All Namibia News’ Post

FIFA President’s Bet on Club World Cup Meets Reality Gianni Infantino has tied his legacy to the 32-team tournament, even inscribing his name on the trophy. Its success is far from guaranteed. Fans have also expressed dismay at how, in an effort to generate interest, FIFA appeared to have found a way to secure a place for Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami squad, eliminated from the Major League Soccer playoffs in the opening round. That happened despite Mr. Infantino’s insistence that the tournament would be the most merit-based in the world. But some of the biggest concerns persist around the event’s business model. About 10 percent of the tournament’s income must be used for so-called solidarity payments for FIFA’s members and nonparticipating clubs. The cost pressure from the clubs’ prize money demands is separate from the amount of money needed to stage a world-class, monthlong event in the United States, which FIFA had initially estimated to be $1.2 billion. In the most recent updates, officials said they had budgeted for cost savings that would cut the expenditure to between $1 billion and $800 million, leaving a projection of at least $1 billion in net income, money that could be used to pay the participating clubs. That profit is assuming FIFA hits commercial targets that defy the expectations of most analysts and industry experts. FIFA has told stakeholders that the Club World Cup will generate $800 million in media rights, and between $1 billion and $1.2 billion in partnership and sponsorship sales, as much as four times estimates. The organization cannot tap its $4 billion reserves to meet any deficit after Mr. Infantino promised members of his governing council at their most recent meeting that he would not use those to plug any deficits. A week after the Club World Cup draw in Miami, FIFA will host a virtual meeting of its 211-nation membership, where it will select the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups.

This is an unprecedented action from football actors to take legal action against FIFA. Looking back at the recently ended Euro 2024 in Germany, it was evident that players faced noticeable fatigue due to an exceptionally prolonged season. The grueling schedule left many athletes, especially those playing at top clubs in prestigious European leagues (FA, la Liga, Bundesliga, L1), with disappointing performances, probably due to the accumulation of matches at national and international levels. In contrast, the newly established Saudi League players performed relatively well overall. Could that be the result of their less-packed football calendar? FIFPRO and the European leagues have a point here, especially with the new format of the FIFA World Clubs tournament, which means we might end up having endless football seasons every year. However, the solution should be a concerted approach by all parties in the future rather than legal battles, which only create tension and mistrust rather than uniting the whole football family. #FIFA #fifpro #UEFA #FA #Laliga #Ligue1 #Calcio

Fifa confirms Saudi Arabia as host of 2034 World Cup Kingdom’s unopposed bid for sporting event ratified by football’s governing body on Wednesday “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by way of 1 per cent, I will continue doing sportswashing,” Prince Mohammed told Fox News last year. The 2030 tournament was awarded to a joint proposal from Spain, Portugal and Morocco at the same time. Instead of a formal vote, the 211 members of the Fifa Congress were invited to endorse both bids by acclamation. Gianni Infantino, Fifa president, encouraged officials to clap their hands “near their heads” in order to be visible on screen while dialled in to the virtual meeting. On the issue of human rights, Fifa’s report said “there is good potential for the tournament to serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms, and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself”. Amnesty International called the Fifa evaluation an “astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record”, adding that without urgent reforms “the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression”. Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole bidder for the 2034 tournament late last year after Fifa unexpectedly announced that the 2030 World Cup would go to Spain, Portugal and Morocco, but with three games to be staged in South America. The move to host the 2030 competition across three continents in effect barred most countries from bidding for 2034 due to Fifa rules that require rotation between regions. Fifa then abruptly curtailed the deadline for aspiring hosts to submit bids. https://lnkd.in/eRhp2ZjC

