FIFA | The Daily Star

FIFA to stick with 32 teams for Qatar World Cup

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held with 32 participating teams and not an expanded 48 teams, organisers FIFA said on Wednesday.
2022 WC should be expanded to 48 teams if possible: Infantino

FIFA should if possible increase the size of the soccer World Cup in Qatar in 2022 to 48 from 32 teams, the global governing body's president Gianni Infantino said.
Uruguayan Cunha to referee France v Belgium semifinal

Uruguayan Andres Cunha will referee the World Cup semi-final between France and Belgium at the St Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday evening, FIFA said on Monday.
Hiatus ends with fighting draw

Bangladesh made their return to international football a memorable one with a come-from-behind 2-2 draw against Laos in Vientiane yesterday.
FIFA releases special video 100 days before World Cup

FIFA releases special video, set to Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee, featuring legends of the game juggling and doing tricks.
FIFA trial hears of dancing, private jet, massages

A Brazilian businessman tells a US Federal Court that he helped set up a huge bribe to South American football officials to secure the rights for a new tournament.
Russia faces 'very real' threat of attack at World Cup

Russia says it will take extraordinary measures to combat any terrorist threat when it hosts the World Cup next year, as its military campaign in Syria makes the country a prime target for jihadists.
Key players in a global scandal

The FIFA scandal, which erupted in May 2015 with the arrest of seven top officials in Zurich, has several judicial tracks.
Italy seeded for World Cup play-off draw

Italy will be one of the four seeded teams in the draw for the European play-offs for next year's World Cup, FIFA's latest world rankings reveal.
Pakistan barred from international football

Pakistan has been suspended from international football because of what global soccer body FIFA describes as undue third-party interference in the country's football federation (PFF).
Confed Cup dope tests all negative - FIFA

All of the near 1,000 samples involving players at the Confederations Cup were negative, FIFA announces.
Sheikh Russel to clear FIFA fine

Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra is making arrangements through the Bangladesh Football Federation to clear fines of up to 2000 Swiss Francs, imposed by FIFA.
FIFA clear Man Utd, target Juve over Pogba deal

FIFA have cleared Manchester United but opened disciplinary proceedings against Juventus over Paul Pogba's world record transfer, football's governing body announce.
New penalty system gets usual result as Germany win

A new penalty shootout system based on the tennis tiebreak was used for the first time in a competitive game on Thursday but ended in the usual fashion, with Germany winning.
Pogba's WR transfer under probe

FIFA are to investigate the world-record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, a source at world football's governing body told AFP on Tuesday.
FIFA Ethics Committee were investigating hundreds of cases

Ousted FIFA Ethics investigator Cornel Borbely said on Wednesday his committee were looking into "several hundred" cases of possible wrongdoing, some involving senior officials.
Infantino says will meet with racism victim Muntari

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he intends to talk with Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari, the victim of racist abuse in Italian football, and vowed to fight racist "idiots".
FIFA finances 'extremely solid'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed on Monday that the finances of football's governing body were "extremely solid", despite it posting a $369 million loss earlier this year.
Maradona will visit Kolkata on Sept 18-19

Argentina’s football wizard Diego Maradona will visit Kolkata on September 18-19 this year, about a month ahead of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Final in that city.
Sepp Blatter did not speak to US investigators

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has not spoken to United States prosecutors in Switzerland, his US-based lawyer told Reuters on Tuesday.
AFC suspends Guam official who pleaded guilty in US bribery case

FIFA audit and compliance committee member Richard Lai was provisionally suspended by the chairman of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on Friday after the Guam official pleaded guilty to charges of fraud.
FIFA compliance official pleads guilty in US bribery case

A member of FIFA's audit and compliance committee pleaded guilty on Thursday to US charges that he took close to $1 million in bribes in exchange for using his influence within the global soccer governing organization.
French prosecutors investigating 2018, 2022 World Cup awards

French prosecutors are investigating the decision by global soccer body FIFA to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, a source close to the investigation said on Thursday.
USA, Mexico, Canada in joint WC bid

The United States, Mexico and Canada on Monday announced a joint bid to stage the 2026 World Cup, aiming to become the first three-way co-hosts in the history of FIFA's showpiece tournament.
FIFA changes means no rival yet for North American World Cup bid

The bidding process has yet to begin but the joint proposal from the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 World Cup is already the heavy favourite to win.
FIFA poised to seal Qatar Airways deal

FIFA could seal a major partnership deal with Qatar Airways within weeks, a source said on Friday, the same day football's corruption-tainted world body announced a $369 million loss.
Brazil top FIFA rankings for first time in seven years

Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.
Former administrator Chung to appeal FIFA ban

Former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the South Korean's five-year ban from all football-related activities, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Former UEFA chief Platini lashes out at Blatter

Ex-UEFA president Michel Platini has criticised former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter, saying the Swiss who led soccer's world body for 17 years was determined to make him "his last scalp".
FIFA okays 17 crore BFF fund

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) finally got the nod to implement its football development plan under the FIFA Forward programme as the game's governing body approved the BFF's USD 21,20,000 [over 17 crore taka] proposal for two years on Tuesday.