By Samindra Kunti in Bangkok
May 20 – On Friday, following the conclusion of the Congress, FIFA president Gianni Infantino refused to stage a press conference, further souring his relationship with the press.
May 17 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, with a call for unity. It was a rhetorical moment, as the Congress proved as it rattled through agenda point after agenda point with very little debate and a button pushing membership pressing yes to everything on the electronic voting system that was put before them.
By Samindra Kunti in Bangkok
May 17 – FIFA will commission a ‘legal assessment’ of the conflict in the Middle East by a panel of ‘independent’ experts after the Palestinian FA (PFA) demanded sanctions be taken against the Israeli FA (IFA) at FIFA’s 74th Annual Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.
May 17 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has dismissed the threat of legal challenge from Fifpro and the World Leagues Association (WLA) over the overloaded match calendar and the introduction of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup in 2025 as ‘futile’.
May 17 – Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues has called the choice of Brazil as host for the 2027 Women’s World Cup a “victory for the women’s game’.
May 17 – FIFA unveiled a five ‘pillar’ initiative to combat racism in football at its Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. FIFA said the recommendations will be mandated across all 211 of its member federations.
By Samindra Kunti in Bangkok
May 16 – On Friday, Palestine, the 2027 Women’s World Cup, a series of amendments to the FIFA Statutes and racism will take centre stage at the FIFA Congress in the Thai capital.
May 16 – On the sidelines of the FIFA Congress, Norwegian FA (NFF) president Lise Klaveness has criticised the bidding process of the 2034 World Cup, with Saudi Arabia the sole candidate to stage the tournament.
FIFA’s 211 Member Associations are gathering in Bangkok, Thailand for world football’s governing body’s 74th annual Congress. This Congress will address a number of important matters impacting the future of the game across the world, not least women’s football.
May 16 – In a last-minute round of lobbying before the vote at Friday’s FIFA Congress for the hosting of the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the prime ministers of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have recorded a video pledging their support and commitment to their joint BNG2027 bid.
By Samindra Kunti in Bangkok
May 15 – FIFA’s plans for a Women’s Club World Cup, years in the making, are taking shape after the FIFA Council confirmed the inaugural edition of the tournament will take place in 2026 in a 16-team format.
May 15 – Decades of footballing tradition could soon be scrapped with FIFA reviewing rules that currently block domestic league games being played overseas.
May 15 – On the eve of the FIFA Congress, the world governing body has confirmed the appointment of Mattias Grafstrom as secretary-general following a meeting of the FIFA Council.
May 14 – Fan-led environmental pressure group Fossil Free Football has given its support to the Fifpro and World Leagues Association (WLA) calls for FIFA to scrap its expanded Club World Cup in 2025 and reconsider its planned calendar expansion.
May 13 – FIFA have responded furiously to threats by world players union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) that they and their members will take legal action over the ‘imposition’ of the international match calendar, and in particular the staging of 2025 Club World Cup.