Governing Bodies
FIFA boss, Infantino meets Premier League players over calendar changes
FIFA president Gianni Infantino held talks with Premier League players, including Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, on Thursday over changes to the international match calendar and player workload.
Infantino and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, met with members of the players union, the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) which represents players at all levels in the English game.
The meeting came after a number of players wrote a letter to Infantino asking to discuss their workload.
Among those present were French World Cup winner Pogba, Manchester United’s Spanish midfielder Juan Mata and England women’s internationals Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton, who play for Manchester City.
“Players are crucial when it comes to the game, when speaking about the calendar, when we speak about the load, the number of days, the kind of competitions that we want to organise,” Infantino told a small group of reporters.
“Of course, we need to care about the players. We want to protect the players. And in order to know really what their concerns are, we need to talk to them directly,” he said.
FIFA is conducting a review of the international match calendar which determines the windows for national team games and tournament qualifiers.
The global governing body is also proposing switching to a biennial World Cup rather than the current format of holding the showpiece event every four years — a plan which has met with strong opposition in European football.
Infantino said that issue had come up in discussions but was not the main focus of the talks.
“It was less about the biennial World Cup and much more about the international match calendar, how to (fit) in international team games, how to make sure that the games that are played for the club and national team level are really meaningful and the players are put in the best conditions to play the best possible tournament,” he said.
“Of course, the biannual World Cup was mentioned as well. There are different views, but we didn’t seek any sort of opinion in terms of are you in favour, are you against. It’s more about the timings, the periods, the workload, how to play, when to play,” he said.
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango welcomed the talks.
“I know the players really valued what was a constructive, open and positive discussion, and we thank (FIFA) for that,” he said.
“If those who play the game are to have meaningful input into decisions about its future, then this kind of dialogue is absolutely critical.”
-Reuters
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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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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