Fifa want to sell the family silver but should World Rugby do the same? July 31, 2026 Selling stakes in commercial entities is like selling the family silver. So should World Rugby copy Fifa? Selling stakes in commercial entities – much like Fifa announced it wanted to do with the World Cup – is like selling the family silver. Global tournaments are pillars of sports with revenues and reach that soar during [...]
Uefa to boycott World Cup over Infantino’s Fifa sell-off following unanimous vote July 30, 2026 All European nations have vowed to boycott the World Cup if Fifa proceeds with plans to sell off stakes in a new commercial vehicle following a Uefa crisis summit. England’s Football Association and the other 54 members of European governing body Uefa held emergency talks today to discuss their response to Fifa’s proposal. All Uefa [...]
Uefa blocks Fifa’s World Cup sell-off if it stands up to Infantino again July 30, 2026 If Gianni Infantino’s plan to carve out the commercial rights to Fifa events including the World Cup is to be nipped in the bud, the rearguard action will – as it has in the recent past with similar power grabs – likely have to be led by Uefa. Here’s why. Uefa has repeatedly shown itself [...]
World Cup sponsors could pay price if Infantino’s Fifa sell-off goes ahead July 29, 2026 It’s not just match-going football fans who fear the financial ramifications of Fifa’s sell-off of commercial rights; World Cup sponsors could also find themselves paying more or getting less for their money, experts have warned. Sponsors currently contribute around a quarter of Fifa’s $15bn income over a four-year cycle and include some of the biggest [...]
European Commissioner vows to probe Fifa sell-off amid furious backlash July 29, 2026 Furious European Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, has vowed that the EC will investigate Fifa’s controversial proposals to sell stakes in a new commercial entity to outside investors. Football’s world governing body on Monday revealed plans to raise $4bn by selling minority holdings in a new vehicle, Fifa Forward Enterprise, that would control all commercial [...]
Overseas games: Will World Cup success force Fifa’s hand over divisive issue? July 29, 2026 Fifa’s staging of the World Cup in North America may have been a massive commercial win, but it might also have ramped up the pressure on world football’s governing body to make a decisive call on one of the game’s most contentious issues: domestic leagues taking matches to more lucrative overseas locations. The biggest ever [...]
Uefa blasts Fifa over Infantino plan to ‘sell football’s soul’ for $4bn July 28, 2026 Uefa has accused Fifa of “selling football’s soul” after the world governing body revealed plans to raise more than $4bn by selling stakes in a new subsidiary that would manage the commercial rights to the World Cup and Club World Cup. The new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise, would consolidate the media rights, sponsorship, ticketing and [...]
Gianni Infantino: Democrats ask to quiz Fifa boss over Trump ‘corruption’ allegations July 28, 2026 Democrats have launched a bid to haul Fifa boss Gianni Infantino before US legal chiefs and question over potential corruption in its links to President Trump’s administration. Rep Jamie Raskin of the House Judiciary Committee has written to Infantino requesting that he appear before them to discuss “Fifa’s brazen campaign to curry favor with Donald [...]
Fifa boss Infantino: World Cup critics are ‘consumed with hate’ July 27, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has launched a broadside at critics of some aspects of the 2026 World Cup, branding them “consumed by hate”. The tournament, which concluded eight days ago, has been broadly hailed as a success but was punctuated by outrage at President Trump’s apparent intervention in the Folarin Balogun incident, sky-high ticket prices [...]
A photography expert’s guide to the best images from the World Cup July 21, 2026 After a thrilling World Cup, Morning Wire Picture Editor Andy Blackmore ranks his favourite images from the tournament. Aside from war, about the only other human experience that spans such a wide range of emotions is sport. Of all the sports, perhaps football is the most emotive, and photographers at the World Cup hold the [...]