Tag: FIFA

FIFA has unveiled the official match ball for the 2026 World Cup, combining high-tech refinements and design details celebrating the three co-host countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The ball, called Trionda, was again designed by German manufacturer Adidas, provider of the official World Cup balls since the 1970 tournament.

“I am delighted and proud to present the Trionda,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino as the ball was revealed at an event in New York on Thursday.

The first World Cup organized by three countries, with 48 teams competing, inspired both the name and the design of the ball featuring red, blue and green colors.

Iconography from each host nation — maple leaves from Canada, the eagle from Mexico and stars from the United States also feature, with a triangle referring to the unity of the three countries.

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Less visible are technological advancements that include deep seams designed to produce “optimal in-flight stability” and embossed icons that improve grip in wet or humid conditions.

A motion sensor chip will relay information on the ball’s movement, sending data to the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

The unveiling marks another step in the countdown to the North American World Cup, which will be held June 11-July 19 next year.

FIFA has launched its online phased ticket sales procedures, with more than 4.5 million fans from 216 countries and territories entering the presale draw.

The tournament draw will be held in Washington on December 5.

READ: Zimbabwe seal Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 berth with win over Kenya

South Africa have forfeited a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player, world football governing body FIFA announced on Monday.

South Africa’s 2-0 victory on March 21 in Polokwane has been replaced with a 3-0 defeat, meaning they drop to second place in Group C of the African qualifiers, behind Benin on goal difference, while Lesotho remain fifth.

South Africa violated Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code by playing Teboho Mokoena after the midfielder had accumulated two yellow cards against Benin and then Zimbabwe, the football body’s disciplinary committee said.

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The South African FA, which has still 10 days to appeal the decision, must also pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,536).

The ruling offers a lifeline to Nigeria and Rwanda of reaching the finals, with both teams now only three points behind South Africa.

Only the nine group winners qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup. The four best runners-up will advance to play-offs, which could secure Africa a 10th spot in the finals.

For context, the FIFA 2026 World Cup will be historic as 48 teams will participate for the first time, expanding from 32 teams, and will be played across three countries in North America: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Athletic Bilbao will sign Aymeric Laporte after the world football governing body FIFA changed their stance on Thursday.

The Basque side tried to bring in the Spanish defender from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on September 1, but the move was not completed before the transfer deadline.

FIFA last week rejected a request from the Spanish football federation (RFEF) to make an exception for Laporte’s move, but Athletic said the RFEF request has now been granted after they sought to overturn the decision.

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Spanish media said Al-Nassr had not filled in the details of the transfer online into FIFA’s Transfer Matching System.

“Athletic Club would like to report that FIFA has authorised the RFEF to obtain the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the Saudi Arabian football federation,” said Athletic in a statement.

#NuevaFotoDePerfil pic.twitter.com/7X5vbXRJnA

— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) September 11, 2025

“Once the ITC is issued, Aymeric Laporte can be registered with Athletic Club.”

Laporte, 31, left Athletic for Manchester City in 2018 before joining Al-Nassr in 2023.

READ: UEFA reveals host city for Champions League 2027 Final

FIFA will kick off a multi-phase ticket sale process for the World Cup 2026 this month with initial single-seat prices as low as $60 for group-stage matches and as high as $6,710 for the final.

Those prices will fluctuate based on demand, and fans will be able to buy single-game tickets, venue-specific tickets, and team-specific packages, the world football governing body said Wednesday as it announced a schedule for the first phase of sales.

Forty-eight teams, the biggest field in World Cup history, will play in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 next year.

Fans who have a Visa card can register for a FIFA ID on the body’s website to enter a presale draw to be held September 10-19.

Those selected through the randomized presale draw can then apply to purchase tickets starting October 1.

Sales will be capped at four tickets per person per match, and no person can purchase more than 40 for the entire tournament.

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Further ticket sales will be launched in the coming months, with registration for Phase Two expected to take place from October 27 to 31, followed by sales from mid-November to early December.

Phase three will begin shortly after the tournament draw is held in Washington on December 5, and fans can submit applications for specific matches.

Closer to the tournament, fans will be able to buy remaining inventory on a first-come, first-served basis.

