FRENCH FOOTBALL FEDERATION WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR FIFA CHIEF INFANTINO

France joins Sweden, Scotland, Italy, Belgium in withdrawing backing for Infantino's bid for another term

İSTANBUL

The French Football Federation (FFF) has withdrawn its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino's bid for another term, French broadcaster Franceinfo reported Thursday.

The decision was announced following an FFF executive committee meeting on Thursday.

Infantino is currently the only declared candidate for the FIFA presidency ahead of the election scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

Potential challengers have until Nov. 18 to enter the race.

France's decision follows similar moves by several other national football federations, including those of Sweden, Scotland, Italy and Belgium, which have also withdrawn their support for Infantino.

Infantino has faced growing criticism since the 2026 World Cup, with disputes over his leadership contributing to divisions within world football.

One of the most controversial issues was a FIFA proposal to create a commercial company that would allow private investors to acquire a 20% stake in the management of World Cup commercial rights.

The proposal was developed without consultation with FIFA's member associations and drew strong opposition before Infantino abandoned it several days later.

Despite the withdrawals, Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the March election.

- Şeyma Erkul Dayanç

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RTÉ SECURES EXCLUSIVE FREE-TO-AIR RIGHTS TO 2030 FIFA WORLD CUP

RTÉ has announced that it has secured exclusive free-to-air rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, following its successful run airing the 2026 World Cup, sponsored by Heineken 0.0.

The 2030 tournament will be hosted across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three centenary games to be held in South America.

Football fans across Ireland tuned into RTÉ’s coverage of the World Cup as Spain edged out Argentina in the finals to claim the championship.

The final generated over 1.4 million streams on RTÉ Player, thus making it the most-streamed single event in the platform’s history.

Across the tournament as a whole, audiences generated 23.4 million streams – an increase of almost 15 million streams and nearly three times the audience achieved during the 2022 FIFA World Cup (8.5 million streams).

The top performing matches were Spain v Argentina, England v Argentina, France v Spain, and England v Norway.*

Online

Throughout the tournament, there were 91 million video views across all of RTÉ’s social platforms covering the event, including over 6.8 million views of highlights, as well as analysis on the RTÉ Sport YouTube channel.

As many of the matches took place late at night, RTÉ Player generated 1.6 million streams on RTÉ Player, while other FIFA World Cup content – including unseen moments, clips and Up All Night – added 345k additional streams on the platform.

'One Of Our Big Success Stories’

Speaking about the success of the tournament, director general of RTÉ Kevin Bakhurst said, “We are delighted that RTÉ has been successful in securing rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup for Irish audiences after what has been a very successful 2026 World Cup with record numbers of people enjoying RTÉ’s coverage.

“From the first game through to the final, audiences have come to RTÉ in large numbers for our coverage and analysis of every single game, but also for our World Cup highlights on RTÉ Player and YouTube, our podcasts, Up All Night on RTÉ Player, and more.

“The huge number of streams on RTÉ Player throughout the tournament has been one of our big success stories this year and has highlighted the value of our investment in the service in recent years.

“We look forward to bringing the next FIFA World Cup to Irish audiences, including the Republic of Ireland’s qualification campaign which we hope will be successful.

“Live sport – free to air – continues to provide national moments and conversations – enjoyment and entertainment to Irish audiences – paid for by your licence fee, public funding and commercial revenue.”

‘Exceptional Month Of Sporting Coverage’

Head of sport at RTÉ, Declan Bennett, also commented, saying, “Yesterday was a memorable day for RTÉ Sport, with the All-Ireland Hurling Final and the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final bringing an exciting day of live sport to audiences.

“More broadly, it has been an exceptional month of sporting coverage, including RTÉ’s most extensive FIFA World Cup broadcast operation to date, delivering all 104 matches with a uniquely Irish overview.

“The strong response across television, RTÉ Player, digital and social platforms reflect the enduring appetite for live sport in Ireland.

“We look forward to bringing audiences more major sporting moments in the years ahead as part of RTÉ’s public service remit, including the FIFA World Cup in 2030.”

