Infantino has come under increasing pressure, even from within FIFA, over his handling of the proposal, and calls for him to step down have grown since he abandoned it last Saturday.
One of those believed to be at the meeting is FIFA’s secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, whose internal email to staff criticising the plan was leaked on Tuesday.
Infantino, a 56-year-old Swiss lawyer – who is holding the meeting in FIFA’s Africa regional office in Sale close to Rabat – was in Morocco to celebrate last week’s Feast of the Enthronement.
Morocco is to co-host the 2030 World Cup and Moroccan Football chief Fouzi Lekjaa is one of the few to have publicly supported Infantino since the humiliating climbdown.
Lekjaa last Saturday had praised his “wise” move to scrap the plan in the interests of “unity and cohesion”.
He reiterated his backing for Infantino for “all the initiatives aimed at the development of world football” during his 10 years in charge.
Advertisement
Infantino had been basking in the warm afterglow of a highly successful World Cup – the largest ever with 48 teams and co-hosted by three countries, Canada, Mexico and the US.
His wish to serve a fourth and final term looked likely to be rubber-stamped in Rabat next March – no other candidate had come forward to challenge him.
However, Tuesday last week all that faded.
FIFA, world football’s governing body, floated the plan, saying it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
It said that, if approved, the project could provide each of FIFA’s 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, and increase their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.
‘Sad and reproachable’
Instead of acting as a sweetener it produced a furious backlash, with European football’s governing body UEFA resorting on Thursday to the nuclear option of boycotting the sport‘s jewel in the crown, the World Cup.
By Saturday Infantino held his hands up and withdrew the plan.
Advertisement
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve,” said Infantino.
If he had hoped for that to be sufficient to shore up his authority he was to be swiftly disabused.
UEFA termed the proposal a “shabby, back room, opaque deal” hatched by Infantino.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” UEFA said in a statement.
Advertisement
North and Central American football’s governing body CONCACAF went further still and called for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency” while slamming Infantino’s “poor governance and leadership”.
Grafstrom’s leaked email only added fuel to the fire.
He described the fiasco surrounding the proposal as “a sad and reproachable series of events”.
He added: “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue.”
Canelo Alvarez has explained why three of his previous performances prove that he could hand Terence Crawford a first career defeat, if their rematch were to take place.
Canelo had not lost in the 168lb division ahead of his clash with the Omaha southpaw, who moved up three weight divisions from his natural welterweight category in pursuit of the super-middleweight poster boy.
Speaking to CBS, Canelo explained that his performances in his three previous rematches – against Miguel Vazquez and twice against Gennady Golovkin – prove how much he can improve when able make post-fight adjustments.
“As a fighter, we always want revenge.
“Yeah, [I believe I can beat him]. I always believe in what I can do. If you look back, I always do good in my rematches and I know what is wrong, what I did wrong.
“So, yeah, if the opportunity is there, it would be amazing [to rematch Crawford].”
Alex Eala opens her campaign in the Canadian Open Toronto 2026 vs world No. 71 Alycia Parks in the Round of 64. Seeded 25th, she received a first-round bye.
National Bank Open (Canadian Open Toronto 2026) schedule
August 6, Thursday – Center Court
8:10am – Alex Eala vs Alycia Parks – singles r64
10pm – Alex Eala / Venus Williams vs Liudmila Samsonova /Miyu Kato – doubles r32
Times subject to change.
LIVE: Alex Eala vs Alycia Parks – Canadian Open Toronto 2026 – Round of 64
Refresh this page for live updates.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Advertisement
Read Next
Advertisement
Advertisement
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
TAGS:
Advertisement
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club has officially revealed the list of contenders for this year’s running of the Cox Plate.
Chris Waller has put forward a substantial number of entries for the $6 million event, with 27 of his potential runners, including the star mare Autumn Glow, featuring in the 2040-metre race announced on Tuesday.
Despite the $1320 entry fee having been paid, Waller reiterated that a start for Autumn Glow in the October 24 race is not guaranteed, unless her regular jockey James McDonald, a four-time winner of the Cox Plate, provides a different opinion.
“Just to keep options open,” Waller stated when asked about Autumn Glow’s nomination.
Advertisement
“It’s not on our radar, but if James at any stage says, ‘have a go at the Cox Plate’ she’ll be having a go.”
Autumn Glow is slated to resume in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 22 over 1400m. Her performance in that event will likely guide the decision between targeting the $20 million The Everest (1200m) or the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 17.
A total of 103 horses were nominated for the Cox Plate, which this year will be staged at Flemington due to the redevelopment of the Moonee Valley track.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained import Sir Delius leads the local entries, seeking to redeem himself after being scratched from last year’s race when he was a short-priced favourite.
