Gianni Infantino calls crisis meeting as criticism mounts

Under-pressure FIFA president Gianni Infantino will hold a crisis meeting with senior staff in Morocco on Wednesday. Senior staff have been asked to attend the meeting in Rabat after the pressure on the Swiss ramped up on Tuesday. Infantino is now set for crunch talks on Wednesday with senior FIFA staff after he was forced to withdraw his plan to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company to run the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA’s tournaments.

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UEFA vows World Cup boycott as Concacaf rejects FIFA private equity plan

UEFA has said no European nation will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as proposals to create a company to run the World Cup remain alive. FIFA is planning to sell a significant minority stake in a new commercial entity with a valuation of about €17.5 billion ($20 billion). The plan would see FIFA establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a wholly-owned subsidiary consolidating the organisation’s commercial and event operations.

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Zinedine Zidane named France head coach

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been confirmed as the head coach of the France national team. Didier Deschamps, France’s longest-serving manager, ended his 14-year stint in charge after the nation’s semi-final exit to Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Zidane, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, has been out of management since leaving Real Madrid for a second time as head coach in 2021.

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Ireland held by North Macedonia in drab draw

The Republic of Ireland were unable to soothe the pain from Prague with victory as Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were held to a 0-0 draw by North Macedonia in their friendly at Aviva Stadium. If the penalty shootout in Czechia last Thursday had gone the Boys in Green’s way, this would have been a play-off decider with a World Cup spot at stake. Instead Ireland and their visitors were left to battle it out in a fixture with nothing to play for.

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Irish heartache as Czechia win shootout ending World Cup dreams

Jan Kliment fired Czechia to within 90 minutes of the World Cup finals as they broke Republic of Ireland hearts in a dramatic penalty shootout to set up a showdown with Denmark. Ireland saw a 2-0 lead evaporate in Prague and again lead in the shootout but missed kicks from Finn Azaz and Alan Browne mean the long wait for an Irish return to the World Cup finals will continue.

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