FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn his plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors after widespread condemnation from across the football world.

European football’s governing body UEFA welcomed the news on Saturday, calling it a “victory for the whole game.”

In a statement on Saturday, Infantino said: “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”

What did UEFA say about Infantino’s scrapped plans?

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has lost the “confidence” of UEFA after his plan to allow private investment in the World Cup was withdrawn following a global backlash.

“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” UEFA said, while adding that the “task of rebuilding trust in FIFA” had only just begun.

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While the European body welcomed the withdrawal of a proposal unanimously rejected by itself and also by other confederations, it did not hold back in its criticism of Infantino.

UEFA said “we cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast track timescales”, and that now was the time for responsible parties to come together and prevent it happening again.

“It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again,” they said.

UEFA said on Thursday that its members had unanimously agreed to boycott all FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, unless the plan was withdrawn.

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“The World Cup is not for sale,” UEFA said.

What were FIFA chief’s Infantino’s private investor plans?

Infantino’s proposal would have created a commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run competitions like the World Cup, selling broadcasting and sponsorship, tickets and hospitality.

Under the plans, FIFA would sell minority stakes in FFE to private equity investors. The proposed investor consortium was to be led by “Thrive Eternal,” a fund run by “Thrive Capital,” which was founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US ​President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

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Infantino, who has faced criticism for his close ties to the US president, had asked federations to approve the measure by September 19, reportedly offering the associations $40 million (€35 million) if they backed the proposal.

FIFA unveils controversial World Cup investor plan

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Infantino’s plans met with global backlash

European teams are the reigning champions of FIFA’s three leading competitions, the men’s and women’s World Cup, and the Club World Cup.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which runs the sport in North America and the Caribbean, soon joined UEFA in condemning and rejecting FIFA’s plans, although they stopped short of threatening a boycott.

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As the opposition to Infantino’s plans grew, his senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest on Friday.

Later on Friday, the world governing body’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, slammed Infantino, saying the plans were “the project of one person” who had “deceived” FIFA staff.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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There are 15 MLB games on today’s schedule, and three of them air nationally on FOX and FS1. FS1 carries an afternoon matchup between the Twins and Mariners, two teams hovering right around .500, while FOX has a doubleheader of its own in prime time featuring the Diamondbacks and Guardians, both clubs sitting comfortably above .500, and the Yankees and Cubs, two of the stronger records in baseball right now. All three streams live and on demand on FOX One.

MLB Schedule for August 1 on FOX Networks

Twins at Mariners

Minnesota is hovering around .500 and Seattle is hanging just below it, so this one shapes up as a tight, low-margin affair between two teams still very much in the mix. Both sides need wins to keep pace in a crowded American League field, which should make for a competitive afternoon on the West Coast.

Diamondbacks at Guardians

Arizona and Cleveland enter this one on comparable footing, both clubs a handful of games over .500 and pushing for playoff positioning in their respective leagues. It is a matchup of two teams trending in the right direction, and neither wants to slip this weekend.

Yankees at Cubs

This is a marquee matchup between two of the better records in baseball. New York and Chicago have both separated themselves from the pack, and a night game at Wrigley Field between two contenders is about as good as the regular season gets.

Other August 1 MLB Games

• 3:07 p.m. ET: Cardinals at Blue Jays (Rogers SportsNet, St. Louis Cardinals TV Network)
• 4:10 p.m. ET: Marlins at Mets (SportsNet New York, Miami Marlins TV Network)
• 4:10 p.m. ET: White Sox at Rays (Tampa Bay Rays TV Network, Chicago Sports Network)
• 6:40 p.m. ET: Pirates at Reds (Sportsnet Pittsburgh, Cincinnati Reds TV Network)
• 7:05 p.m. ET: Phillies at Orioles (NBC Sports Philadelphia, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network)
• 7:10 p.m. ET: Rangers at Astros (RSN, Space City Home Network)
• 7:15 p.m. ET: Nationals at Braves (Braves Vision, Washington Nationals TV Network)
• 8:10 p.m. ET: Royals at Rockies (Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals TV Network)
• 8:40 p.m. ET: Giants at Padres (San Diego Padres, NBC Sports Bay Area)
• 9:10 p.m. ET: Red Sox at Dodgers (NESN, Spectrum SportsNet LA)
• 9:38 p.m. ET: Brewers at Angels (Milwaukee Brewers TV Network, Angels Broadcast Television)
• 9:40 p.m. ET: Tigers at Athletics (Detroit SportsNet, NBC Sports California)

How to Watch MLB Games

FOX and FS1 carry today’s national games, Twins at Mariners, Diamondbacks at Guardians and Yankees at Cubs, all of them streaming live and on demand on FOX One.

PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.

The P/PTSD Perspective: August 1st, 2026

1) Anthony Richardson Gets Yet Another Vikings Take: Some rumors refuse to die. For whatever it’s worth, there are at least some reasons to link Mr. Richardson to the Vikings. Short of something truly bizarre occurring, though, Richarson isn’t going to call Minnesota home anytime soon.

2) Chuck Foreman Doesn’t Hold Back on Vikings’ 2026 QB Competition: Listening to “The Spin Doctor” would be wise. After all, Mr. Foreman had an excellent career for the Vikings, meaning he boasts ample wisdom.

3) J.J. McCarthy Will Not Bow: Being defiant in one’s desire to compete is a cherished personality trait, especially in the NFL. Many are leaving Mr. McCarthy for dead. He doesn’t appear to be particularly concerned. Can the kid overcome the odds by stealing back the QB1 job?

4) Vikings Announce Flurry of Roster Moves After Rookies Report to Camp: A roster is an evolving being. That reality is especially true at a time like NFL training camp. GM Nolan Teasley showed some guys the door before welcoming others.

5) Will Fries Could Benefit Most from Vikings’ Commitment to Run Game: The well-paid right guard didn’t live up to expectations last season. A major part of the reason why is due to injury. Yes, he played the full year, but he was coming off a serious injury that robbed him of most of 2024. He has now settled into the Twin Cities and is working with a new coach. Can he explode?

Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Ajax and Real Betis have made contact with AZ Alkmaar about Troy Parrott, in a deal that could go beyond £25m. All of Fulham, Como and PSV Eindhoven are meanwhile surveying how it develops, with a view to potentially trying to hijack any deal.

Parrott has had another sensational season with AZ, with one of many peaks the five goals against Portugal and Hungary in November’s international break, that took Ireland into a World Cup play-off.

That has seen a series of clubs take interest in his progress, with the five above – from four different countries – currently the most keen. Parrott himself is open to another transfer abroad, given how beneficial the move to the Netherlands has been for his career.

Betis are especially keen but the challenge is about securing the right deal.

AZ have long wanted a package that comes to around £25m, with many in football seeing that as a great price for a 24-year-old with a high ceiling and still considerable potential to grow.

Parrott joined AZ from Tottenham Hotspur in July 2024 having been sent out on loan spells to five different clubs during his time with Spurs including Millwall and Preston North End.

He made the switch to the Eredivise in a £6.7m move scoring 14 goals in 30 league appearances in his first season with AZ. He bettered that last year with 16 goals from 28 league appearances and has netted 33 times from 61 games for the club.

Roberto de Zerbi says Tottenham “don’t know” whether forward Richarlison will stay at the club as he “sometimes” wants to leave.

The Brazil international, 29, scored a last-minute winner as 10-man Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1 in a high-profile friendly in Sydney.

After the match, De Zerbi was asked whether Richarlison – who has entered the final year of his contract – would leave this summer.

“I don’t know because I like him as a player and as a guy,” De Zerbi said at Accor Stadium. “He’s unbelievable in terms of attitude and behaviour. But, in the end, we have to respect what he wants to do.”

When pressed on whether Richarlison wants to leave, he added: “I don’t know. I didn’t understand well because sometimes he says he wants to stay, sometimes he wants to leave. We have to speak anyway. There is not any problem. He’s a lovely guy.”

The Italian coach was keen to point out Richarlison’s professionalism and impact in a chaotic campaign that saw Spurs battle relegation, scoring 12 goals.

“For me, he’s still an important player because it’s not easy to find another striker like Richarlison,” he said. “Richarlison scores goals. He knows the way. With any new striker, we don’t know.

“He scored 12 goals last season, not because of luck but because he knows how to score.

“All of us love him, the team-mates, the club and the staff because he works hard every day, seriously every day, and we can’t say anything about him on the pitch.”

The situation comes in the context of Spurs’ record-breaking £237m transfer window, which is set to continue with the pursuit of two more attackers.

One is understood to be Manchester City‘s Savinho, while Liverpool‘s Cody Gakpo has also been linked.

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is set to return to action after his doping case was resolved, bringing an end to a chapter that has kept him out of competitive football since late 2024.

The Football Association (FA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Mudryk reached an agreement during his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), allowing the Ukrainian international to resume his career with immediate effect.

Mudryk had initially received a four-year ban after testing positive for meldonium in October 2024. However, the sanction was effectively reduced to the period he had already served following changes to WADA’s technical guidance.