Advertisement
The international contingent comprises 15 nominations from Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. The prominent international entry is the three-year-old Gstaad, who recently finished second in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood behind the exceptional miler Bow Echo.
Calandagan, who had been rumoured as a possible visitor, was not among the nominees. However, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who trains the Japan Cup winner, has nominated Royal Ascot victor Map Of Stars.
Waller will be without Via Sistina this year, the mare that secured the past two Cox Plates and brought him within one win of Tommy Smith’s record of seven victories. Nevertheless, his 2026 stable includes two horses that competed in the race last year.
Buckaroo, who was runner-up to Via Sistina by a narrow margin, has been nominated again. Aeliana, who finished sixth last year, is also entered and is expected to race in the Cox Plate en route to the Melbourne Cup.
Advertisement
“It’s not my job to seed them, but she’d certainly be right up there,” Waller commented on Aeliana, whose preparation faced an unexpected challenge on Tuesday morning with a late scratching from a trial at Warwick Farm.
“We’ll probably make it her target race. I’m not saying she’s our top seed, but she will be set for the race and I think it fits into a Melbourne Cup.
“But, first and foremost, a Cox Plate.”
Waller trains half of the 16 three-year-olds who have been nominated, including Group 1-winning two-year-olds Campione D’Italia, Fireball, and Tron Bolt.
Advertisement
With a strong list of nominations for the 2026 Cox Plate, the excitement is building. Many are already looking to place bets with various online bookmakers.
Barcelona Femení have completed the signing of Brazilian forward Kerolin from Manchester City on a four-year deal, making her the most expensive signing in the club’s history.
The Brazilian joins the Spanish champions after Barcelona agreed a reported €1.5 million fee with Manchester City.
Speaking at her official presentation, an emotional Kerolin admitted the move still feels surreal.
Advertisement
“This is a dream. At first I couldn’t believe it, but I couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass me by. It only comes once in a lifetime.”
The 25-year-old also explained why Barcelona has always held a special place in her heart.
“My idols are Ronaldinho and Neymar. They were the players I loved watching when I was a child.”
Advertisement
Kerolin didn’t hide her ambitions either, revealing that she sees the move as the perfect opportunity to reach the highest level in the game.
“Playing for Barça brings me closer to becoming the best player in the world.”
The Brazilian spent the last 18 months at Manchester City after making her name with North Carolina Courage in the NWSL. She is known for her pace, flair and ability to play anywhere across the front line. She is expected to add another attacking dimension to Barcelona’s already star-studded squad.
Infantino was forced to abandon his plans – namely to sell stakes in the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments to private investors – after public uproar last week, with Uefa confirming a boycott of Fifa events if the plan was voted through.
On Tuesday, Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused Infantino of “blackmail” and, under immense pressure, with his job seemingly on the line, the Swiss-Italian called an emergency meeting with the Fifa management board in Morocco.
Gianni Infantino has retained the support of Fifa (PA Wire)
A letter released by Fifa on Wednesday evening was signed by both Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, even though the latter is understood to have written an email to staff on Tuesday in which he described Infantino’s proposal as “sad and reproachable”.
It showed a far more united front than that email would suggest and saw the president admits that mistakes were made in the process of setting out his sell-off plans – his first public apology for the scheme.
“We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE),” read part of the letter.
Advertisement
“It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.
“We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again. With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.”
Infantino did say mistakes were made in the process of the World Cup sell-off plan (PA Wire)
However, any suggestion that Infantino might resign, or otherwise be forced out of his job by senior figures at the governing body, were also nipped in the bud with a clear show of support for the embattled president.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board in attendance reaffirm their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations,” read part of the statement.
“It was discussed and agreed at the meeting that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency.
Advertisement
“We are fully confident that the outcomes of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world.”
The statement also went on to say that any attacks on Fifa’s integrity or good governance will not be accepted and seemed to suggest that now the sell-off plan has been abandoned, the whole situation should be quietly forgotten.
Infantino also said attacks on Fifa’s integrity would not be tolerated (PA)
”The proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table,” read another part of the statement. “With the project withdrawn, FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.
“There are always lessons to be learned, and we will continue to improve our processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done, was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.”
Infantino still faces a barrage of criticism from outside Fifa however, with a number of countries having withdrawn support for his presidency ahead of the election in March 2027.
Advertisement
Real Madrid and Portugal legend Luis Figo, who works as an adviser for Uefa, hit out at Infantino on Wednesday and implored him to resign, saying: “I could write 10,000 words on the problems at Fifa. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go.”