Warriors enter wary Lions’ den : Namibia’s Brave Warriors will hope to capitalise on the turmoil engulfing Cameroonian football when they face the Indomitable Lions for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Douala on Saturday. The hosts reportedly find themselves caught in an escalating power struggle between the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) and the ministry of sport, with the conflict forcing Fifa to intervene. World football’s governing body has called for a truce and that Fecafoot be allowed to manage its affairs independently. The disagreement has led to confusion not only over the choice of the stadium, but also the location for the team’s training camp. The clash between Fecafoot and the ministry of sport has resulted in conflicting instructions being sent to the players regarding their travel arrangements. According to reports from Équinoxe Television and Radio, some players received contrasting flight itineraries – one instructing them to land in Douala and another directing them to Yaoundé. This situation has caused confusion and frustration among the players. “I personally received two flight plans – one tells me to go to Douala, and the other says my destination is Yaoundé. This is embarrassing,” one of the 24 players called up by head coach Marc Brys says. Two other players have confirmed that they too have received conflicting travel instructions. The first group of players arrived in Cameroon several days ago, anticipating the start of the preparatory camp scheduled to start yesterday. However, the uncertainty surrounding the location of the training camp has left the team in limbo. As the players were set to gather, it remained unclear which city will host the Indomitable Lions’ training camp. The outcome of this dispute will likely be determined in the coming days, with both the national teams’ preparations and the outcome of the upcoming Afcon qualifier hanging in the balance. Fifa is calling for a revision of the 2015 agreement between the two entities, highlighting concerns over external interference in the federation’s operations. In the letter, Fifa underscores that while Fecafoot and the Cameroon sport ministry have a collaborative agreement in place, the former must retain full autonomy over its sporting and organisational decisions. This autonomy is crucial for Fecafoot to meet its statutory obligations without undue influence from external parties, Fifa has stressed. The situation reflects broader challenges faced by football federations worldwide in balancing government relations with the need for operational independence – a core principle in Fifa’s governance framework. As the spotlight remains on Cameroon, Fifa’s stance serves as a reminder of the potential repercussions of political interference in football administration. Fecafoot has yet to respond to Fifa’s latest intervention, and it…

📢 UEC statement on FIFA's expanded Club World Cup and its potential impact on European club football The Union of European Clubs (#UEC) is deeply concerned about the recent developments regarding FIFA's expanded Club World Cup. The media rights deal announced yesterday suggests that FIFA is progressing towards its funding target, with potential benefits seemingly limited to only 12 European clubs, and no clear information provided on solidarity payments. This raises significant questions about how these revenues will affect competitive balance, mobility, and sporting merit within European football. The lack of transparency surrounding the decision to organise this competition is of great concern, particularly as European Leagues, LALIGA, and FIFPRO have filed a legal complaint against FIFA for proceeding without any consultation. Furthermore, it would appear that only one European stakeholder, the European Club Association (ECA), supports this direction, without clarifying how its own members were consulted. Without meaningful consultation, broader inclusion and consideration of the impact on football at all levels, we believe such initiatives risk deepening the divide within European club football, favouring a select few while undermining the long-term health of the sport. #OneClubOneVote

In addition to the 193 UN member states, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the global governing body of football, includes several entities that are not members of the United Nations (UN) but still participate in international football competitions. FIFA has a total of 211 member associations, which means there are a number of entities beyond UN-recognized countries. Here are the notable non-UN member entities that are FIFA members: Non-UN FIFA Members: 1. Taiwan (Chinese Taipei): Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei in FIFA competitions. While it is not recognized as a sovereign state by the UN, it maintains its own football team. 2. Palestine: Palestine is a non-member observer state in the UN but is a full member of FIFA, with its national football team regularly competing in international tournaments, particularly in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). 3. Hong Kong: Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China but has its own national football team and is a separate FIFA member. 4. Macau: Like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China with its own football association and is a separate FIFA member. 5. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom is a UN member state, but in FIFA, the four constituent countries of the UK—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—have individual football associations and compete as separate teams. 6. Cook Islands: Cook Islands is a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. It is not a UN member but is a FIFA member and competes in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). 7. Niue: Niue is also in free association with New Zealand but not a UN member. Though it participates in football, it has been involved in regional football rather than FIFA tournaments. 8. Kosovo: Kosovo is not a UN member but became a full member of FIFA in 2016. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and while not fully recognized globally, it participates in international football. 9. Gibraltar: Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and not a member of the UN, but it gained FIFA membership in 2016. Gibraltar competes in UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) competitions. 10. Faroe Islands: The Faroe Islands is an autonomous territory of Denmark and not a UN member, but it is a FIFA member, competing separately in European and international competitions. 11. New Caledonia: New Caledonia is a French overseas territory but is a FIFA member and competes in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). 12. Bermuda: Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory and not a UN member, but it is a FIFA member, competing in CONCACAF (North and Central America). 13. Montserrat: Montserrat is another British Overseas Territory and a FIFA member, participating in CONCACAF competitions.

