive in 2026, the company said.

“The FIFA World Cup is going to be the cultural event of 2026, and now fans will be able to celebrate their fandom by bringing the game right into their living rooms,” said Alain Tascan, president of games at Netflix.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the game aspires “to reach billions of football fans of all ages everywhere in the world,” calling it “a great historic step for FIFA.”

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The game comes three years after FIFA removed its name from the world’s best-selling football video game.

FIFA had dominated the market for PlayStation and Xbox games for nearly three decades.

But in 2022, FIFA ended its partnership with EA Sports, the game’s US creator, in a dispute over licensing fees.

Earlier this year, FIFA launched FIFA Rivals, a free-to-use cartoon-style mobile game.

Netflix began offering video games in 2021 to extend its entertainment ecosystem beyond films and TV series.

The service offers a catalog of mostly mobile and, more recently, TV-playable games that are included with a standard Netflix subscription.

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The winners of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million in prize money as part of a record financial contribution for the tournament from FIFA, world football’s governing body, announced on Wednesday.

The total World Cup prize fund of $655 million (558.5 million euros) represents an increase of almost 50 percent from the $440 million distributed to teams taking part in the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.

However, next year’s World Cup — to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 — will be the first to feature 48 teams, a 50 percent increase from the 32 teams last time.

The Argentine Football Association received $42 million in prize money after Lionel Messi inspired them to glory three years ago, when they won on penalties in the final against France.

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France received $30 million for their run to the final. This time, the beaten finalists will pocket $33 million, with the third-place finishers collecting $29 million and the other defeated semi-finalists getting $27 million.

Teams eliminated in the group phase will receive $9 million, while all 48 participating nations will get an additional $1.5 million to cover “preparation costs.”

Earlier, World Cup organisers also unveiled a new cut-price ticket category after a backlash by fans over pricing for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Football’s global governing body FIFA said in a statement that it had created a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” fixed at $60 for all 104 matches, including the final.

It said the plan was “designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament”.

FIFA said that the $60 (51 euro) tickets would be reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up 10 percent of each national federation’s allotment.

For the unversed, the draw for tickets of all prices in the first round of sales will take place on Tuesday, January 13.

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World Cup organisers unveiled a new cut-price ticket category on Tuesday after a backlash by fans over pricing for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Football’s global governing body FIFA said in a statement that it had created a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” fixed at $60 for all 104 matches, including the final.

It said the plan was “designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament”.

FIFA said that the $60 (51 euro) tickets would be reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up 10 percent of each national federation’s allotment.

Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which last week called prices “extortionate” and “astronomical”, responded by saying FIFA was offering too little.

“While we welcome FIFA’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough,” FSE said in a statement on Tuesday.

Last week, FSE said ticket prices were almost five times higher than in 2022 in Qatar, describing FIFA’s pricing for 2026 as a “monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup”.

“If a supporter were to follow their team from the first match to the final, it would cost them a minimum of $6,900,” it said at the time, adding that World Cup organisers had promised tickets priced from $21 in a bid document released in 2018.

On Tuesday, FSE said FIFA’s partial ticketing U-turn exposed flaws in how prices for next year’s tournament had been set.

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“For the moment, we are looking at the FIFA announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash,” FSE said.

“This shows that FIFA’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation — including with FIFA’s own member associations.

“Based on the allocations publicly available, this would mean that at best a few hundred fans per match and team would be lucky enough to take advantage of the 60 US dollar prices, while the vast majority would still have to pay extortionate prices, way higher than at any tournament before.”

The organisation also criticised the failure to make provisions for supporters with disabilities or their companions.

Announcing the $60 tickets on Tuesday, FIFA said that national federations “are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”.

FIFA also said that if fans bought tickets for games in the knockout rounds only to find their team eliminated at an earlier stage, they “will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed.”

It added that it was making the announcement “amid extraordinary global demand for tickets” with 20 million requests already submitted.

The draw for tickets of all prices in the first round of sales will take place on Tuesday, January 13.

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France and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker Ousmane Dembele won the men’s FIFA Best award at a ceremony in Qatar on Tuesday, while Barcelona midfield maestro Aitana Bonmati collected the women’s prize.