* Viewing figures: Spain v Argentina (average audience of 1 million, 65% share on RTÉ2, and 1.4 million streams on RTÉ Player), England v Argentina (average audience 949k, 60% share on RTÉ2 and 1 million streams on RTÉ Player), France v Spain (average audience of 873k, 61% share on RTÉ2, and 1 million streams on RTÉ Player), and England v Norway (average audience of 787k, 72% share on RTÉ2 and 1 million streams on RTÉ Player).

- Sarah O'Sullivan

SIX TEAMS HAVE ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE 2030 WORLD CUP DUE TO UNIQUE FIFA RULE

The winners of the World Cup will not qualify automatically for the next tournament

Spain absolutely battering Argentina in the World Cup final isn’t the reason why they will automatically qualify for the next tournament in 2030.

Six host nation countries have already secured their places in the next World Cup.

The tournament's three main co-hosts, Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will automatically qualify for the next edition in four years time.

FIFA’s 2030 competition will be held from Saturday, 8 June to Sunday, 21 July, with the opening three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

These South American countries have been chosen to play first to commemorate 100 years of the World Cup, which was hosted and won by Uruguay in 1930.

Where will the opening 2030 World Cup game be played?

Spain were the best team in the tournament by a mile (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The opening game will be held at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which boasts a capacity of 100,000.

Estadio Osvaldo Dominguez Dibb, a brand new venue in Paraguay, and the Montevideo in Uruguay will also host opening matches.

After those three games, the World Cup will shift to the Northern Hemisphere in 18 stadiums across Spain, Morocco and Portugal.

Ugly scenes at full-time (Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

It comes after FIFA boss Gianni Infantino wants to controversially expand the World Cup to a 64-team tournament in 2030 following the success of the expanded 48-team competition this year.

"These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup," Infantino told Blue Sport.

"When organising a World Cup, it's important to organise it for the whole world - not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.

"You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher, all over the world. If you don't give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they'll lack the incentive to keep improving."

No Messi or Ronaldo

The end of an era (Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

Sadly, the squads of host nations Argentina and Portugal are unlikely to include the two greatest players of all time in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

After Spain’s convincing 1-0 final, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was full of praise for Messi: “He is 39 years old, it is unbelievable. It was always crystal clear to me that he would play until he chose to stop and that everyone would support him.

“I hope everyone is proud of him, because he is the best football player ever to set foot on a pitch.”

Both Messi and Ronaldo are yet to comment officially on their international futures.

On the result, Scaloni added: “I feel sadness but knowing that we left everything out there.

“I have a lot of things to say about how we got here, but it’s not worth it.

“I want to thank these guys eternally for giving us another World Cup final and for competing until the end. They were better, that’s the truth.

“But I’ll hold on to an enormous memory of what they have done, of what it’s worth to get this far. We have to give it huge validity because it takes a lot to get here.”

Featured Image Credit: Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

- Anish Vij

FRANCE WORK HARD TO KNOCKOUT MOROCCO |

 

FIFA CONTINUED CRITICISM OF OFFICIATING HAS ONE MORE AS ALL ARGENTINA MATCH OFFICIALS SELECTED FOR FRANCE VS. MOROCCO

 

FIFA are facing a new storm with their match officials selection for France’s next match against Morocco causing a stir.

That’s because the referee Facundo Tello, and his three assistants, are all Argentinian.

France are arguably Argentina’s biggest rivals to win the World Cup and many believe it is an outrage that FIFA has selected Tello and co.

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CANADA OUSTED FROM WORLD CUP WITH 3-0 LOSS TO MOROCCO

Canada's Jonathan David (10) reacts as Morocco players celebrate their second goal during second half FIFA World Cup round of 16 soccer action, in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

HOUSTON — Canada is out of the FIFA World Cup after falling 3-0 to Morocco in the round of 16 on Saturday.

Azzedine Ounahi broke a 0-0 deadlock in the 50th minute, then added a second goal in the 82nd for a brace. Soufiane Rahimi converted a rolling shot in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal the score.

Canada controlled the game early and registered four chances in the first half, but couldn’t get a shot past Morocco’s Montreal-born keeper Yassine Bounou.

The Moroccans will meet the winner of a round-of-16 tilt between Paraguay and France in a quarterfinal matchup in Boston on July 9.

Morocco was the higher-ranked nation, entering the tournament sitting at No. 7 in FIFA’s official standings while Canada was No. 30.

