Tag: FIFA

France reach World Cup final by beating Belgium

by Kieran CANNING Agence France-Presse SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia – Samuel Umtiti headed France into the World Cup final on Tuesday as Didier Deschamps’ side stayed on course to repeat their triumph of 1998 after overcoming a vibrant Belgium team 1-0. The tournament favourites must now wait 24 hours until they find out whether they will play England or Croatia in Sunday’s final in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium but they will approach the game full of confidence. […]

Spain to battle host nation Russia, Croatia vs Denmark as FIFA World Cup knockout stages continue tonight

  By Vivem Soriano Eagle News Service 2010 winners Spain will battle host nation Russia tonight in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium at 10:00 PM (GMT+8) in what the Russians describe as the “match of our lives” as both teams try to advance in the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Spain topped Group B with 5 points. They opened the tournament with a 3-3 draw against Iberian rivals Portugal who was led by Real Madrid […]

FIFA World Cup knockout rounds begin tonight

By Vivem Soriano Eagle News Service The group stage is over and now only 16 teams remain in the battle for global football superiority as the FIFA World Cup round-of-16 kicks off tonight with two titanic matches. 1998 winners France will battle 1978 and 1986 champions Argentina at the Kazan Arena in Kazan at 10:00 PM (GMT +8), the first game of the knockout stages. France topped Group C during the group stage with a […]

US, Mexico and Canada win race to host 2026 World Cup

  by Guy Jackson Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The United States, Mexico and Canada will host the 2026 World Cup after a clear victory over underdogs Morocco in a vote by FIFA member nations on Wednesday. The joint North American bid received 134 of the 203 votes, while Morocco polled 65 in the ballot at a FIFA Congress held in Moscow on the eve of the 2018 World Cup. It means global […]

FIFA to choose North America or Morocco for 2026 World Cup

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — FIFA members vote Wednesday on whether to award the 2026 World Cup to a slick North American bid or to Morocco, which has African support to bring football’s showpiece event back to the continent. On the eve of the 2018 World Cup, delegates from 207 nations gathered in Moscow are faced with a clear choice. The United States, Mexico and Canada are the frontrunners, boasting modern, established stadiums and well-developed transport links. […]

Football: Gulf crisis could hit Qatar 2022

by David Harding Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar – The diplomatic crisis sweeping the Gulf could invigorate a campaign by critics of Qatar to strip Doha of the 2022 World Cup, experts said Monday. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen were among those to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on the grounds that Doha supported extremist groups “that aim to destabilize the region.” One of the areas that could feel the impact […]

Football: Philippines boost as coach Dooley extends contract

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — American Thomas Dooley will lead the Philippines’ football team for another two years after maintaining their top ranking in Southeast Asia, the national federation said. The deal means Dooley, a former captain of the US national team, will lead the Philippines as they target success in the AFF Suzuki Cup, which they are co-hosting with Myanmar in November and December. Dooley, 54, who took charge in 2014, will now stay at […]

FIFA President denies links to “Panama Papers” scandal

  ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (Reuters) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a statement on Tuesday (April 5) denying involvement with companies implicated in the Panama leaks shortly after an article by Britain’s Guardian newspaper said the leaks showed contracts co-signed by Infantino in his role as director of legal services at UEFA, with an Argentine firm that bought TV rights for European continental competitions. “As I previously stated, I never personally dealt with Cross Trading nor […]

Football: Infantino implicated in Panama Papers – report

  BERLIN, Germany (AFP) —  The signature of new FIFA president Gianni Infantino has cropped up in the so-called “Panama Papers” in connection with questionable TV rights sales in South America, the German newspaper behind the mass leaks reported on Tuesday. Swiss-Italian lawyer Infantino, 46, succeeded the suspended Sepp Blatter in February as the head of FIFA, which is reeling from the arrests of leading officials last year, as well as the clouds over the […]

Qatar is unfit to host the 2022 World Cup, says Amnesty International

DOHA, Qatar (Reuters) — Migrant workers in Qatar renovating a 2022 World Cup stadium have been subjected to human rights abuses, in some cases forced labor, two years after the tournament’s organizers introduced worker welfare standards in the wake of widespread criticism, according to a report by Amnesty International. Dozens of construction workers from Nepal and India rebuilding the Khalifa stadium, a vast sporting complex in Doha that will host a World Cup quarter-final in […]

Suspended Guatemalan judge granted release on bond in U.S. football case

A suspended Guatemalan judge who was arrested last month as part of a U.S. investigation into corruption in soccer’s world governing body FIFA won the right to be released from jail on Thursday (January 07) on a $4 million (USD) bond. Héctor Trujillo, 62, was secretary general of the Guatemalan soccer federation and a Constitutional Court judge until his Dec. 4 arrest while aboard a Disney cruise ship docked in Florida. With Trujillo’s wife and […]

Blatter arrives for his appearance before the FIFA Ethics Committee

Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter arrived at FIFA headquarters on Thursday (December 17) for his hearing before the group’s ethics panel. FIFA investigators in November called for sanctions against Blatter and European (UEFA) soccer chief Michel Platini, both of whom were suspended from their posts for 90 days on Oct. 8 pending a full investigation. Blatter has reiterated that a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.02 million) payment from FIFA to Platini in 2011 — when […]