Governing Bodies
Greek Prime Minister at centre of controversy over proposed joint FIFA World Cup bid with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to fund stadium construction in Greece and Egypt if they allow the Gulf state to host three-quarters of the matches in a bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Opposition parties to Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ ruling New Democracy party in Greece have reacted furiously to the revelations first reported by Politico.
Citing a senior official familiar with the matter, Politico reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the officer with Mitsotakis in a private conversation last year.
Another source said that Saudi Arabia would “fully underwrite the costs” for Greece and Egypt of staging the World Cup in exchange for hosting 75 per cent of the fixtures.
Neither Greece nor Egypt have said whether such an offer was taken up, and Greek Deputy Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis claimed that the report was “full of inaccuracies” and the tri-continental bid is “still in the early stages”.
A Sports Ministry spokesperson disputed the claim that “the Crown Prince suggested to the PM that Saudi Arabia would bear the costs of the event”, as reported by Politico.
The left-wing opposition party Syriza has called for greater transparency, and pointed to its proposal for a bid with Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia when it was in Government until 2019.
“Let’s find out why Greece gives the strong brand name of a European country that is synonymous with freedom and democracy in this proposal with Saudi Arabia”, Syriza said.
Another left-wing party, MeRA25, admitted the report was “extremely worrying” and called for “no collusion with this murderous regime” nor “the dictatorial regime of Egypt”.
Mitsotakis’ conservative Government has established strong ties with Saudi Arabia.
Greece has provided arms and troops to Riyadh, the Prime Minister has travelled to the Saudi capital on multiple occasions, and Athens last year became the first European capital visited by bin Salman since the state-ordered assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
A Saudi-led tri-continental World Cup bid is expected to face competition from Spain, Portugal and Ukraine in Europe and Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile in South America, with a decision expected at the FIFA Congress next year.
FIFA reformed its procedure for awarding the World Cup process after the disputed and highly-controversial double award of the 2018 and 2022 editions to Russia and Qatar respectively, with the Congress now selecting a host.
The double award in 2010 is widely viewed as contributing to the fall of disgraced former FIFA President Sepp Blatter in 2015.
Qatar’s staging of the first Middle Eastern World Cup was overshadowed by criticism of its human rights record, and the host nation has been implicated in a high-profile bribery scandal at the European Parliament with it and Morocco accused of paying bribes to officials in exchange for influence.
Qatar has denied funnelling money to gain influence.
Last year’s World Cup was moved to the northern hemisphere’s winter for the first time because of Qatar’s heat and humidity, and a similar move would likely be necessary for a bid including Saudi Arabia.
Two of football’s all-time biggest stars in Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are expected to boost the Saudi bid.
Ronaldo has recently signed for Saudi club Al Nassr on a deal reportedly worth £175 million ($212 million/€198 million) per year, while Messi was unveiled as a tourism ambassador or the country last year.
Saudi Arabia has proved a destination of note for numerous professional boxing fights, is a Formula One Grand Prix host and has been awarded several multi-sport events.
These include the 2034 Asian Games, this year’s World Combat Games, the 2025 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
The latter event in the yet-to-be-built resort of Trojena has proved particularly controversial given Saudi Arabia is the world leader in exports of crude oil, and has led to accusations of “greenwashing”.
The FIFA World Cup has long been mooted as a target for Saudi Arabia, although initial reports of a project with Italy failed to materialise.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino appears to enjoy a friendly relationship with bin Salman watching Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defend his heavyweight boxing world titles against Briton Anthony Joshua in Jeddah last this year.
He also watched the opening match of the 2022 World Cup alongside the de facto Saudi leader for the second consecutive edition.
It was the Saudi Arabian Football Federation which formally proposed exploring the possibility for FIFA to stage its men’s and women’s World Cups every two years rather than every four in May 2021, although this idea has lost momentum in light of stiff European and South American opposition, and Infantino distanced himself from the proposal at this year’s Congress.
FIFA has sparked controversy over a rumoured sponsorship deal with Visit Saudi for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with Football Australia saying it was “very disappointed” having not been consulted.
Critics of the bin Salman regime have accused Saudi Arabia of sportswashing and seeking to distract from its record on human rights, including the assassination of Khashoggi, its role in the bombing in Yemen, harsh restrictions in place on women’s rights and its use of the death penalty.
None of Saudi Arabia, Greece and Egypt have previously staged the World Cup, although Athens held the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2004.
The men’s World Cup is set to expand from 32 to 48 teams from 2026.
-INSIDETHEGAMES
The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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Governing Bodies
Countdown Rule Introduced To Crack Down on Time-Wasting in Substitutions and Spot Kicks
Global football’s law-making body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), has approved a landmark package of reforms aimed at protecting effective playing time, reducing time-wasting and strengthening disciplinary oversight ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The decisions were taken at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales, during celebrations marking the FAW’s 150th anniversary.
The reforms, which will apply from the 2026/27 season and be implemented at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions, respond to growing calls across the football community for measures that preserve match tempo and reduce deliberate disruption.
Five-Second Countdown for Throw-Ins and Goal Kicks
Building on last season’s amendment preventing goalkeepers from holding the ball for excessive periods, IFAB has extended the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks.
If a referee judges that a restart is being deliberately delayed, a visible five-second countdown will begin. Failure to put the ball back into play within that period will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal kick, the sanction escalates to a corner kick for the opposition.
The measure is designed to eliminate a common time-management tactic frequently deployed late in matches.
Strict Timelines for Substitutions
To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or the referee’s signal being given.