The result ends a historic run in which the national squad nabbed its first point and first win in the men’s tournament and earned a spot in the knockout round for the first time.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch once again switched up his starting lineup, bringing midfielder Niko Sigur in for his first-ever World Cup start. He also opted for defenders Moïse Bombito and Luc de Fougerolles, and brought midfielder Ali Ahmed into the initial 11. Midfielders Nathan Saliba and Liam Millar, and defender Derek Cornelius started on the bench.

Canada controlled play through much of the opening 25 minutes, keeping Morocco hemmed in its own end and getting several solid scoring opportunities.

The first came just five minutes in when vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio sent a corner swinging in toward the Morocco goal, only to see Bounou punch the ball away.

The keeper, known as Bono, came up big again five minutes later, stopping a strike from Tani Oluwaseyi just above the six-yard box.

Morocco’s lone chance of the first half came in the 27th minute when midfielder Soufiane Rahimi launched a shot from distance and Canada’s Maxime Crépeau dove to stop the rolling shot.

There was pushing and shoving in the 39th minute when Achraf Hakimi body-checked Richie Laryea, sending the Canadian defender to the turf. Laryea confronted Hakimi and a scrum ensued, with both Laryea and Hakimi coming out with yellow cards.

Referee Michael Oliver gave six cautions across the first half, with four going to Moroccan players and two to Canadians.

The Atlas Lions held 56 per cent possession across the first half, but it was Les Rouges who had the chances. Canada outshot Morocco 4-1 and held a 2-1 edge in on-target shots.

Morocco came into the second half as the aggressors and took the lead in the 50th minute after de Fougerolles was booked for a bad tackle.

Hakimi lined up for the free kick at the side of the penalty area and sent the ball to Ounahi, stationed at the top. The midfielder got a right-footed shot off, sailing the ball through traffic and into the net to give Morocco a 1-0 advantage.


Canada had a prime opportunity to equalize in the 77th minute with a free kick from just above the area, but Jonathan David sent his shot well over Morocco’s net.

A giveaway in Moroccan territory turned deadly for the Canadians in the 82nd minute.

Striker Brahim Diaz carried the ball up the field, then sliced it to Ounahi inside the area. The midfielder wasted no time blasting a shot off to give the Atlas Lions a 2-0 lead.

Rahimi came within inches of making it 3-0 three minutes later, but his unimpeded shot went off the crossbar.

He instead rolled a low shot in past Crepeau in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal the score.

Marsch made several second-half substitutions in an apparent bid to juice the offence, bringing Cyle Larin in for Oluwaseyi in the 63rd minute, then replacing Laryea with Jacob Shaffelburg and Ali Ahmed with Promise David in the 79th.

His final substitutions of the day saw Jayden Nelson and Jonathan Osorio enter for Tajon Buchanan and Sigur.

Marsch did not bring on Canada captain Alphonso Davies, who saw action in just one game across the tournament, coming on in the 74th minute of the country’s victory over South Africa.

Davies picked up a hamstring injury playing in a Champions League semifinal for Bayern Munich in early May.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2026.

- Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

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MOROCCO SNATCH SHOOT-OUT VICTORY FROM JAWS OF DEFEAT TO KNOCK NETHERLANDS OUT OF WORLD CUP

Netherlands 1-1 Morocco, Morocco win 3-2 on pens: The Dutch were five minutes from victory in normal time before Issa Diop’s stoppage-time equaliser set up a dramatic penalty shoot-out

Morocco knocked out the Netherlands after a night of high drama in Monterrey (Reuters)

Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to reach the World Cup last 16 after their knockout tie ended 1-1 following extra time.

Ismael Saibari converted the winning spot kick ⁠after Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio Summerville's penalty, sending Morocco through after a dramatic contest in which they had forced extra time with a stoppage-time equaliser.

Morocco's Neil El Aynaoui and Dutch substitute Justin Kluivert missed their attempts before Bart Verbruggen appeared to save Soufiane Rahimi's effort, only for the ball to squirm underneath him and trickle over the line.

Quinten Timber then put the ball wide with the Dutch side's fourth kick, Achraf Hakimi struck the post with the chance ⁠to seal victory before Saibari kept his nerve to send Morocco through.