The UEFA House is on fire ♨ ♨ ♨ 🚒 🚒 🚒 (Part 4) We left off at the end of part 3 with a particularly funny situation 🤣(https://lnkd.in/ekkPfjZ2). As I already mentioned in part 2 (https://lnkd.in/e6mPvyEU), the (pre)judgments of the Cour de justice de l'Union européenne on December 23, 2023, now require #federations to open the #market for #sports #organization and #exploitation to #independent operators. This opening involves : -The prior determination and public communication of precise, objective, and transparent criteria in various areas such as the safety of athletes and spectators, the integrity of the competition and athletes, respect for the rules of the game, ... the requirements of the #sports #federation in question (e.g., UEFA) should not be higher than what it requires for its own competitions. -The decision-making procedure must be transparent, non-discriminatory, and clearly justified (not arbitrary) in case of refusal. If this were the case, the requesting organizer must have the opportunity to challenge this decision before a tribunal that respects European law (which is currently not the case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport). In other words, and as many academic lawyers mention (e.g., Weatherill), #UEFA and FIFA (like all other federations) no longer have the means to oppose the integration of serious #competitors into the calendar. Consequently, and in order to minimize #market entry #opportunities, #FIFA is trying to fill the last remaining gap in the calendar, that of the summer break, by creating a new competition: the "Club World Cup". The #strategy is very simple: overload the calendar to prevent clubs from engaging in a #competition that is not only competing but especially one that would not financially benefit either #FIFA or #UEFA 😨 😭. Yes, but here's the thing, #FIFA certainly did not expect professional players who are members of FIFPro Division Europe to file a complaint for the following reason: "the players' union challenges the legality of FIFA's decisions to unilaterally establish the international match calendar and, in particular, the decision to create and schedule the FIFA Club World Cup 2025". Two powerful arguments are put forward... ... To be continued in my next post ✉ 😉 If this topic interests you, I'll tell you everything in my upcoming book "Towards a new organization of football and sport in Europe" (HLSC Edition) 😁

𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗣𝗥𝗢, 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗔 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 FIFPRO Europe, alongside Europe’s Leagues and LALIGA, has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission regarding FIFA’s management of the international match calendar. This action raises significant issues concerning FIFA's dual role as both the governing authority and organizer of competitions. Key points of the complaint include: -𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜: The complaint addresses how the current oversaturated international football calendar poses risks to player safety and well-being, potentially affecting their career longevity. -𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: It raises alarms about the economic and social sustainability of national competitions, which have historically held significant cultural value for fans across Europe and beyond. -𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠: The complaint argues that FIFA’s actions may violate European Union competition law, particularly in light of recent EU court rulings. It asserts that FIFA must ensure transparency, objectivity, and fairness in its regulatory functions, especially concerning the international match calendar. This situation presents an important opportunity for dialogue about governance in sports and the balance of interests among stakeholders in football. The outcome may influence future practices within the sport. #MuñozAriasSportsLawyers #sportslawyers #FIFPRO

