By David Owen
June 26 – FIFA will raid its well-stocked reserves to finance a COVID-19 relief plan that will make up to $1.5 billion available to the wider “football community”.
June 26 – FIFA is to release $1.5 billion from its reserves for its Covid-19 relief plan via a number of grants and interest-free loans to national federations who are facing loss of income as a result of the pandemic.
June 25 – Odds-on favourites Australia and New Zealand won the right today to stage the 2023 women’s World Cup, beating outsiders Colombia in a two-horse race to make history by bringing the tournament to the southern hemisphere for the first time.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 25 – The vote later today for the right to stage the 2023 women’s World Cup is likely to be much closer than anticipated after it emerged that UEFA has controversially called on its nine FIFA Council members to back outsiders Colombia, according to sources close to the bid process.
June 25 – FIFA is to introduce a dedicated exhibition to eFootball in its Zurich-based museum under the banner ‘The Virtual Pitch’.
June 23 – Former Conmebol president Juan Angel Napout and Brazilian FA (CBF) boss Jose Maria Marin have had their appeals dismissed by a US court against their sentences for their roles in the FIFAGate scandals.
By Paul Nicholson
June 22 – Japan have withdrawn their bid to host the Women’s World Cup 2023 leaving just two bids still in contention for the blue riband women’s event, with the joint Australia-New Zealand bid being the clear favourite against the submission from Colombia.
June 18 – A major row has broken over FIFA’s assessment of candidates to stage the 2023 women’s World Cup.
June 17 – A key ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reported to be the subject of a fourth criminal complaint to the Swiss authorities involving secret undocumented meetings between the FIFA president and under-fire attorney-general Michael Lauber.
June 16 – A total of 441 applications have been made to FIFA by players for financial aid through a $16 million scheme allowing them to claim wages unpaid by their clubs.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 15 – Swiss prosecutors have reportedly launched yet another criminal investigation against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, this time for suspected mismanagement of $1 million.
June 12 – Swiss parliamentarians have called for an extraordinary federal prosecutor to examine three criminal complaints against under-fire attorney general Michael Lauber who is somehow still clinging to his position.
June 12 – FIFA have given official permission for football leagues across the world to be allowed to open transfer windows before their current seasons are over.
June 11 – The prospects of an Australasian women’s World Cup in 2023 has received a significant boost after the joint Australia-New Zealand bid received a higher rating by FIFA’s evaluation team than rivals Japan and Colombia.
March 9 – FIFA is reportedly poised to allow member nations to buy and sell players up until the start of October to account for the disruption caused by Covid-19.