The shootout capped ⁠a gripping encounter in Monterrey that swung repeatedly in both teams' favour, with Cody Gakpo's emotional second-half opener cancelled out by Issa Diop's stoppage-time header before neither team could find a winner in extra time.

Thousands of Morocco supporters erupted at ⁠the final whistle in the last World Cup match to be played in Monterrey, while many local fans celebrated with them after backing ⁠the African side throughout the evening.

"We know this type ‌of game, we know against who we play," Hakimi said. "We have to be focused and be strong physically but also mentally.

"I want to say thank you for Mexico for the support, all the Moroccans that came to support us."

Morocco fashioned the better chances before the ‌break, with goalkeeper Verbruggen producing a series of outstanding saves to deny Ayoub ‌Bouaddi's close-range header and Neil El Aynaoui's powerful effort.

At the other end, Bounou was finally called into action to parry Micky van de Ven's long-range strike.

Cody Gakpo netted an emotional opener for the Netherlands (Reuters)

Hakimi rattled the crossbar and forced another save from Verbruggen as the Dutch struggled to contain the full back's runs from deep before Ronald Koeman's introduction of Wout Weghorst gave his side a much-needed ⁠focal point in attack.

The Atlas Lions enjoyed vocal backing throughout, with many Mexican supporters adopting Morocco for the night and reviving chants of "No era penal (It wasn't a penalty)", recalling the controversial penalty that helped the Netherlands eliminate Mexico at the 2014 World Cup.

The substitute's impact was immediate as he won a flick-on that released Summerville, whose persistence created the opening for Gakpo to sweep a first-time finish beyond Bounou in the 72nd minute.

Issa Diop equalised in stoppage-time for Morocco (Reuters)

Playing days after he and his partner lost their unborn son during pregnancy, Gakpo broke down in tears as teammates rushed to embrace him.

The Netherlands looked increasingly comfortable, with captain Virgil van Dijk producing a crucial intervention to deny Saibari as ‌Morocco threw numbers forward in search of an equaliser.

But just as the Dutch appeared set to see out the victory, substitute Chemsdine Talbi delivered a pinpoint cross from the left and Diop rose above Van Dijk to power a stoppage-time ‌header beyond Verbruggen, sending the match into extra time.

"The game ⁠plan was working," Van Dijk said. "In the end, in stoppage time, you get pushed back. Then it goes to penalties ⁠and then... unfortunately, we’re eliminated.

"Of course, there are always things that could be better, but that doesn't help us now."

Reuters 

Momentum swung from end to end, with the Netherlands threatening ‌on the counter as Morocco chased the game, but could not make their pressure count in open play.

Having ‌weathered Gakpo's emotional opener and survived Hakimi's missed chance to settle the shootout, Morocco held their nerve when it mattered most to keep their World Cup dream alive and book a date with Canada in Houston on Saturday.

Additional reporting by Reuters

- Kieran Jackson and Mark Gleeson

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: SAIBARI SCORES FASTEST GOAL OF THIS EDITION AS MOROCCO BEAT SCOTLAND 1-0

 

Massachusetts [US], June 20 (ANI): Morocco secured a clinical 1-0 victory over Scotland at Boston Stadium, with Ismael Saibari scoring the decisive goal as the Atlas Lions maintained control to claim a crucial Group C win.

Morocco completed 601 passes against Scotland, the most by an African team in a FIFA World Cup match on record since 1966, as per OptaJoe's X handle.

Morocco struck early through Saibari, who broke past the Scottish defence, controlled a precise pass from Brahim Diaz, and fired a powerful finish into the roof of the net beyond goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

The strike proved to be the fastest goal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 and also Morocco's quickest ever at the global tournament, helping them move to four points and temporarily top Group C ahead of Brazil's fixture in Philadelphia.

After the interval, both sides created chances in an open contest. Saibari nearly doubled the lead but saw his deflected effort crash off the crossbar after a sharp move initiated by Bilal El Khannouss.

Morocco came close again when El Khannouss almost converted a near-post corner from Achraf Hakimi, only for Gunn to deny him once more.

