European football's governing body that enforces rules, fines clubs, and appoints referees for major competitions including the Champions League and Super Cup.
UEFA will create a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup, which will mean major countries will no longer play minor nations such as San Marino, Gibraltar and Andorra. …
… Meanwhile, Europe’s top leagues have been summoned to a meeting with UEFA in the summer to discuss how VAR technology is being used, with head of UEFA referees Roberto Rosetti saying: “I believe that we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced.”
… The Benfica player was handed the ban by UEFA following accusations he directed a slur at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during February’s Champions League playoff clash, which Real won 1-0. …
… On the eve of the game Arsenal’s fans had organised a loud firework display outside Atletico’s east London hotel prompting a complaint to UEFA by the Spanish club.- Reuters Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! …
… Prestianni, 20, was given a six-match ban by UEFA last month after he admitted using homophobic language towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius during their Champions League match in February. …
… UEFA had passed on concerns from several European associations that teams could find it difficult to break even unless they progress deep into the competition. …
President Trump confirmed he asked FIFA to review US striker Folarin Balogun's one-match World Cup suspension, which was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium. Trump said he spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and that he didn't believe the red card was a foul, but stressed he only asked for a review and did not pressure FIFA to make the decision.
President Trump confirmed he asked FIFA to review US striker Folarin Balogun's one-match World Cup suspension, which was suspended for 12 months, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium. Trump said he spoke to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and that he didn't believe the red card was a foul, but stressed he only asked for a review and did not pressure FIFA to make the decision.
UEFA will not use the red card law for mouth-covering in confrontations across its competitions, despite approving the rule change. The decision comes after the Benfica-Real Madrid incident in February, where Gianluca Prestianni was banned for homophobic conduct, though UEFA referees may still show yellow cards if warranted.
Aston Villa were fined 22.5m euros by Uefa for breaching squad-cost rules and face registration restrictions for the Champions League next season; Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United also received financial penalties for similar breaches.
The expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup will see the top two teams from each of 12 groups advance to the last 32, along with eight third-placed teams, with new tiebreaker rules and complex scheduling across three host countries making qualification patterns complex.
Video assistant referee Shaun Evans says an 'OK' sign hand gesture was "an involuntary, subconscious twitch" after FIFA cleared him following an investigation. FIFA found "no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code" and Evans remains available for tournament selection.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin faced criticism from 13 World Cup nations—including Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and South Africa—after reportedly stating that expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has led to many "uninteresting" matches. The football associations rejected his comments, saying that for their countries, World Cup participation represents a historic achievement and there is no such thing as an unimportant match.
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was refused entry to the US and barred from World Cup duty by American authorities, has been selected by UEFA to officiate the August 12 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria.
Omar Artan, a Somali referee barred from entering the United States for World Cup duty due to visa and vetting concerns, has been appointed by UEFA to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria.
FIFA referees' chief Pierluigi Collina revealed that players will be prevented from going to the technical area to consult coaches when goalkeepers are injured at the 2026 World Cup. IFAB has also approved a request to change VAR protocol to review attacking fouls occurring before the ball is in play.
UEFA has proposed a revamp of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup and 2032 European Championship using a Champions League-style format with 36 top-ranked teams in three groups of 12, designed to reduce mismatches between strongest and weakest teams. A decision on the proposal is expected in September.
FIFA has published a book by Italian journalist Alessandro Alciato documenting Gianni Infantino's first 10 years as FIFA President since his election in February 2016. The book covers behind-the-scenes stories, women's football growth, revenue redistribution, and FIFA's transition from corruption to transparency.
UEFA will split World Cup qualifying into two tiers starting with the 2030 tournament: the top 36 nations, ranked by the 2028 Nations League, will compete in League 1 with three 12-team groups, while the remaining 18 nations will play separately in League 2. The new format aims to eliminate uncompetitive matchups and give lower-ranked teams better qualification chances, with all teams now playing six qualifying matches instead of the varying six or eight under previous rules.
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suggested referees are "petrified" to make decisions because of video assistant referee after being denied a stoppage-time penalty against Leeds on Monday, with the match finishing 1-1.
UEFA has appointed German referee Daniel Siebert to officiate the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain on May 30 in Budapest. Siebert has already handled two Arsenal matches this season and will be working his tenth Champions League game overall this campaign.
FIFA has extended Argentina winger Gianluca Prestianni's six-game suspension for homophobic conduct to have worldwide effect, meaning he could miss his country's opening World Cup matches if selected. The Benfica player was originally banned by UEFA for directing a slur at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr during a February Champions League playoff clash.
Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at home to secure a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory, with captain Bukayo Saka scoring the decisive goal. The Gunners will face either Paris St Germain or Bayern Munich in the final on May 30.
Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has received a worldwide ban for abusing Vinicius Jr, extending his UEFA six-match suspension to cover Argentina's first two World Cup matches if he is selected. The 20-year-old admitted to homophobic language towards Real Madrid's Vinicius during a Champions League match in February.
FIFA and the International Football Association Board approved two law amendments in Vancouver: players who cover their mouths when speaking to opponents during confrontations or who leave the pitch in protest at referee decisions can now face red cards. Both changes have been approved as competition opt-ins and will be adopted at this summer's World Cup.
The Ghana Football Association will receive $2.5 million to prepare the Black Stars for the 2026 World Cup and $10 million for qualifying, following FIFA's decision to increase prize money for participating teams by over $100 million.
Fifa has approved two law amendments for this summer's World Cup: players who cover their mouths when speaking to opponents during confrontations may receive a red card, and players who leave the pitch in protest at a referee's decision can also face a red card. The changes were approved at a Fifa Council meeting in Vancouver.