fifa | DD News

October 4, 2026 5:45 PM

FIFA international friendly: India fight hard but Brazil emerge 4-0 winners

India fought gallantly for initial 25 minutes but five-time champions Brazil showed the vast gulf between the teams with a neatly executed 4-0 win in their FIFA international friendly in Kolkata on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti's new-look side, which is in a rebuilt mode post their pre-quarterfinal exit in the World Cup 2026, largely played within themselves without injecting much pace in their historic friendly. India, backed by a crowd that swelled to 51,402, had their moments in the first 25 mi...

August 18, 2026 11:49 AM

Senior FIFA official Lamour exits after Infantino criticism

FIFA said on Monday that Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour had left the organisation, weeks after he publicly criticised Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments. Lamour joined the senior leadership group of soccer's global governing body in November 2024, having previously been part of the inner circle that campaigned for Infantino's election as FIFA president in 2016. "FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIF...

July 30, 2026 10:13 AM

Regional confederations left blindsided by FIFA’s $20 billion investment plan

FIFA's proposal to sell stakes in a $20 billion commercial subsidiary has drawn strong criticism from soccer's regional confederations, which said they were blindsided by the world governing body's plan to bring private investors into the sport. The Confederations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC) delivered stinging rebukes on Wednesday, saying they learned of FIFA's equity sale proposal through media reports rather than official channel...

July 19, 2026 1:08 PM

Extended Indian Summer brings Lionel Messi back to the summit again

When Argentina lost the 2016 Copa America final at MetLife Stadium, a heartbroken Lionel Messi tearfully announced his retirement from international football with the words "I've done all I can". At 29, he was one of the world's most decorated players at individual and club level but, after losses in three Copa America title deciders and the 2014 World Cup final, he looked destined never to take home a big international prize. He was, of course, cajoled back into the Argentina shirt by an ador...

July 19, 2026 1:03 PM

Didier Deschamps’ golden France era ends in defeat, but legacy intact

The end of coach Didier Deschamps' Midas-like reign turned into a Tantalus torment as France suffered a comprehensive World Cup semi-final defeat by Spain before losing 6-4 to England in a wild third-place playoff, but those disappointments will not tarnish his legacy. France lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina and have now been beaten by Spain in three straight semi-finals, at Euro 2024, the Nations League and Tuesday's 2-0 World Cup loss. Yet Deschamps, who took charge in 2012 with Fr...

July 19, 2026 12:48 PM

Thunderstorms disrupt Spain and Argentina World Cup final training plans

Heavy thunderstorms in the New York and New Jersey areas disrupted the final training sessions of Spain and Argentina ahead of Sunday's World Cup final on Saturday. "The Spanish national team's training session on the pitches at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey has been suspended in accordance with the US storm safety protocol," the Spanish federation (RFEF) said in a statement after their practice at the Melanie Lane training ground was cancelled. "The players are currently taki...

July 19, 2026 12:35 PM

FIFA detects 7 million abusive comments aimed at players and staff during World Cup

FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which aims to protect players, teams and officials from online threats and abuse, has detected more than 7 million potentially harmful or abusive posts on social media during the World Cup, the global soccer body said on Saturday. FIFA said the detection rate was 14 times higher than the 2022 edition, during which 470,000 such posts were removed. The SMPS team have reviewed more than half a million AI-detected messages targeting players, coaches a...

July 19, 2026 12:23 PM

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum to attend FIFA World Cup final at President Trump’s invitation

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a message on X that she would attend the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. "I considered it politically important that the three countries hosting the World Cup are involved, and it is also a sign of the strong coordination and collaboration we have with the U.S. government," Sheinbaum said. The final World Cup match between Argentina and Spain caps...

July 19, 2026 12:17 PM

FIFA WC final: Pressing Spain is simple in theory, painful in practice, says Julen Lopetegui

Julen Lopetegui knows what it is to see Argentina picked apart by Spain's passing carousel, but the former Spain manager says Sunday's World Cupfinal will be no nostalgic rerun of a friendly thrashing in Madrid. Lopetegui was in charge the last time Spain faced Argentina, a 6-1 win at the newly opened Metropolitano stadium in 2018, when Lionel Messi was absent and Spain produced the sort of midfield suffocation that can make opponents feel they are chasing shadows. "It's a wonderful memory bec...

July 19, 2026 12:03 PM

Thomas Tuchel hopes England players will look back on FIFA World Cup with pride

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he hoped his players would one day look back on finishing third at the World Cup with some pride, despite falling short of their goal of winning the tournament. A 6-4 win over France in a frenetic third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday gave England their best finish at a World Cup since their only triumph when they hosted the tournament in 1966. "It's the first medal for 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. So I hope that the players can be...