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What happens next for Infantino and FIFA?

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Now that Gianno Infantino has shelved his plans to create a commercial subsidiary for the World Cup and other FIFA events, UEFA’s boycott of FIFA events is over and matches now appear less in danger. Nevertheless, the European governing body says it is now “rebuilding trust” with FIFA — and the story continues to develop rapidly.

As a result, increased focus will be put on women’s football when the U20 World Cup starts on September 5 in Poland, and when the U17 World Cup starts in October in Morocco. There are also matches around the world that will decide the qualifiers for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil in the same month. Despite there being scant mention in FIFA’s subsidiary proposal of the women’s game, it will be the first test of life after it.

While a boycott is now off the table, the games will be harder to navigate given the current chaos around the sport’s governing body. This is far from ideal for the teams competing, particularly given the tournament’s importance. 

FIFA revolt: Can Infantino’s Trump connection save him?

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Football associations have pull support for Infantino

With UEFA, Europe’s football governors, forming a united front, it is assumed that most, if not all, football associations on the continent will withdraw their support in the coming days.

The first nation to publicly drop their support for Gianni Infantino was Finland, last week. Wales followed on Monday, saying in a statement that “failing to put the best interests of football first is a failure we cannot accept,” before England followed suit later in the day.

Germany’s FA (DFB) is the biggest sports association in the world, but has yet to officially withdraw its support. It is expected to though, especially when considering the recent words of DFB Director Andreas Rettig. The 63-year-old recently told Stern magazine in an interview that Infantino’s recent actions have led to “an irreparable loss of trust” and that football needs to “hit the reset button. We need a different culture. Because trust is the hardest currency.”

“From my perspective, Mr. Infantino has invested a great deal of time, money, and energy into maintaining his power structure. Clearly, many decisions served primarily to consolidate his own position,” added Retting.

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FIFA presidential election next year

The election for Infantino’s post is on March 18, 2027, at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.

He will run for re-election as president for a final four-year term, looking to gain 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member states (Uefa has 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and Conmebol 10) to win. Each state gets a vote and voting is done in a secret ballot, which takes time.

However, it seems as though Infantino is increasingly under pressure, and if 19 of the 37 members of the FIFA Council, the organization’s main executive body, call for an emergency meeting in the next two weeks, he could be asked to resign. Several members of the council, including Germany’s Bernd Neuendorf, have publicly crititcized Infantino for failing to consult them about his latest plans.

There might also be an Extraordinary FIFA Congress if 43 associations formally request it. Given that UEFA has 55 members, it holds the power to request it at any time. For Infantino to be voted out through a vote of no confidence, 106 votes would be required.

Before his venture to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors ended in chaos after widespread condemnation, Infantino looked almost certain to win re-election. The reported revenues from this summer’s World Cup were $15 billion (€13 billion), a significantly higher number than expected and one that would have strengthened his position in the organization, given that much of it would be redistibuted among the member organizations.

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No clear candidates to succeed Infantino

There has been a lot of speculation about who might succeed Infantino since his position has come under threat in the last week, but it is too soon to really know the legitimacy of any claims. In any case, any potential challengers must declare their candidacy by 18 November.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain chairman, had been touted as a potential candidate given his increasingly influential position in world football. However, the Qatari recently ruled himself out, with a representative for the executive reportedly saying via Politico: “Nasser has absolutely no ambition, no intention, no interest in the Fifa role.” Qatar is one of the few federations to have publicly backed Infantino in recent days.

The most obvious candidate is the current UEFA President, Alexander Ceferin, but the Slovenian lawyer is reportedly also not interested in the role.

Concacaf (the confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean) president Victor Montagliani is one of the few candidates who has expressed interest in the role in the past, but it is unclear whether the man who speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish is ready to challenge now.

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Outspoken Norwegian FA President Lise Klaveness has supporters, and, after an initial failure, reached the UEFA Executive Committee in 2025. But the outspoken style that has won her admirers is thought not to have the broad appeal needed in a FIFA candidate. Some also believe her gender may count against her.

Finally, AFC chief, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who lost out to Infantino in the 2016 election, could be a contender if the AFC breaks ranks from FIFA in the way UEFA have. A member of Bahrain’s ruling House of Khalifa,  the 60-year-old called Infantino’s actions “totally unacceptable” and may be tempted to go against him again, though human rights questions contributed to his previous defeat.

Edited by: Matt Pearson

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Pochettino agrees new USA deal until 2030

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3 August 2026

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a new deal to remain as manager of the United States men’s national team until 2030.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss has been in charge since September 2024 and led the USA to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

The co-hosts topped their group after wins over Paraguay and Australia before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the last 32.

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Their World Cup run ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Belgium.

Under the new agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will have a bigger role within US Soccer. They will also advise and support the organisation on areas including youth development, coaching education, professional league partnerships and the wider national team pathway.

“Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the men’s national team programme even stronger,” Pochettino said.

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“We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the work done by Pochettino and his staff.

“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” she said.

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“We saw the impact of that belief in the way the team grew, competed and performed on the world’s biggest stage.

“That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future.”

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5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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3 August 2026

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.

#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.

#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.

#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.