By Samindra Kunti in Kolkata
October 25 – FIFA’s head of referees Massimo Busacca has praised the steps female referees have taken at the U-17 World Cup in India. He reiterated that VAR is a work in progress.
October 25 – More than three-quarters of North Americans polled in a survey broadly support plans to host the 2026 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – Cristiano Ronaldo was duly crowned the world’s best player for the second year running at FIFA’s Best Awards gala on Monday but that didn’t tell the whole story.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – FIFA have hit back at claims that it showed scant regard for the status of women’s football by naming little-known teenage striker Deyna Castellanos on its female player-of-the-year shortlist for Monday’s ceremony in London.
By Samindra Kunti in Kolkata
October 24 – FIFA shifted the U-17 World Cup semi-final between England and Brazil from Guwahati to Kolkata on Monday. Torrential rainfall had reduced the quarter-final between Mali and Ghana to a mud fight at the weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 23 – A few hours before staging its glittering annual Best Awards ceremony, FIFA has come under attack for naming a little-known striker on its female player-of-the-year shortlist.
October 23 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been invited to next year’s World Cup by Russian president Vladimir Putin and says he will accept even though he is still banned for six years after being found guilty of authorising a “disloyal payment” of $2 million to then UEFA president Michel Platini.
October 23 – The issues surrounding the controversial payments made by the German FA (DFB) to FIFA as part of a so-called ‘slush find’ to buy votes for the 2006 World Cup just won’t go away.
By Samindra Kunti in Guwahati and Kolkata
October 23 – England progressed to the last four of the U-17 World Cup for the first time in history with a commanding 4-1 win over the United States. Mali, Spain and Brazil complete the semi-final quartet, but the African champions’ qualification was overshadowed by diabolical playing conditions in a rain-soaked Guwahati.
October 20 – FIFA says it has struck a deal which it hopes will lead to world players’ union FIFPro withdrawing a legal complaint against the transfer system at the European Commission (EC).
By Samindra Kunti in Kolkata
October 19 – England progressed to the last eight of the U-17 World Cup in India following a penalty shoot-out win against Japan. Spain knocked out favorites France in the round of 16 with Brazil, Germany and Mali all qualifying for the quarter-finals.
October 18 – FIFA number two Fatma Samoura hopes the criminal investigation launched by Swiss prosecutors into the sale of World Cup rights to the Qatari-owned beIN Media group will not “disrupt” Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – Former FIFA number two Jerome Valcke, back in the firing line after months of relative silence, has strongly denied colluding with the boss of Paris St Germain and beIN Sports, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, over suspected corruption linked to 2026 and 2030 World Cup broadcasting rights.
By Samindra Kunti in New Delhi
October 16 – Hosts India were eliminated from their first World Cup on home soil following a 4-0 trashing by Ghana. England, France, Brazil and Germany marched into the knock-out phase with ease.
October 13 – Switzerland’s Esther Staubli is set to make history by becoming the first European female referee – and only the second ever – to officiate in a FIFA men’s tournament.