World Cup
NFF blasts FIFA’s ‘flawed and inconsistent’ World Cup bidding process
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday said it will vote against FIFA’s awarding of hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups by acclamation, adding that it had formally criticised the process in a letter to the world governing body.
Votes are due to be held at FIFA’s virtual extraordinary Congress on Wednesday to approve the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, though each has only a single bid, which are both expected to be confirmed by acclamation.
A combined bid from Morocco, Spain and Portugal is the sole one for 2030, while Saudi Arabia is the lone bidder for 2034. FIFA announced both bidders in October last year.
“Ahead of the Congress, the Norwegian Football Federation has expressed concerns on several occasions about FIFA’s process for awarding the 2030 and 2034 World Cups,” the NFF said in a statement.
“The NFF will formally criticise the bidding process in a letter to FIFA and request that this be recorded in the Congress minutes.
“If a vote by acclamation is held, the NFF will vote against it. The NFF cannot endorse a process it considers flawed and inconsistent with the principles of FIFA’s own reforms.”
The NFF also requested that its criticism be officially recorded by FIFA.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
‘DELIBERATE SIGNAL’
“Tomorrow’s vote is not about who gets the 2030 and 2034 World Cups – that has already been decided,” NFF President Lise Klaveness said.
“The Congress is primarily about providing feedback on FIFA’s allocation process. The board’s assessment is that the process does not align with the principles of a sound and predictable governance system.
“By abstaining from acclamation, we are sending a deliberate signal that we cannot support FIFA’s approach.”
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup in 2022.
However, FIFA announced in 2023 that Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay would instead each host one match of the 2030 World Cup to mark the tournament’s centenary, before the action moves to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Australia and Indonesia were in talks over a joint bid for the 2034 World Cup but dropped out before Saudi was announced as the sole bidder.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Klaveness added that the lack of an open process undermined trust in FIFA as the “global custodian of football”.
“FIFA’s own guidelines for human rights and due diligence have also not been adequately integrated into the process, increasing the risk of human rights violations,” she added.
“Based on the mandate from our General Assembly in 2021, we have consistently advocated for FIFA to strengthen itself as a rules-based and predictable steward of international football.
“We must remain consistent in this matter as well.”
Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA)last month called on FIFA to halt the process to pick Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2034 tournament unless major human rights reforms are announced before the vote.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sport over the last few years although critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, have accused the kingdom of using its Public Investment Fund to “sportswash” its human rights record.
The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
-Reuters
With just a year to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in the United States, concerns are mounting over the impact of extreme summer heat on players and fans.
According to experts interviewed by the BBC, FIFA may be forced to adjust match schedules drastically—possibly even staging the World Cup final as early as 9 a.m.—to mitigate the risks posed by soaring temperatures.
The warnings follow sweltering conditions witnessed during recent international and Club World Cup matches held in the U.S., where athletes and spectators alike were exposed to intense heat and humidity.
One of the leading voices raising the alarm is Professor Mike Tipton, an expert in thermal physiology at the University of Portsmouth. Speaking to BBC Sport, he emphasised the potential health risks of playing in extreme conditions and recommended that matches begin as early in the day as possible.
“From a thermo-physiological point of view, for health and performance reasons, I would look to start matches as early as possible,” Tipton stated, suggesting that even the final—traditionally held in the afternoon or evening—could be moved to a morning kickoff.
Tipton went further, noting that the ideal solution would be to host the tournament during a cooler time of year, as was done with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was shifted to November and December due to extreme heat.
However, with the 2026 tournament already locked in for June 11 to July 19, FIFA’s only remaining flexibility lies in scheduling match times.
The 2026 edition will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico across multiple cities, some of which are known for intense summer heat.
Health experts are urging organisers to prioritise player safety and fan well-being, warning that failing to act could lead to performance issues, heat-related illnesses, or worse.
FIFA has yet to publicly comment on any proposed changes to match schedules, but as temperatures continue to rise, pressure is mounting for the governing body to take decisive action ahead of football’s biggest tournament.
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FIFA’s Global Football Development chief Arsene Wenger acknowledged that the quality of pitches hosting Club World Cup matches in the U.S. was not good enough, but insisted it would be better when the country co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.
The pitches, often very dry and sprinkled with water during cooling breaks or at halftime, have been widely criticised, mainly by coaches and players of the European teams taking part.
“I’ve been personally on the pitch at Orlando,” former Arsenal manager Wenger said on Saturday. “It’s not at the level that the European clubs are used to because it’s not perfect, but that will be rectified for the World Cup next year.”
Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique raised the issue early in the expanded Club World Cup tournament.
“The ball bounces like a rabbit,” Luis Enrique said after his team’s opening 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
“Today, for example, the field used to be artificial turf, and now it’s natural grass laid over it, which means it has to be watered manually. It’s a big problem for the way we play.”
“FIFA really needs to take this seriously. Not just the stadium fields but also the training pitches. If we’re calling this the best club tournament in the world, it should have world‑class facilities. I can’t imagine an NBA game played on a court full of holes.”
-Reuters
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Congo will be allowed to continue participating in the World Cup qualifiers despite missing two fixtures in March when they were banned, world football’s governing body FIFA said on Wednesday.
Congo were suspended from February to May because of government interference in the running of their football association (FECOFOOT) but the ban was lifted when officials returned to their positions and were handed back access to their headquarters and technical training centre.
Sports minister Hugues Ngouelondele had appointed an ad-hoc committee last year to run the association, claiming it needed to sort out disputes among association office bearers, but FIFA suspended FECOFOOT due to third-party interference, which violates its statutes.
During the ban, Congo were not allowed to participate in any international competition, which meant they did not honour 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania and Niger in March.
A FIFA spokesman told Reuters the points from those fixtures were forfeited and a 3-0 victory awarded to their opponents.
But they will continue in the qualifiers when they resume in September, even if they have no chance of qualifying.
Congo are scheduled to play Tanzania at home in September and conclude their fixtures in October with matches at Niger and Morocco.
Congo have no points in the group, which Morocco lead with 15 points, six more than Tanzania in second place.
The group winner qualifies for next year’s World Cup in North America while the runner-up has a possibility to participate in playoffs if they are among the four best second-placed teams in the nine African qualifying groups.
FIFA has taken a hard line on government interference in football matters with the likes of Chad, Kenya, Pakistan and Zimbabwe among those banned in recent years.
Congo were African champions in 1972 but have never been to a World Cup.
-Reuters
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