FIFA said in a statement it planned to offer additional products such as supporter tickets for fans who want to sit with others backing the same team, and conditional supporter tickets for fans who want to reserve a place in potential knockout rounds.

FIFA will also launch an official resale platform.

READ: Pakistan’s Haider Ali found not guilty in UK case

FIFA has established an office inside Trump Tower in New York City as it intensifies preparations for the 2026 World Cup in North America, the governing body of world football announced.

“FIFA is a global organisation and to be global, you have to be local, you have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at an event in Manhattan.

“So today, we are opening an office of FIFA here in Trump Tower.”

FIFA already has offices in Miami, and the move deepens ties between Infantino and US President Donald Trump.

Infantino attended Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, has appeared alongside the US President at the Oval Office, and joined him on a recent visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

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“Thanks, of course, to President Trump as well, who is a big fan of soccer, (together with) the whole family,” added Infantino, who was speaking ahead of the semi-finals of the Club World Cup taking place at the MetLife Stadium just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

The first 32-team Club World Cup concludes this weekend, while the World Cup 2026, scheduled for June and July, will be the first to feature 48 teams.

Eleven of the 16 venues in 2026 will be in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. The final will take place in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“We have received such big support from the government and from the President with the White House Task Force for the FIFA Club World Cup and for the FIFA World Cup next year,” Infantino said before declaring the ongoing tournament “an incredible success”.

READ: Joao Pedro’s brace sends Chelsea into Club World Cup final

Borussia Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw by Fluminense at the Club World Cup on Tuesday, as Brazilian teams maintained their unbeaten record so far in the competition.

Rio de Janeiro powerhouses Fluminense were the more dangerous team throughout the Group F game played at the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, just outside New York City.

However, Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel turned a Jhon Arias shot around the post in the first half, before Matheus Martinelli drilled an effort narrowly wide.

Fluminense — captained by 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea defender Thiago Silva — were a threat on the break throughout and should have scored at the end of a counter midway into the second half, but Agustin Canobbio shot straight at Kobel.

The Dortmund goalkeeper then produced a fine save low down to deny Everaldo as the club world cup match ended in stalemate.

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Fluminense qualified for the tournament by virtue of their triumph in the Copa Libertadores in 2023.

Their performance against a European heavyweight, UEFA Champions League finalists last year, is further evidence that Brazilian teams can hope to make a real impact in FIFA’s new-look competition.

Their great rivals Flamengo beat Esperance of Tunisia 2-0 on Monday and face Chelsea next.

Palmeiras drew 0-0 with Porto in their opening game while Botafogo, the reigning Brazilian and South American champions, defeated Seattle Sounders of MLS 2-1 on Sunday.

Dortmund, who gave a debut off the bench to teenage English midfielder Jobe Bellingham following his recent arrival from Sunderland, did not seriously threaten until a late Niklas Suele long-ranger.

The Germans will hope to get their first win in the Club World Cup when they play Mamelodi Sundowns next.

Sundowns, of South Africa, take on Ulsan HD of South Korea in the day’s other Group F match in Orlando.

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The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has paid homage to Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, placing him among football players Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luka Modrić.

FIFA shared the iconic number 10 jersey in a social media post, featuring global football icons.

“The iconic,” FIFA wrote in a caption alongside the jersey of Shaheen Afridi and football players.

FIFA’s gesture is reportedly part of a broader effort to increase fan engagement in Pakistan ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place in the United States of America (USA).

 

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Last year, Manchester United also honoured the pacer during his visit to Old Trafford, the iconic home of the football club.

At Old Trafford, Shaheen Afridi received a warm welcome. He was spotted in the dugout of the iconic stadium, posing with a personalized Manchester United jersey.

The jersey displayed his name, “Afridi,” along with the iconic No. 10, which has been worn by football legends such as David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wayne Rooney, highlighting the significance of the visit.

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It is pertinent to mention that the honour came at a time when Lahore Qalandars triumphed for the third time in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10. Shaheen Afridi, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, was pivotal to his team’s success.