In the closing stages, Scotland pushed hard for an equaliser, with John McGinn, Ben Gannon-Doak and Scott McTominay leading repeated attacks. However, Morocco held firm under pressure to secure all three points and complete a vital win.

During the clash, Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari etched his name into the record books after scoring the fastest goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, finding the net just 70 seconds.

Saibari struck after only one minute and 10 seconds, surpassing the previous fastest goal of the tournament scored by Czechia's Michal Sadilek, who had netted after five minutes and seven seconds against South Africa earlier in the competition.

The early breakthrough underlined Morocco's positive start to the match and highlighted Saibari's growing influence on the international stage.

The goal also saw Saibari achieve another significant milestone. He became only the second African player to score in each of his first two FIFA World Cup appearances, joining Egypt's Mohamed Salah in the exclusive list.

In addition, the strike is now the fastest goal ever scored by Morocco at a FIFA World Cup and the second-fastest goal scored by an African nation in the tournament's history. The record for the fastest World Cup goal by an African player remains with Ghana's Asamoah Gyan, who scored against the Czech Republic during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ismael Saibari's early effort has now become the quickest goal of the ongoing edition of the World Cup, highlighting his immediate impact in the high-profile clash.

However, the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup history remains unchanged. Turkey's Hakan Sukur still holds that record, having scored just 11 seconds into a match against South Korea in 2002. Sukur had capitalised on a defensive lapse straight from kickoff to slot home and create a milestone that continues to stand as the quickest strike in World Cup history. 

- ANI

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ARSENAL 'WORKING ON SIGNING' MOROCCO WORLD CUP STAR AYYOUB BOUADDI AS LILE DEMAND €70 FEE

 

Getty Images 

Arsenal have reportedly made their move for one of the breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup, as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield options. The Gunners have apparently approached Lille regarding Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has seen his stock skyrocket follow.

Gunners step up pursuit of Ligue 1 prodigy

Arsenal have reportedly made a concrete approach to sign Bouaddi as they look to beat Europe’s elite to one of the most exciting talents in world football. The 18-year-old has become a primary target for the North London club, with recent reports indicating that the Premier League champions are ready to accelerate their plans.

According to Sky Sports Switzerland, Arsenal have been actively working on a deal to sign Bouaddi for several months and the Premier League champions have maintained regular contact with the midfielder’s entourage since January last year. The long-term scouting mission has now evolved into a formal pursuit as the teenager proves his worth on the biggest stage of all.

Getty Images Sport 

Lille set price tag for World Cup star

With his performances for Morocco drawing global attention, Lille are in no rush to sell their prized asset on the cheap. Further talks between Arsenal and Bouaddi are already scheduled for after the World Cup, while Lille are demanding a €70 million (£60.4m) transfer fee for the midfielder. The French side are aware that his value could continue to rise as the tournament progresses in North America.

Bouaddi was one of the standout performers in Morocco’s opening 1-1 draw against Brazil, holding his own against some of the world's most established midfielders. Of all the central midfielders on show, Bouaddi was the one who showed the most maturity in controlling the ball for Morocco.

Arteta's pitch to Morocco international

Arteta is said to be a huge admirer of the youngster’s technical profile and versatility in the middle of the park. The report adds that Arsenal have made it clear to Bouaddi and his representatives that he would be considered an important part of Arteta’s squad straight away. This path to first-team football is expected to be a major factor in the player's decision-making process.

The strategic move to involve the player immediately has seemingly paid off in the early stages of negotiations. Arsenal’s message is said to have ‘resonated’ with Bouaddi, and the Morocco international has expressed his interest in the prospect of a move to Arsenal. However, securing his signature will require navigating a significant financial obstacle set by his current club.

Lille set price tag for World Cup star

With his performances for Morocco drawing global attention, Lille are in no rush to sell their prized asset on the cheap. Further talks between Arsenal and Bouaddi are already scheduled for after the World Cup, while Lille are demanding a €70 million (£60.4m) transfer fee for the midfielder. The French side are aware that his value could continue to rise as the tournament progresses in North America.

Bouaddi was one of the standout performers in Morocco’s opening 1-1 draw against Brazil, holding his own against some of the world's most established midfielders. Of all the central midfielders on show, Bouaddi was the one who showed the most maturity in controlling the ball for Morocco.

- Donny Afroni

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