Under the current standards, the concentration of meldonium found in his sample would no longer be considered a doping violation.

Although the settlement allows him to return, Mudryk accepted that he had committed anti-doping rule violations as part of the agreement. Throughout the process, however, he maintained that he had never knowingly taken a banned substance.

Reacting to the decision, the 25-year-old expressed relief that the case had finally come to an end.

“After a long battle, the four-year ban that was imposed on me has been rescinded, and I am free to resume my career with immediate effect.”

He added:

“This has been the most difficult period of my career. As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance.”

Chelsea also welcomed the outcome, reaffirming their support for the winger.

“Chelsea Football Club is pleased that this matter has now reached a conclusion which allows Mykhailo to return to football with immediate effect.”

Mudryk is now expected to rejoin Chelsea’s first-team squad as preparations continue for the new Premier League season. His return also gives manager Xabi Alonso another attacking option after nearly two years away from competitive football.

Few things are more frustrating than walking off the green with a three-putt. But you don’t need to rebuild your stroke or spend hundreds on the latest training aid to avoid these scorecard killers. More often than not, becoming a better putter comes down to building better habits.

That’s exactly what GOLF Top 100 Teacher David Armitage says more amateurs need to focus on if they want to cut these score-killers out of their rounds. According to Armitage, the best putters all share three simple habits that improve distance control, produce a more reliable stroke and reduce their chances of three-putting. 

Want to start taking strokes off your score? Below are the three habits you can use to never three-putt again. 

1. Slow down before setting up

According to Armitage, one of the biggest mistakes amateurs make on the greens is rushing through the process — or not having a process at all.

“We’ve got to try and educate ourselves,” Armitage says. “I think a lot of people skip that step.”

That doesn’t mean spending minutes dissecting every putt. Armitage notes that some golfers fall into the opposite trap, overanalyzing the read and second-guessing themselves.

The goal is to find the middle ground: a consistent pre-putt routine that helps you read the green, commit to your line and step over the ball with confidence.

2. Let your stroke control distance

One of the biggest mistakes amateurs make is creating speed with their hands and accelerating through impact. Instead, Armitage wants golfers to maintain a consistent tempo and control distance by changing the length of their stroke.

He compares the putting motion to a pendulum: the rhythm stays the same, but the length of the stroke changes depending on the putt. On slower greens, make a longer stroke. On faster greens, shorten it — but avoid the instinct to accelerate or decelerate.

That consistency gives you a repeatable system for distance control, no matter the length of the putt.

3. Practice the putts that save strokes

Most golfers spend their time on the practice green trying to make short putts. While those are important, Armitage believes long-range putts are where amateurs have a bigger opportunity to improve.

“Amateurs … definitely don’t practice their long putting enough,” he says. “And I think it’s a place where they could definitely get better very quickly.”

To improve distance control, Armitage recommends trying ladder drills or hitting putts toward the fringe. Both of those drills are designed to help golfers develop a feel for speed while maintaining the same tempo and adjusting only the length of their stroke.

Remember, the goal isn’t to make every long putt — it’s to leave yourself a manageable second putt and eliminate costly three-putts.

Three-putts don’t have to be a part of your game. By slowing down your routine, developing a consistent tempo and practicing longer putts, you can eliminate costly mistakes and lower your scores.

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Terence Crawford has offered Lamont Roach some words of wisdom ahead of his vacant WBC world title clash with William Zepeda.

The sanctioning body’s two leading lightweight contenders will collide this evening, headlining a Golden Boy card in Las Vegas.

Zepeda has therefore been presented with a second stab at the WBC 135lb strap, despite coming off a unanimous decision defeat to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025.

Even against Stevenson, though, the Mexican fought at a relentless pace and proved that he represents a hard night’s work for any fighter.

Roach, on the other hand, has been accused of lacking a degree of urgency, or rather believing he is comfortably ahead on the judges’ scorecards when, really, the fight remains in the balance.

This appeared to be the case in his last outing, against Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, whose sheer aggression and work rate saw him come away with a 12-round draw in December.

Prior to that, Roach boxed to a far more contentious draw against Gervonta Davis, who should have suffered a knockdown when he touched the canvas in round nine.

The fact remains, however, that Roach must elevate his punch output and intensity if he is to emerge victorious against Zepeda.

Speaking with FightHype, former three-division undisputed champion Crawford outlined this as an area of improvement for the 30-year-old.

“It’s going to be a good fight. If Roach don’t pick up his punch count, it’s going to be a bad one [for him].”

While seemingly needing to increase his volume, Roach does have the footwork and fluidity to cause Zepeda serious problems.