With the win, the left-arm pacer also etched his name into the tournament’s history as the most successful captain. Shaheen Afridi has won three titles in PSL, making him the most successful captain.

Lahore Qalandars chased down 202 to defeat Quetta Gladiators in the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Sikandar Raza, who came 10 minutes before the toss, secured the emphatic win for his team, scoring 22 off seven balls.

Captains with most PSL titles:

Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) – 3

Misbah-ul-Haq (Islamabad United) – 1

Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) – 1

JP Duminy (Islamabad United) – 1

Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) – 1

Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) – 1

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 1

Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) – 1

READ: WATCH: Bangladesh, SA Players involved in Physical Fight During Emerging Test

FIFA has suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) immediately due to its failure to implement constitutional amendments recommended by the global governing body.

The suspension comes after the PFF Congress refused to adopt a revised constitution ensuring fair and democratic elections, a key requirement of FIFA’s normalization process.

The PFF’s failure to amend its constitution, particularly clauses related to the electoral process, has led to the suspension. FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had urged the PFF to make these changes, but the newly elected PFF Congress rejected them.

This is not the first time the PFF has faced suspension. In April 2021, FIFA imposed a ban due to third-party interference, lifted in June 2022 after the PFF Normalization Committee regained control of its premises and finances.

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The current suspension means Pakistan’s national teams are barred from international competitions, and the PFF will no longer receive FIFA’s financial assistance until the issue is resolved.

The Pakistan Football Federation Normalization Committee Chairman Haroon Malik had warned of a possible suspension due to the deadlock between the federation and the newly elected Congress. Malik stated that FIFA wants the PFF Constitution to align with international standards, but a majority of the newly elected PFF Congress members have not agreed to the proposed amendments.

The PFF has made progress in recent months, including participating in the 2023 Olympic qualifiers and advancing to the second round. However, the suspension is a significant setback for Pakistani football.

READ: Trophy for tri-nation ODI series unveiled

Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been banned for two matches by FIFA for “offensive behaviour”, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Aston Villa star was also found guilty of “violating principles of fairplay” in two separate episodes.

Martinez was found to have violated FIFA’s code of conduct when holding a replica of the Copa America trophy to his groin after the World Cup qualifier win over Chile on September 5.

It is not the first time Emiliano Martinez has performed such an action having also done it with the Golden Glove trophy for best goalkeeper after Argentina beat France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final.

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FIFA also sanctioned him for hitting a TV cameraman’s camera with his gloves after their 2-1 defeat by Colombia on September 10.

The AFA expressed their dissatisfaction with the FIFA ruling.

“It should be noted that the Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee,” they said in a statement.

As a result of the decision Emiliano Martinez — also a key member of the Argentina side that won the Copa America in July, as well as the 2021 edition — will miss the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on October 10 and Bolivia on October 15.

Argentina are top of the South American qualifying table with 18 points after eight matches. Colombia are just two points behind.

READ: Brook says return to form ‘a matter of time’ as England hammer Australia

The apex body of football FIFA has recently imitated Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali in an Instagram post while appreciating England winger Bukayo Saka on Sunday.

FIFA posted a picture of Bukayo Saka on their Instagram with the caption ‘Saka karlega’ after the winger scored an 80th-minute goal to level the scores in the Euro Cup quarter-final against Switzerland.

Switzerland’s Breel Embolo scored the first goal of the match in the 75th minute, however, Saka scored the equalizer only five minutes later.

England went on to win the match on penalties 5-3. They will face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on July 11.

FIFA’s Instagram post imitated Hasan Ali’s infamous ‘King karlega‘ comment which he made during an appearance at a local podcast last year.

Hasan Ali during the conversation praised Babar Azam highly and revealed that the Pakistan players refer to Babar as ‘King’ in the dressing room.

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“Hum usko Babar nahi King kehte hain… Yaar King karlega,” the fast bowler said.

Hasan’s remarks caught the attention of cricket fans with some seeing the funny side of it and thus turning it into a meme.

For the unversed, Hasan Ali is currently in England to participate in the ongoing County Championship League for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

It’s worth noting that FIFA’s Instagram was targeted at Pakistan’s audience only, hence it is only visible in Pakistan.

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