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney also said he no longer has confidence Infantino, explaining he felt the Fifa president committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers. “Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr Infantino,” said Carney, who had appeared alongside Infantino at several events during the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Appearing in 108 of his team’s 115 games – 94 per cent – so far in this trying 2026 is by no means a poor number. But it needs to be contextualized against the franchise player’s history – from 2020 through 2025, he appeared in 852 of the Blue Jays’ 870 regular-season games, with 156 being his previous low – and there must be some link between the physical issues that have caused him to miss more games than ever and his stunning lack of production.
Guerrero looked very uncomfortable running out a groundball in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s 7-2 win, slowing as he hit the bag and then bending over in discomfort before hobbling off.
Manager John Schneider acknowledged Wednesday that his first baseman “has had some hamstring tightness and other stuff,” but explained sitting him by saying “with 17 in a row, today’s kind of just a day off, just watching him (Tuesday) and just giving him a blow against a really good starting pitcher (in Hunter Brown), trying to get as many lefties in there as we can.”
Guerrero’s previous missed games this year were all directly tied to acute ailments.
Advertisement
He missed games May 25 and 26 after a 92.1 m.p.h. sinker from Mitch Keller struck the inside of his right elbow.
Lower back tightness cost him games June 13, 14 and 30 while he sat July 29 due to some right hamstring tightness suffered the previous nights. With the Blue Jays not only in the middle of 17 games in 17 days, but also on the back half of 30 outings in 31 days, there are precious few days for him, or others, to do any sort of healing.
Asked if another day off Thursday afternoon in Chicago, when the Blue Jays play a makeup game against the Cubs, might make some sense for Guerrero, Schneider hedged, replying that “like everyone, but especially him, he wants to be out there, he wants to be contributing more than he is. I’ll talk to him (Wednesday) as the day goes and when we get into Chicago.”
Guerrero’s determination to stay on the field is important from a wider perspective, as his actions in many ways set the standard. By showing up, good or bad, no matter that he’s struggling through easily the worst season of his career, it establishes that as the norm for others.
Advertisement
But players of his ilk also sometimes need to be saved from themselves and the way he moved Tuesday, on the heels of his back and hamstring issues, make it at least reasonable for him to miss a few days to put him on steadier footing, especially given the extra work he’s doing to pull out of his funk at the plate.
The balance there “is a delicate one,” said Schneider. “We’re talking about one of the most important guys on our team. I always feel good with him in the lineup, his presence and what he can do, what he has done for a long time. I’ll just continue to talk to him and see what he thinks is best for him. He’s got a pretty good feel for what’s best for him and what’s the best for the team. But this is a big boy league, you know what I mean? If you’re feeling good enough to go and you can go help us, we want you to do that. But I’ll continue to talk to him and see how he’s doing.”
Without him Wednesday, before a crowd of 27,751, Jameson Taillon navigated through four innings in his Blue Jays debut, allowing three runs in the third on a Jose Altuve home run, a Christian Walker RBIU double and run-scoring Lamonte Wade Jr. single, but otherwise held the game in check.
The Blue Jays erased that 3-0 deficit in the sixth when Myles Straw broke up Brown’s no-hit bid with double and scored on Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI single, which was followed by Jesus Sanchez’s two-run homer.
Advertisement
Critically, Spencer Miles worked out of a second-and-third, none-out jam in the bottom half to keep the game tied and it stayed there until the 10th, when Ernie Clement hammered Bennett Sousa’s first pitch 391 feet to left field.
It was just the third time since the all-star break the Blue Jays have had multiple homers in the same game.
With the bullpen thinned out by both the lack of recent off-days and Tuesday’s two-inning outing by Trey Yesavage, who was placed on the injured list with left knee inflammation, closer Louis Varland was needed in the ninth, which left Cliff Lee, recalled with Laz Estrada, to handle the 10th.
Yordan Alvarez opened the inning by ripping a ball down the right-field line to cut the Blue Jays lead down to one but Nathan Lukes made a strong relay to Andres Gimenez, who put a quick tag on the MVP-candidate slugger to steal an out.
Advertisement
Altuve followed with a drive to the left-field wall for the second out before Daulton Varsho flew out to centre for the final out, a wild ending that left the Blue Jays 54-61.
Canada’s top tennis player will miss his home open.
Felix Auger-Aliassime has withdrawn from the National Bank Open presented by Rogers due to a back injury suffered during training, it was announced Wednesday by the Montreal tournament.
The No. 2-seeded men’s singles player at the tourney was scheduled to face France’s Titouan Droguet in the second round of the NBO in Montreal, Auger-Aliassime’s hometown.
Auger-Aliassime, currently ranked fourth on the ATP ladder, is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon, nearly pulling off a shock upset of Novak Djokovic to tie his best-ever finish at the grand slam.
Advertisement
The 25-year-old has struggled in his home open, losing in the second round last year and in the first round the two years prior. He hasn’t made it past Round 2 since 2023, when he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Auger-Aliassime, overall, has had a solid 2026 season, punctuated by his standing on the ATP ladder, but he hasn’t won a tourney since the Open Occitanie back in February.