Players who exceed that limit must still exit immediately, but their replacement will not be allowed to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of running clock time has elapsed — effectively discouraging slow exits intended to run down the clock.
Mandatory One-Minute Absence After On-Field Treatment
Under another significant change, players who receive on-field medical assessment — or whose injury prompts a stoppage — must leave the pitch and remain off for at least one minute once play resumes.
The rule aims to curb tactical injury interruptions while still safeguarding genuine medical needs.
IFAB also approved further trials to assess goalkeeper-related tactical injury delays and explore deterrent options.
VAR Protocol Expanded to Include Second Yellow Cards
In a notable development for officiating, IFAB expanded the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.
The VAR will now be permitted to review:
- Red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card;
- Mistaken identity cases where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off;
- Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.
The move addresses longstanding criticism that second cautions — unlike straight red cards — were previously outside VAR review scope, despite their decisive impact on matches.
IFAB also confirmed continued trials of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and ongoing development of FIFA-led Football Video Support (FVS).
Amendments to the Laws of the Game 2026/27
The next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective 1 July 2026 (with early adoption permitted), will introduce further clarifications and adjustments:
- Law 3: Senior ‘A’ international friendlies may now allow up to eight substitutes, expandable to eleven by mutual agreement.
- Law 4: Non-dangerous equipment will be permitted if safely covered.
- Law 5: Referee body cameras (head- or chest-mounted) may be used at competition discretion, with organisers controlling footage.
- Law 8: Clarifies that a dropped ball will be awarded to the team that would likely have retained possession.
- Laws 10 & 14: Formal incorporation of guidance on accidental “double touch” penalty incidents.
- Law 12: Where advantage is played for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored, the offender will not be cautioned.
Focus on Discriminatory Behaviour and Player Protests
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, IFAB agreed that further consultation will be undertaken to develop tougher measures against discriminatory conduct.
The board will also examine scenarios where:
- Players leave the field collectively in protest of refereeing decisions;
- Players cover their mouths while confronting opponents — a practice viewed as undermining transparency.
A Forward-Looking Agenda
The AGM, attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, the Irish FA and IFAB administration, signals what officials described as a decisive effort to modernise the sport.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, IFAB’s reforms represent one of the most comprehensive tempo-focused overhauls in recent years — an attempt to ensure that football remains faster, fairer and more resistant to manipulation of time.
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Governing Bodies
Infantino marks 10 years as FIFA President, hails reforms and global expansion of the game
Gianni Infantino has marked the 10th anniversary of his election as FIFA President by declaring that “we have brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football,” while thanking the organisation’s 211 member associations for their support over the past decade.
In a letter sent to the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino reflected on his election at the Extraordinary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, on 26 February 2016, recalling that FIFA was facing a crisis that threatened its very existence at the time.
“By voting for me, the FIFA Congress chose to chart a new path forward built on reform, transparency and development,” he wrote. “I believe we have successfully brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football. And we have done so together.”
Infantino stressed that unity between FIFA and its Member Associations had been central to the organisation’s transformation.
“It is therefore with a great sense of unity that I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your work, your dedication and, of course, your unwavering support in making this possible and for your role in bringing FIFA back to football over the last 10 years,” he said.
Describing FIFA as “the glue that binds the footballing pyramid and the wider footballing ecosystem together,” Infantino underlined the importance of a strong and trusted governing body for the continued growth of the sport.
“A strong, trusted and unified FIFA is not only desirable, but also in fact necessary for our sport to continue to flourish,” he added. “Although we live in a world marked by division and conflict, football is still the great power that unites us all.”
Key achievements highlighted
In his message, the FIFA President outlined 11 major achievements since 2016, beginning with increased financial support to Member Associations through the FIFA Forward Programme. Introduced in 2016, funding to MAs has increased sevenfold, with associations empowered to determine how best to invest in football development within their territories.
He also pointed to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, designed to ensure that every young player has the opportunity to develop regardless of financial background or geography, alongside enhanced capacity building in administration, finance, infrastructure, medical services, safeguarding and women’s leadership.
Infantino noted greater involvement of Member Associations in decision-making through FIFA Executive Summits and newly introduced Standing Committees, as well as reforms aimed at boosting transparency, including annual accounts delivered under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and clearer bidding processes for major tournaments.
On the field, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in 2018 — now implemented in 83 Member Associations — was cited as a key step towards greater fairness. FIFA has since introduced VAR Light and Football Video Support to widen access to video technology. In 2024, all 211 MAs also unanimously backed a Global Stand Against Racism initiative.
Infantino further highlighted expanded playing opportunities across competitions. The FIFA World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, while the FIFA Women’s World Cup grew to 32 teams in 2023 and is set to expand to 48 from 2031. More than 1,700 women’s development projects have been delivered across 204 Member Associations.
Youth competitions have also been broadened, including the expansion of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for both boys and girls and the introduction of a new festival-style FIFA U-15 Youth World Cup open to all 211 MAs.
The letter referenced relief measures during times of hardship, notably the COVID-19 Relief Plan, which made USD 1.5 billion available, emergency disaster funding via the FIFA Foundation, and a post-conflict recovery fund approved in December 2025 to support football communities affected by war.
At club level, Infantino highlighted the historic first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup planned for 2028, and the launch of annual intercontinental competitions and an expanded FIFA Club Benefits Programme.
Concluding his message, Infantino reiterated his gratitude to Member Associations for “keeping the best interests of football at heart,” expressing confidence that a united global football community would continue to drive the sport’s growth in the years ahead.
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