Governing Bodies
FIFA List Of Transfer-banned Clubs Includes Top-tier Teams In Africa –
FIFA published a new database of clubs serving bans on registering new players that included some top African teams, six in Saudi Arabia and five in the top league of Argentina.
The sanctioned clubs include San Lorenzo of Argentina, Wydad of Morocco and TP Mazembe of Congo which since 2010 have all won continental championships and then played at the FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA can impose the bans typically for two or three trading windows after clubs break transfer regulations or have unpaid transfer debts to other clubs. In some cases bans can be lifted by settling the debt, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club Al Nassr did last year in a case with Leicester.
Clubs banned from registering players — in cases often called “transfer bans” — can sign new players though are prevented from fielding them in games because of being unable to register them with the national federation.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all served FIFA registration bans in the past decade in cases involving signing youth players in international deals. The bans are typically frozen until appeals are completed.
In similar cases in 2019, Chelsea served a ban in one trading window before winning its case on appeal, and Manchester City avoided a ban by paying FIFA a fine of 370,000 Swiss francs ($432,000) in 2019.
The current list features three of the eight clubs which played in the inaugural African Football League this season — Wydad of Morocco, Esperance of Tunisia and TP Mazembe of Congo. Another African power, Zamalek of Egypt, is included though details of their cases are not published.
“The primary objective of this new tool is to provide stakeholders, including players and clubs, as well as the general public, with an overview of all clubs currently prevented from registering new players,” FIFA said in a statement.
Saudi Pro League clubs Al Raed and Al Wehda both recently had registration bans imposed for three trading windows, and four second-tier clubs also are on the FIFA list: Al Faisaly, Al Qaisumah, Jeddah and Ohod.
Clubs in Argentina currently unable to register new players are Banfield, Central Cordoba, Independiente, San Lorenzo and Union.
The FIFA database Thursday included 78 listings for cases involving Chinese clubs and multiple cases in Ukraine where clubs have lost revenue from ticket sales, broadcast and sponsor deals during the Russian military invasion.
-AP
South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) gave Gianni Infantino its backing on Thursday, should he decide to run for reelection as FIFA president for a fourth term.
While Infantino has yet to confirm whether he will run for the 2027–2031 term, CONMEBOL’s council said in a statement that it “unanimously expressed its support” for the 56-year-old’s leadership ahead of a potential bid.
“President Gianni Infantino, thank you for your continued commitment to the development of South American football and for the leadership exercised at a global level,” CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez said.
“We deeply value your closeness to our region and your vision to continue growing the game worldwide.”
CONMEBOL is the first federation to express support for Infantino’s re-election.
The Swiss took office in 2016, taking over from Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and again in 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 expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as governance and calendar congestion.
-Reuters
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FIFA has started disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) over Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during a friendly between Spain and Egypt on March 31, the global soccer body said on Tuesday.
At the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of LaLiga club Espanyol, Spanish supporters chanted “who doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during the World Cup warm-up match, which ended in a goalless draw.
“FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings today against the Spanish FA for the incidents in the friendly against Egypt,” FIFA said in a statement.
Spanish police launched an investigation into the chants last week.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal condemned the chants as disrespectful and intolerable in an Instagram post.
The Egyptian Football Association also condemned the chants as an entirely unacceptable “repugnant act of racism,” and added that the acts of a small group of spectators would not affect the close relations between the Spanish and Egyptian federations.
-Reuters
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The newly appointed Acting General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football, Samson Adamu, has declared his ambition to leave a lasting legacy as he assumes one of the most influential administrative roles in African football.
Adamu was named to the position on Sunday, March 29, 2026, during a CAF Executive Committee meeting held at the Giza Palace Hotel in Cairo. His appointment, proposed by CAF President Patrice Motsepe, received unanimous ratification from the committee.
Speaking shortly after his elevation, Adamu expressed both gratitude and determination. “I am elated by this appointment. I am determined to serve African football with humility, integrity, and professionalism,” he said.
His emergence is historic, as he becomes the first Nigerian—and indeed the first West African—to occupy the position in the 69-year history of CAF, a development widely seen as a significant milestone for the region’s growing influence within continental football governance.
Adamu’s journey to the summit of African football administration reflects a career shaped by innovation, passion, and administrative excellence. Fifteen years ago, he initiated the globally acclaimed COPA Lagos Beach Soccer tournament in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos. The event attracted top teams from around the world and set new benchmarks in organisation, marketing, officiating, and fan engagement.
The success of COPA Lagos played a pivotal role in Nigeria earning the hosting rights for the 2016 CAF Beach Soccer Cup of Nations, further cementing Adamu’s reputation as a forward-thinking sports administrator.
He later joined CAF in Cairo, rising through the ranks from Director of Competitions to Director of Tournaments and Events, positions in which he oversaw the planning and execution of several major continental championships.
Adamu also carries a rich administrative lineage. He is the son of Amos Adamu, a towering figure in Nigerian and international sports administration. Dr Adamu served as sole administrator of the then Nigeria Football Association in the early 1990s and later as Director of Sports Development in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports.
He was also a central figure in Nigeria’s hosting of the 8th All-Africa Games in 2003, after securing a seat on the CAF Executive Committee in 2002 in Bamako, Mali, and earning re-election during the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His influence extended globally when he was elected into the FIFA Executive Committee in 2006, alongside serving as Director General of the National Sports Commission.
With such a formidable background and personal track record, expectations are high that Samson Adamu will bring fresh ideas, administrative stability, and a renewed sense of purpose to CAF’s operations at a time when African football is seeking greater credibility, growth, and global competitiveness.
His tenure, though currently in an acting capacity, is already being closely watched as a potential turning point in the evolution of football governance on the continent.
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