Because he was a seeded player heading into the NBO, Auger-Aliassime earned an automatic berth to the second round this year.
Aug 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Sam Bachman (40) reacts after exiting the game due to injury in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Angels placed right-handed reliever Sam Bachman on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday due to right forearm radial nerve inflammation.
The move was retroactive to Monday. In a corresponding move, the Angeles recalled left-hander Tayler Saucedo from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Bachman pitched on Sunday, facing only two batters to start the eighth inning before the 26-year-old was replaced by Ryan Zeferjahn in a 3-0 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Bachman, who recorded one out before walking a batter on four pitches, said afterward he was dealing with arm fatigue.
He is 1-2 with one save, a 4.14 ERA, 27 walks and 46 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings over 41 relief appearances this season.
Advertisement
For his career, Bachman is 4-7 with two saves, a 4.45 ERA, 48 walks and 78 strikeouts in 83 innings over 75 relief appearances in parts of three seasons since 2023.
The Angeles selected Bachman in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Miami Ohio.
Saucedo, 33, is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA, no walks and six strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings over six relief appearances this season, his first with the Angels. He was 2-2 with one save, a 6.10 ERA, 25 walks and 41 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings in 34 games (one start) for Salt Lake.
Saucedo has a career record of 5-2 with four saves, a 4.39 ERA, 58 walks and 118 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings over 154 relief appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays (2021-22), Seattle Mariners (2023-25) and Angels.
Converge guard Juan Gomez de Liano challenges the defense of San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo in the PBA Governors’ Cup.–PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines–Juan Gomez de Liano didn’t sugarcoat Converge’s woes in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup that continued with Wednesday’s loss to San Miguel Beer.
“I think we just kind of like fold towards the end of the game,” Gomez de Liano said.
Converge has been primed as one of the contenders with its talent-laden roster that includes rookie Gomez de Liano, and it seemed like it was when the conference began with wins over Titan Ultra, Terrafirma and Macau.
But the FiberXers lost their first meeting with the Beermen, triggering the ongoing dry spell that was followed by setbacks at the hands of the TNT Tropang 5G and NLEX Road Warriors.
Gomez de Liano and Converge are hoping to figure things out as quickly as possible, especially now that they are fourth in Group A, with Terrafirma (2-4), Titan Ultra (2-5) and Macau (2-5) not far behind in the standings.
Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement
The top four teams after the group stage qualify for the crossover quarterfinals.
Up next for Converge are Terrafirma on Aug. 11 and NLEX on Aug. 14 before the league takes a long break for the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Games campaigns of Gilas Pilipinas, two games that will see whether the FiberXers can get their acts straight.
“I think for us, we just have to like know roles and accept it, then work towards the role that we want to play,” said Gomez de Liano. “We have a lot of great players that can do a lot and do damage, but then that’s the thing if you have a stacked lineup.
Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement
“You have to kind of figure out what your role is, what your purpose is in the team and kind of just work towards that. Chemistry-wise, I don’t think we lack chemistry. I think we just kind of fall short towards the end.”
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Pakistan’s Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem has blamed the cold Glasgow weather for his disappointing performance at the Commonwealth Games. The defending champion finished ninth after failing to make the final three rounds, saying the low temperature made his body stiff and affected his usually smooth run-up.Nadeem managed 77.41 metres with his second throw after opening with a foul. His third attempt was 75.39m, leaving him outside the top eight.“The weather was extremely cold and I personally felt that it affected my body. As you have seen in many of my previous competitions, my run-up is usually very smooth, but this time it wasn’t… because my body had become stiff due to the cold conditions. My fitness was good and my health was fine, but ultimately whatever Allah wills is what happens,” he told reporters on Wednesday.Despite the result, Nadeem said he remains determined to make a strong comeback and urged fans to continue supporting him.“Please don’t lose heart and don’t stop supporting me either. Whatever I have achieved has only been possible because Allah blessed me with the opportunity to do it. The respect and recognition Pakistan has received around the world have come through years of hard work. I worked tirelessly while staying in Pakistan,” he added.“God willing, I will prepare with full dedication for the upcoming competitions and once again raise Pakistan’s flag on the international stage.”Nadeem also responded to criticism on social media, saying he understood the disappointment among Pakistani fans.“I have heard many things on social media, but I want everyone to remember that I am Pakistan’s son, and I always will be,” he maintained.
Lausanne Diamond League next
Nadeem’s next challenge will be the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland on August 21. He will face a strong field that includes India’s Neeraj Chopra, Commonwealth champion Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Keshorn Walcott, Anderson Peters and Thomas Rohler.Nadeem will hope to regain his form before the Asian Games later this year.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login