Governing Bodies
IOC president, Bach, blasts! Intention for biennial World Cup “becoming clearer day by day”
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach insisted he will not “put fuel to the fire” by taking a side on the proposal which would see the FIFA World Cup played every two years – potentially clashing with the Olympic Games – but did claim the ramifications of such a move are “becoming clearer day by day”.
FIFA approved a feasibility study on hosting men’s and women’s World Cups every two years at its Congress in May, following a proposal from Saudi Arabia – a country FIFA President Gianni Infantino has close relationship with.
FIFA’s chief of global development Arsène Wenger is among those to have supported the idea and is leading a technical advisory group meeting in Qatar today and tomorrow, featuring current and former players from across the world.
Bach was asked after today’s remote IOC Executive Board meeting whether the IOC has been consulted on the matter and how a World Cup potentially taking place in the same year as the Olympic Games could impact both events, but remained coy.
“This is an issue to be decided by FIFA and the continental associations, we are following closely, monitoring these discussions, and find them very interesting,” Bach said.
The IOC President said he “will not interfere” in the debate.
“Let this discussion evolve, the consequences or potential consequences of such a move [are] becoming clearer day by day thanks to thanks to this discussion within FIFA and in particular there also through the contributions of the continental associations of FIFA,” added Bach.
One of those continental bodies, UEFA, has been vociferous in opposition to the proposal.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said he believes “the jewel of the World Cup has value precisely because of its rarity” in the European body’s latest criticism of staging World Cups every two years.
Yet there is support for the idea from Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe, who claimed “African football could probably be the biggest beneficiary of a World Cup every two years”.
The FIFA member associations from Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka all came out in support of the idea earlier this month and the South American Football Confederation has expressed support for a biennial World Cup previously as well.
The World Leagues Forum – an association of club leagues including the English Premier League, German, French, Spanish and Italian top flights, Major League Soccer in North America, South Africa’s Premier Soccer League and the J.League from Japan among its 42 members – weighed in today, saying it “firmly opposes” the idea.
The World Leagues Forum “oppose any proposals to hold the football World Cup every two years and dilute the historical and traditional values of a competition that means so much to fans and players”, a statement added.
Proponents of World Cups every two years say this will generate more money and give players more opportunities to win a world title, while it has also been suggested that biennial tournaments could streamline the international calendar, with less time used for qualifying.
Critics, as well as claiming it would dilute the quality of the tournaments, have accused FIFA of chasing revenue and power, and fear that continental competitions would be squeezed out and undermined.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Egyptian publication Ahram has reported an astronomical increase in prize money in all tiers of Egyptian domestic competitions.
This decision by the Egyptian Football Association to unveil what it described as the biggest prize-money package in its history for the 2025/26 season has once again thrown the spotlight on the modest financial rewards in Nigerian domestic football competitions.
Under the new structure announced by the Egyptian federation, winners of the Egypt Cup will receive EGP 2 million (approximately $37,000), while runners-up will earn about $19,000. The champions of the Egyptian Premier League are also expected to pocket EGP 5 million, estimated at about $94,000.
The package extends beyond the elite division. Clubs promoted from Egypt’s Second Division (A) will each earn roughly $19,000, while those advancing from Second Division (B) will receive close to $9,500 each.
Women’s football and youth competitions were equally accommodated. Winners of the Women’s Football League will receive about $9,500, while the Women’s Egypt Cup champions and runners-up will earn nearly $7,500 and $3,700 respectively. Youth championships across several age categories also have dedicated prize allocations running into millions of Egyptian pounds.
The Egyptian initiative is being viewed in many football circles as a deliberate attempt to improve club stability, encourage grassroots development and make domestic competitions more competitive.
For Nigerian football stakeholders, the development offers another example of how stronger financial incentives can stimulate growth in local competitions.
In Nigeria, complaints over poor prize money have persisted for years, especially in the domestic league, women’s football and youth competitions. Several clubs continue to struggle financially, while players and officials often lament inadequate rewards despite demanding schedules and rising operational costs.
Observers argue that meaningful prize money can motivate clubs to invest more seriously in infrastructure, player welfare, youth development and women’s football.
The Egyptian model also demonstrates that football development is not restricted to top-flight competitions alone. By extending financial rewards to lower divisions and youth categories, the federation appears to be creating a broader economic support system for its football ecosystem.
Many Nigerian football followers believe the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria Premier Football League and corporate partners can draw valuable lessons from Egypt’s approach.
With Nigerian clubs facing increasing financial pressure and continental competitiveness declining in recent years, analysts insist that enhanced prize money could become one of the incentives needed to revive domestic football and restore greater excitement around.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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