Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

The UEFA chief is adamant the World Cup has to be every four years

Ceferin: Biennial World Cup 'simply a bad idea'

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has reiterated his opposition to FIFA's plans to stage a biennial World Cup, saying the women's tournament or the Olympics would be affected if they were held in the same year as the finals.

Soccer • 30 Dec 21

"If I was going to a vote tomorrow probably the majority would vote in favour of World Cups every two years."

FIFA boss believes majority support biennial World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes a majority of countries would be in favour of biennial World Cups if he called a snap vote.

Soccer • 20 Dec 21

Infantino insists he is neutral on biennial World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says all sides must be "ready to compromise" in the heated debate over football's calendar and biennial World Cups.

Soccer • 20 Oct 21

FIFA will try to create a new calendar for the game as the number of games grow

FIFA plan global summit to agree new calendar

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said a global summit would take place on 20 December with the aim of "presenting an agreed proposal" on football's new men's and women's international calendar.

Soccer • 20 Oct 21

FIFA continue to press ahead with their plans for a biennial World Cup

FIFA to discuss biennial World Cup at summit next week

FIFA will hold an online summit with football associations from all over the world next week to discuss its plans for the men's and women's international calendars, which include biennial World Cups.

Soccer • 20 Sep 21

Argentina's clash with Brazil was abandoned early on

FIFA chief says Brazil game abandonment was 'crazy'

FIFA is investigating the abandonment of the Brazil-Argentina World Cup qualifier with its president Gianni Infantino labelling the events "crazy".

Soccer • 07 Sep 21

Gianni Infantino wants the Premier League and La Liga to release players

FIFA's Infantino asks Premier League to release players

The English Premier League and Spanish La Liga should release players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers next month to "preserve and protect sporting integrity", FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said.

Soccer • 25 Aug 21

Gianni Infantino at FIFA's virtual congress last week

Infantino backed Super League plan, claims La Liga boss

FIFA president Gianni Infantino supported the European Super League project because the clubs had given him guarantees they would play in a new-look Club World Cup every year, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has claimed.

Soccer • 27 May 21

FIFA have launched a new Global Integrity Programme

FIFA launch anti match-fixing initiative

FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the newly launched Global Integrity Programme will play an important role in the ongoing fight against match-fixing.

Soccer • 16 Mar 21

Female players need to have stability in their career, said Infantino

FIFA approves maternity leave for women players

Professional women footballers are to be guaranteed maternity leave under new rules approved by FIFA, the global soccer body's president Gianni Infantino said.

Soccer • 04 Dec 20

FIFA president not interested in European Super League

FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he is not interested in a European Super League amid reports that some elite clubs were in talks to set up a breakaway competition with the backing of world football's governing body.

Soccer • 22 Oct 20

Gianni Infantino became FIFA president in 2016

Infantino: 'The money doesn't disappear anymore'

FIFA has been able to support the game through the coronavirus crisis because "the money doesn't disappear anymore", Gianni Infantino has said, but the organisation's president admitted that the pandemic could force the Club World Cup in Qatar in December to be delayed or scrapped entirely.

Soccer • 18 Sep 20

Infantino cleared of breaching FIFA's code of ethics

FIFA's ethics committee has cleared president Gianni Infantino of breaching the governing body's regulations after a preliminary investigation.

Soccer • 19 Aug 20

Infantino admits investigation has caused 'damage'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has told national association bosses he hopes "the facts emerge" around who made the anonymous complaints which have led to the opening of a criminal investigation against him.

Soccer • 07 Aug 20

Infantino is the subject of proceedings opened by a special federal public prosecutor in Switzerland over meetings he held in 2016 and 2017 with attorney general Michael Lauber

FIFA blasts Infantino's 'absurd' criminal proceedings

FIFA's deputy general secretary is "100% confident" the organisation's president Gianni Infantino will face no criminal charge, far less be convicted, as a result of the proceedings which have been opened against him.

Soccer • 03 Aug 20

Infantino and FIFA have said they will co-operate fully with the investigation

Defiant FIFA stands by president Infantino

FIFA has said there "was and is absolutely no reason to open any investigation" after criminal proceedings against president Gianni Infantino were launched in Switzerland earlier this week.

Soccer • 02 Aug 20

Blatter urges FIFA to suspend his successor Infantino

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for his successor, Gianni Infantino, to be suspended by the global soccer body after criminal proceedings were opened against Infantino in Switzerland.

Soccer • 31 Jul 20

Gianni Infantino has been head of FIFA since succeeding the now disgraced former president Sepp Blatter in 2016

FIFA president Infantino faces Swiss criminal probe

The Swiss special federal public prosecutor has opened criminal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino relating to meetings he held with the country's Attorney General Michael Lauber.

Soccer • 30 Jul 20

FAI to receive €1.2m Covid-19 relief aid from FIFA

The FAI will receive $1.5m (€1.2m) as part of FIFA's Covid‑19 Relief Plan which has been approved by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.

Soccer • 29 Jul 20

Infantino places focus on reform of football's finances

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for the prospect of salary and transfer fee caps to be discussed at all levels of the game.

Soccer • 06 Jun 20

Gianni Infantino has offered his support to player protest in Germany

'Applause not punishment' - FIFA urges common sense

FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the Bundesliga players who protested about the death of George Floyd on the pitch last weekend "deserve an applause and not a punishment".

Soccer • 02 Jun 20

Switzerland's attorney general Michael Lauber reportedly held an undisclosed meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino

Swiss court upholds prosecutor's removal from probe

Switzerland's top court rejected attorney general Michael Lauber's bid to rejoin investigations of corruption in soccer, refusing to overturn a lower court's ruling that his closed-door meetings with FIFA's head had raised the appearance of bias.

Soccer • 09 Apr 20

Gianni Infantino also hinted at having 'fewer tournaments'

Infantino sees a 'less arrogant' game after coronavirus

Football will be totally different when it eventually resumes after the coronavirus outbreak, FIFA chief, Gianni Infantino, said on Thursday.

Soccer • 02 Apr 20

Liverpool's reign as Club World Champions could last longer than expected

FIFA delay expanded Club World Cup to facilitate Euros

FIFA has agreed to delay the first edition of its revamped Club World Cup, due to be held in 2021, to make way for the Euro 2020 and Copa America tournaments which have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Soccer • 18 Mar 20

There can be no change to the offside law at this weekend's meeting

Infantino favours 'daylight' principle for offside law

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has spoken in favour of introducing the 'daylight' principle to the offside law to bring extra clarity.

Soccer • 28 Feb 20