Governing Bodies
UK GOVERNMENT PLEDGES BACKING TO FIVE-NATION BID FOR 2030 FIFA WORLD CUP
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed a potential United Kingdom and Ireland bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, while indicating the country would be open to staging more matches at the delayed 2020 UEFA European Championship.
A joint bid from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales has been mooted for several years, with the English Football Association confirming exploratory talks back in 2018.
Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May in the same year confirmed her Government would back an effort to host the men’s tournament.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Johnson confirmed that his Government would support a bid with backing expected to be made in tomorrow’s budget.
“We are very, very keen to bring football home in 2030,” Johnson said.
“I do think it’s the right place.
“It’s the home of football, it’s the right time.
“It will be an absolutely wonderful thing for the country.”
A reported £2.8million ($3.8 million/€3.2 million) is set to be made available by the Government to support the bid for the tournament.
England last hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1966, which ended in the country’s sole triumph.
England has since launched unsuccessful bids for the 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Government support was welcomed by the five national football associations.
“The football associations and government partners of the UK and Ireland are delighted that the UK government has committed to support a prospective five-association bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” a joint statement read.
“We will continue to undertake feasibility work to assess the viability of a bid before FIFA formally open the process in 2022.
“Staging a FIFA World Cup would provide an incredible opportunity to deliver tangible benefits for our nations.
“If a decision is made to bid for the event, we look forward to presenting our hosting proposals to FIFA and the wider global football community.”
The proposed bid is expected to be the second European effort for the 2030 tournament, with Spain and Portugal having confirmed their plans to jointly stage the World Cup.
The European nations had initially considered a bid with Morocco, but the prospect of all three nations hosting was not welcomed by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
Morocco, which has unsuccessfully bid for the World Cup five times, could enter again alone or with North African neighbours Tunisia and Algeria.
A joint South American bid from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay is expected, with efforts centred on the centenary of the first tournament in Uruguay.
Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia have also expressed their intent to jointly bid for the tournament.
China has also been mooted as a potential contender.
England is set to host several matches at this year’s European Championship, which was delayed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wembley Stadium is set to hold group-stage matches, the semi-finals and the final.
UEFA has remained committed to holding Euro 2020 across 12 European cities, according to the schedule agreed last summer.
The governing body has asked the host cities to draw up plans for four different scenarios – full stadiums, 50 per cent capacity, 20 to 30 per cent capacity or behind closed doors.
Suggestions have been raised that the tournament could be held in one country or the number of hosts could be reduced amid the ongoing pandemic.
Johnson told The Sun that he would welcome the opportunity for England to host more matches.
“We are hosting the Euros,” Johnson said.
“We are hosting the semis and the final.
“If there’s, you know, if they want any other matches that they want hosted, we’re certainly on for that but at the moment that’s where we are with UEFA.”
Under current plans Munich, Rome, St Petersburg and Baku are also due to host quarter-finals as well as group-stage clashes.
Copenhagen, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bilbao, Glasgow and Budapest are the other venues, staging group-stage and last-16 encounters.
A decision is expected to be made in April on the capacity and location of venues for the tournament.
-insidethegames
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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