FIFA Page 6 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Red cards approved for players covering mouths at World Cup
The International Football Association Board held a special meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday to approve a pair of FIFA-approved amendments to address inappropriate behavior ahead of this summer's World Cup in North America,One new rule permit officials to issue red cards for any players who cover the...

Mexico makes Liga MX call-ups ahead of pre-World Cup camp
Mexico's FIFA World Cup roster began to take shape Tuesday with a dozen Liga MX players invited to the camp that begins on May 6. ,Manager Javier Aguirre's crew will be joined in training later in the month by players who are based in Europe and elsewhere. His final roster for this summer's tourname...

Report: FIFA adding another yellow card amnesty for World Cup
FIFA is planning to add a second yellow card "amnesty" period for the 2026 World Cup, The Athletic reported Monday.,The FIFA Council will meet Tuesday in Vancouver to discuss new rules ahead of the first 48-team tournament in World Cup history. That reportedly will include an additional yellow card ...

Spain women remain No. 1 ahead of U.S. in FIFA rankings
Spain remained No. 1 with the United States still at No. 2 on Tuesday in the first FIFA Women's World Ranking published since December.,Making up the rest of the top 10 in the new rankings are England, Germany, Japan, Brazil, France, Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands.,A total of 276 relevant intern...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino: Iran 'for sure' playing in World Cup
Despite Iran's sports minister stating that the country cannot participate amid the war with the United States, along with President Donald Trump voicing concerns for the players' "life and safety," FIFA president Gianni Infantino is confident Iran will play in the FIFA World Cup this summer in Nort...

Report: FIFA to ask Trump to pause ICE raids during World Cup
FIFA's leadership discussed the possibility of its president, Gianni Infantino, asking United States President Donald Trump to pause ICE raids during this summer's World Cup in North America, according to a report from The Athletic.,Infantino was receptive to the idea and was planning a "president-t...

France passes Spain for No. 1 in FIFA world rankings; U.S. drops
France has overtaken Spain to regain the No. 1 spot in the FIFA world rankings for the first time since September 2018.,Impressive wins in friendlies last month against Brazil and Colombia moved France up two spots in the rankings released on Wednesday.,Spain dropped to No. 2 and defending FIFA Worl...

Report: UEFA lobbying FIFA to increase World Cup prize fund
European teams are asking FIFA to increase prize money and to greater assist with costs associated with their participation this summer in the World Cup, which is expected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue, The Athletic reported Wednesday.,UEFA, which governs soccer in Europe, has been as...

Iran bans sports teams from traveling to 'hostile' countries
Iran has banned the nation's sports teams from traveling to "hostile" countries, Iranian state TV reported Thursday.,The ban did not specifically mention this summer's FIFA World Cup, taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.,The Ministry of Sports in Tehran's statement singled out an upcoming so...

Argentina coach: Lionel Messi 'earned the right' to make World Cup decision
Global soccer icon Lionel Messi has not decided whether he will help Argentina defend its FIFA World Cup title this summer in North America, national team coach Lionel Scaloni said.,The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and current Inter Miami superstar will turn 39 during the World Cup, which opens on ...

Final World Cup ticketing phase is first-come, first-served
Fans looking for one last opportunity to get tickets to this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America will get their chance on April 1.,And that's no joke.,FIFA announced Wednesday that a fourth and final phase of ticket sales will take place starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 1 and will remain open th...

European fans file complaint over World Cup ticket prices
European soccer fans have lodged a formal complaint over the high cost of tickets for this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America.,Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and the consumer rights organization Euroconsumers filed an 18-page complaint on Tuesday with the European Commission in Brussels.,"FI...

FIFA rules all women's teams must have female coaches
FIFA decreed Thursday that all women's teams competing in world tournaments must have a woman head or assistant coach on the bench.,The rule, newly approved by the FIFA Council, applies to national and club competitions at the senior and youth levels, including the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil a...

YouTube, FIFA reach World Cup live broadcast deal
FIFA announced an agreement Tuesday making YouTube a "preferred platform" for this summer's World Cup.,The deal allows rights-holding broadcast partners to stream the first 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channels.,The objective is to create a sample of sorts, encouraging younger fans usi...

Iran lobbying to move World Cup matches in LA, Seattle to Mexico
Iran wants FIFA to move its World Cup matches this summer from the United States to Mexico.,That's according to the X account of Iran's embassy in Mexico, which posted a statement late Monday night attributed to Medhi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation. The statement was a reaction to...

AFC official: Iran still set to play in 2026 World Cup
Iran has given no indication it intends to remove its national team from this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a representative for the Asian Football Confederation said Monday.,The Iranian team, currently 20th in the FIFA rankings, is set to compete in its fourth con...

Report: FIFA cuts operating budget by more than $100M
FIFA has slashed more than $100 million from its operating budget for this summer's World Cup in North America, The Athletic reported.,In its annual report in 2024, FIFA's projected budget for the 2023-26 cycle included $1.12 billion for operational expenses out of a total budget of $3.756 billion. ...

FIFA COO: World Cup 'too big' to be postponed by Middle East conflict
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi said the World Cup is "too big" and that the 2026 tournament will go on as planned despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East.,Speaking at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas on Monday, Schirgi was specifically asked about Iran, whose participatio...

Iraq coach asks FIFA to delay World Cup playoff game due to travel issues
Graham Arnold, head coach of Iraq's national soccer team, is requesting FIFA delay the team's World Cup playoff game scheduled for later this month because of travel issues due to the current conflict in the Middle East.,Iraq is currently scheduled to face the winner of the March 26 match between Su...

FIFA offering $12 tickets to World Cup Play-Off Tournament
Tickets for this month's World Cup Play-Off Tournament matches in Mexico, which will determine two of the final six vacant spots in this summer's historic 48-team tournament, went on sale Tuesday.,And they did so at a much more affordable rate (less than $17 American dollars) than it would cost to a...