The UEFA's House is on Fire ♨♨♨ 🚒 🚒🚒 (Part 1) While on the surface everything seems to be going perfectly in the best of all worlds for UEFA and FIFA, a thorough analysis of the situation shows that the reality is quite different. Let's scratch together this magnificent superficial layer of shine. The new formula for the #ChampionsLeague (+2 other competitions organized by #UEFA) is once again the result of negotiations with big clubs. The qualification mechanism turns out to be largely advantageous (61% (22/36) of available spots) for Big5 clubs (= 5 major championships in Europe), and more specifically for "Big" clubs (2 clubs saved). I couldn't find reliable information about the mechanisms for distributing media rights among participating clubs. Nevertheless, if we continue the logic that began in 1999, this distribution should once again favor the big clubs. #UEFA is skillfully trying to promote its 2 other competitions (#EuropaLeague + #ConferenceLeague). Indeed, these represent an undeniable lever for economic growth. Unfortunately, the hierarchy seems well established in the minds of consumers, and the most likely hypothesis is that of a #ChampionsLeague that will continue to dominate consumer interest, relegating the Europa League and Conference League to 2nd and 3rd tier #competitions respectively; with the #financial consequences that entails. That's assuming this new formula appeals to consumers! Thus, UEFA's desire to maintain a vertical system to maintain its #monopoly will have the consequence of further accentuating the gap between big and small clubs. And while nothing suggests that this solution (proposed by UEFA) will please the big clubs (who will always have the possibility of breaking away), it seems certain that this situation will not please the "small" clubs (leagues outside the Big5) at all. One of these clubs has already publicly expressed its dissatisfaction: the Luxembourg club FC Swift Hesperange. It filed a complaint in 2022 against #UEFA and #FIFA; one of the reasons being the questioning of the territoriality rules of these #federations. This complaint, in light of European jurisprudence, has a real chance of succeeding. If this were the case, it would offer the possibility for national #leagues to associate and create #transnational leagues outside of UEFA's control. Another ongoing case potentially has the power to set the current system on fire: FIFPro Division Europe is filing a complaint against #FIFA and its unilateral power to establish the international match calendar... ... To be continued in an upcoming post, and the full story in my next book: "Towards a new organization of football and sport in Europe" 😁 Dupont-Hissel, Jean-Louis Dupont

Why are there so many international breaks? Or are there? The men's international football calendar is split into 5 different breaks across the course of the season - one each in September, October, November, March, and June. 📆 A typical international break consists of two fixtures for each country, during which major domestic league matches are paused. The schedule of the three international breaks in September, October and November has been in place for decades. But from 2026, the September and October international breaks will be combined into a single window of four matches. Dates are set so far in advance that the calendar for international breaks has already been published as far as 2030. European nations compete in four kinds of matches during international breaks, depending on which major tournaments are coming up. Fixtures can be classed as Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Uefa European Championship qualifiers, Uefa Nations League fixtures, or friendlies. Are there more men's international matches than before? The introduction of the Nations League, in which teams of a similar ranking play a group stage against each other, before the four winners of the top-level groups advance to a mini finals competition, in 2018 has not led to an increase in the number of international fixtures or breaks. Instead, Nations League fixtures have replaced some of the friendlies, meaning the number of international matches on the annual calendar remains the same. The international football calendar is set by world governing body FIFA and agreed by the 6 continental football associations. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) CONCACAF (North and Central America) CONMEBOL (South America) Oceania Football Confederation (Oceania) UEFA (Europe) Clubs are required to release their players to international teams when they are called into a squad. A player is entitled to take up to 4 days away from club duty per international fixture, rising to 5 days for matches played on a different continent, meaning players tend to train with their international team mates for about 10 days during breaks. The frequency of international breaks, particularly the three which take place in consecutive months in autumn, often draws ire from fans of clubs competing in the world's major domestic leagues. 😭 The national football associations of countries lower down the Fifa rankings often rely heavily on revenue from broadcast rights for fixtures played against other nations. 💰 That money plays a key role in maintaining and developing football infrastructure in those nations. In recent years, greater attention has been focused on the wellbeing and workload of football's elite players, who in many cases are playing more matches than ever. www.the-afc.com www.cafonline.com www.concacaf.com www.conmebol.com www.oceaniafootball.com www.uefa.com #kickoff #morethanfootball #internationalfootball