International sports governing body
Appears in 3 stories
Central stage for corruption, reform claims and World Cup 2026 politics
U.S. prosecutors spent years proving that Hernan Lopez, a former Fox International Channels CEO, and the sports marketing firm Full Play bribed South American soccer officials to lock down lucrative TV rights. A Brooklyn jury convicted them in 2023.
Updated 6 days ago
World Cup rights holder, organizer and primary commercial beneficiary
In January 2017, FIFA voted to expand the men's World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026 — the largest tournament in the competition's history. In June 2018, the "United 2026" bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico beat Morocco to win hosting rights, with promises of record revenues and NFL-scale stadiums across 16 cities.
Managing Group G restructuring and replacement process
Iran became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. A year later, it became the first qualified nation in the modern era to pull out for political reasons. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on state television that Iran will not participate in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—three months after a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the country's military infrastructure.
Updated Mar 12
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