Dembele, 28, won the Ballon d’Or in September, rewarding an exceptional season with PSG, which included the Ligue 1 club’s first Champions League title.

Dembele was the cornerstone of PSG’s historic treble: Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the Champions League.

Besides trophies, the footballer, whose career was hampered by inconsistency and injuries, scored decisive goals and key assists and maintained a level of consistency in 2025.

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“I wanted to thank my teammates. Hard work pays off, it’s been a fantastic year for me, both individually and collectively,” said Dembele after the ceremony, which took place on the eve of the Intercontinental Cup final between PSG and Flamengo, also being held in Qatar.

Bonmati, 27, was crowned women’s player of the year for the third time in a row, after also picking up her third consecutive Ballon d’Or in the autumn.

The personal awards come at the end of a year of ups and downs for the Spaniard, who lost both the Champions League and European Championship finals last season.

The winners were chosen by a vote of fans, media representatives, captains and national team coaches.

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The path to glory at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has now been laid out after the final groups were revealed during Friday’s draw ceremony in Washington.

The US President Donald Trump received FIFA’s new peace prize on stage at the Kennedy Centre before the draw for the first 48-team World Cup, which offered kind starts to the tournament for holders Argentina and much-fancied Spain in particular.

While the make-up of the groups was revealed along with the potential path through the knockout rounds for all the potential winners, the precise schedule for the competition will only be confirmed later on Saturday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will unveil the venues and kick-off times for all games from 1700 GMT, after which the teams will be able to focus on fine-tuning their preparations with barely six months left until the World Cup kicks off on June 11.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 by facing Algeria, and will also play Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Reigning European champions Spain will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Thomas Tuchel’s England, seeking to win a first World Cup since 1966, will be expected to top Group L ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

Two-time winners France face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by a play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.

For the first time, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart. Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all top their groups.

However, the path to that stage, with an extra knockout round now following the group phase, looks perilous.

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If the top seeds all win their groups, England could find themselves playing co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16 and then Brazil in the quarter-finals, before a semi against Argentina.

Other possible match-ups include France and Germany being on a last-16 collision course and a potential meeting between Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals.

The tournament will be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in 2022.

While the US will host most matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada.

The opening game sees Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will meet in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti.

Notably, Scotland and Brazil will meet for the fifth time at a World Cup.

Germany’s opponents in Group E will be the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Portugal face Uzbekistan, Colombia and a play-off winner.

The United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia and a European play-off winner in Group D.

The top two teams in each group advance to the last 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Draw

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner of UEFA play-off D*

Group B: Canada, Winner of UEFA play-off A*, Qatar, Switzerland

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Winner of UEFA play-off C*

Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner of UEFA play-off B*, Tunisia

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group I: France, Senegal, Winner of Fifa play-off 2*, Norway

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Winner of Fifa play-off 1*, Uzbekistan, Colombia

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

*UEFA play-off A: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland

*UEFA play-off B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden

*UEFA play-off C: Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania

*UEFA play-off D: Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia

*Fifa play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia

*Fifa play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname

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Aymeric Laporte has replaced injured Dean Huijsen in the Spain squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to a calf injury.

“Huijsen arrived with symptoms of muscular fatigue at the Spain national team camp on Monday night,” said the Spanish football federation in a statement.

“On Tuesday he did not train… and on Wednesday he had a medical test confirming a muscular injury, which Real Madrid have been informed of.”

Real Madrid said Huijsen has suffered a “calf muscle injury in his left leg”, without specifying an expected recovery date.

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Spanish media reported he is likely to return in 10-12 days, putting in doubt Huijsen being fit for Madrid’s La Liga game at Getafe on October 19.

The 20-year-old centre-back joined Real from Premier League club Bournemouth this summer and made his Spain debut in March in the Nations League.

Laporte, who recently rejoined Athletic Bilbao, was a key part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal and Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernandez had already withdrawn from the squad for the games against Georgia and Bulgaria on Saturday and October 14, respectively.

Spain tops Group E after beating Bulgaria and Turkey in their opening qualifiers for next summer’s tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

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