Gianni Infantino has backtracked on his proposal to create a subsidiary to sell part of the World Cup and Club World Cup to private investors. "After listening to all opinions, it has become clear that the project has created divisions in such a way that, regardless of support, it is no longer in the interest of the objective initially set out," explained the FIFA president in a statement distributed through social networks.

New chapter in the battle shaking up the world of football. After Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell part of the World Cup and the Club World Cup, which has met with an unprecedented boycott from UEFA, the FIFA president finds himself a little more alone. Carlos Cordeiro, one of the main advisors to the European football governing body and the president's right-hand man, announced his resignation this Friday after disagreeing with the latest decisions made by the world football's top leader.

The 55 UEFA member countries have voted in favour of supporting a boycott of the World Cup in protest against FIFA's proposal to sell stakes to private investors. The announcement comes after the member federations of the European football governing body met remotely. In this way, next year's Women's World Cup, to be held in Brazil, and the men's, which is to be held in 2030 jointly between Spain, Portugal and Morocco, would not include teams from Europe.

The Football World Cup – which now FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, plans to sell partially to private investors– it is an event that, despite being accompanied by millions of figures and statistics, always reserves space for unpredictability and epicness. Paraguay and Morocco were two examples. After eliminating Germany and the Netherlands in the round of 16, respectively, the two Global South selections defied the forecasts that limited their options to reach the end of the tournament.

Football is the king of sports: the one that moves the most masses –digital and in-person– and the most passions. Sporting and national passions. The one that generates the most business, with fabulous television rights. The one that involves the most politics. We saw this in this World Cup, with the obscene interference of the American president Donald Trump, who has counted on the undisguised complicity of Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, a position he has held for a decade and in which he wishes to perpetuate himself.

The intention of FIFA president Gianni Infantino to partially sell the World Cup and the Club World Cup has shaken the football world and caused an avalanche of criticism led by UEFA, the body that regulates European football. If this Tuesday the British newspaper The Times reported that Infantino plans to sell stakes to transform the World Cup and the Club World Cup into a kind of public limited company and thus allow the entry of private investors, this Wednesday he has taken a further step by sending a letter to the 211 federations that make up FIFA explaining how their budgets would be increased.

"And is this news?" is the question we often see in comments on gossip and pop culture news. And, obviously, they are not news that occupy the front pages of newspapers, but they are questions that we often discuss with friends or family around a table or at the bar counter. And this is what we do in this podcast: we move to a venue to review some social chronicle news that serve not only to keep up with the most prominent gossip, but also to talk about love, friendship or breakups.

A few minutes after the United States was eliminated in Seattle, the Belgian players played the Village People's Y.M.C.A. in the locker room and began to imitate Donald Trump's dance. The footballers mocked the American president after he had boasted about personally calling his good friend Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, to lift the suspension on striker Folarin Balogun. The striker played, it was no use, and the United States was eliminated amid criticism and ridicule from most football fans worldwide.

"It's a radical change. It changes the essence of the game," says English coach Thomas Tuchel. "I think we're not going to get rid of it now," adds Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk. "Basically, we no longer have a two-half football, now we have four," concludes Didier Deschamps, French coach. This summer's World Cup may go down in history as the one that forever changed this sport. The hydration breaks, theoretically imposed to protect players from high temperatures, have divided the game into four quarters.

FIFA was eager for the ball to start rolling at the Azteca Stadium. It was the way for football to move past the multiple controversies that have surrounded the 2026 World Cup and that even threatened to derail it. The match between Mexico, one of the hosts, and South Africa, which ended with a local victory (2-0) with goals from Quiñones and Jiménez, kicked off a competition that for the first time will have 48 national teams, will last 39 days, with 104 matches scheduled, and will know its winner on Sunday, July 19.

FIFA will have to clarify its ticket sales practices for this year's World Cup in the face of accusations of artificially inflating prices and deceiving fans at the time of purchase. The state attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have opened an investigation into the eight World Cup matches that will be played at MetLife Stadium, including the tournament final. Currently, on the Seatpick.com portal, tickets to watch some of the matches at the New Jersey stadium are being sold for an average price of $2,790.

A player will be sent off if they address an opponent with their mouth covered. This is the rule promoted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that regulates the rules of the game. The measure has been approved with urgent character at the request of FIFA due to the alleged racist insults denounced by Vinícius Júnior from Gianluca Prestianni, a Benfica player.

The military escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran is already impacting the world of sports, just in time for the World Cup. The Qatar Football Association announced on Sunday that it is suspending all competitions in its territory due to the instability in the region. Spain and Argentina were scheduled to play a match, the Finalísima, as European and South American champions, respectively, on March 27. More than 80,000 tickets had been sold for this match, which was to be held at Lusail Stadium, but the event was canceled after drones were seen... Iranians crashed in Qatar, and the match has been suspended. Now FIFA is looking for a new venue for this match between the best teams from Europe and South America.

1. The 2026 World Cup kicked off on Saturday with an embarrassing act just before the draw in Washington. FIFA presented the Peace Prize to Donald Trump. It's an award created specifically to spite the US president. Trump doesn't have the Nobel Peace Prize—yet—but UEFA is giving him this consolation prize to nibble on. It's just another chapter in Gianni Infantino's subservient role, as he grovels before power in order to, paradoxically, gain even more. Where does this connection between the White House and the FIFA president come from? It sounds like the beginning of a novel that started fifteen years ago, but it's not fiction.

"Reality check," is the headline given by several media outlets following the news from the Whites. This is the feeling in Madrid after losing 4-0 to Luis Enrique's PSG.. Xabi Alonso, who in a few weeks had managed to establish himself as the savior, was harshly criticized by the Spanish press after a thrashing that leaves them without a chance of playing in the Club World Cup final, which will be played between Chelsea and PSG.

The inaugural FIFA Club World Cup began with a goalless draw between Inter Miami and Egyptian side Al-Ahly. The match was being played at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, where American football is normally played. Around 60,000 people gathered, though the venue was not completely filled, in part because some fans were afraid to go to the stadium, as access required multiple security checkpoints. Many of the fans who wanted to go were Latino immigrants, some of them without proper papers.