Fifa accuses Uefa of 'smear campaign' against Infantino
Fifa accuse Uefa of conducting a “smear campaign” against president Gianni Infantino and the corporation’s leadership.
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UEFA opens disciplinary case against Fenerbahce’s Guendouzi and Greenwood | Football
Guendouzi and Greenwood made provocative gestures towards the Lyon supporters after their Champions League playoff.
Published On 3 Sep 2026
UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Fenerbahce’s Matteo Guendouzi and Mason Greenwood following the second leg of a Champions League playoff match at Olympique Lyonnais, the Turkish club said.
“Our club will present the necessary defences before the relevant UEFA bodies in order to protect the rights and interests of our players and Fenerbahce during this process,” the Turkish outfit added in a statement on Thursday.
French midfielder Guendouzi and English forward Greenwood allegedly made provocative gestures towards the Lyon supporters, which was followed by a brawl as Guendouzi left the pitch, following Fenerbahce’s 2-1 win last month.
It led to clashes between players and coaching staff on and off the football pitch, and the visiting team’s celebrations descended into chaos.
Fenerbahce said they are also under scrutiny.
“Everything from that match is still with the disciplinary body,” a UEFA spokesperson said.
Fenerbahce progressed to the league phase of the Champions League with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
FIFA president Infantino ‘must go’, says former UEFA boss Platini | Football
In a scathing interview, French great Michel Platini accuses Infantino of always loving ‘money and power’.
Published On 31 Aug 2026
French football great Michel Platini says FIFA president Gianni Infantino “must go” following the scandals that have surrounded football’s governing body and rocked the sport globally.
“Economic affairs are one thing, but Infantino has failed because he is the guarantor of the rules of the game and he didn’t respect them,” former UEFA president Platini told a French media outlet on Sunday.
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The 56-year-old Infantino has been under fire since his aborted plan to bring private investment into FIFA events, such as the World Cup. He was also lambasted over a number of controversies during the recently concluded World Cup in North America.
Platini hit out at the so-called hydration breaks at the World Cup, which often lasted as much as four minutes and were used by the host broadcaster for advertisements.
He also pointed to the half-time show during the final, which largely overran the required maximum of 15 minutes, and the furore around FIFA suspending the red card ban given to American forward Folarin Balogun following a phone call made by United States President Donald Trump to Infantino.
“The ad breaks are not in the rules, the 30-minute half-time break in the final is not in the rules, and the red card, that’s the worst,” said Platini.
“He’s the guarantor [of the rules], he doesn’t respect them, he must go,” added Platini, who was UEFA’s secretary-general under the Frenchman’s leadership.
Since the World Cup, UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments until Infantino scrapped the FIFA Forward Enterprises plan to bring in private investment.
European football’s governing body UEFA has also accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” over the private financing.
FIFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for a comment.
‘He always loved money’
Other regional bodies – the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) – have joined UEFA in putting pressure on Infantino, who is hoping to run for re-election in March.
“It won’t be sporting institutions that sort this out and bring him down,” Platini said.
“If UEFA want to bring down Infantino, it will be through the courts.”
“I always knew that he loved money and power,” Platini added about the Swiss-Italian.
Platini was himself accused of fraud in 2015 when he was UEFA president and eyeing the top job at FIFA to replace Sepp Blatter, who was likewise accused of giving an illegal payment of $2m to the Frenchman.
Platini was eventually acquitted of any wrongdoing in 2025 but was forced to step down at the time, with Infantino leaping on the opportunity to be elected FIFA president in his stead in 2016.
“He didn’t bring me down, he benefitted from it,” said Platini.
“But now that there are lots of investigations into him all over the world, there is some noise about how he knew about certain things — let’s see what happens next.”
Platini is suing Infantino, and former FIFA officials Marco Villiger and Domenico Scala, in France “to seek compensation for all the damages he has suffered as a result of the tactics used to prevent him from being elected FIFA president in 2015”.
He accuses the trio of a “criminal conspiracy to commit false accusation … influence peddling … and aiding and abetting influence peddling”.
UEFA asks US court for FIFA documents for criminal case against Infantino | Football News
European football’s governing body considers making a criminal complaint against Infantino over World Cup selloff plans.
Published On 27 Aug 2026
UEFA has asked a US federal court for permission to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to a court filing.
In an ex parte application filed under US law, European football’s governing body said it is considering criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers over a now-abandoned plan to transfer commercial rights linked to men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
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“UEFA is actively considering legal action arising out of and in connection with the … plan proposed by FIFA,” read the legal document filed in a Florida court in the United States, according to the AFP news agency.
“More specifically, UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.”
UEFA alleges Infantino developed the proposal in secret with a small group of advisers and investors, bypassing FIFA’s normal governance processes and failing to consult the FIFA Council, regional confederations or member associations.
The filing asks a US court to authorise discovery from FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., two Florida-based FIFA entities. UEFA said the organisations may possess documents and witnesses relevant to how the FFE transaction was conceived, structured, valued and approved.
From solar eclipses to major sporting events
THE year is flying by, so much so that it’s time to think about your next holiday. So where is set to be big in 2027?
With events like the Ryder Cup, football tournaments, eclipses and K-pop festivals – these are the spots you should book a holiday to next year.
Algarve… for Formula 1
The Algarve could be a great should for fans of Formula 1 as in June, it will return to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão.
It will be the first time the F1 has been to the track since 2021.
If you fancy a holiday there as well as a thrilling race, Portimão has an old quarter to explore along with a busy marina and lots of pretty beaches.
From the UK, you can get direct flights from 21 UK airports to Faro – which is the gateway airport to the Algarve region.
Burgas… for Eurovision
After their win in Vienna with 516 points, Bulgaria will host the Eurovision Song Contest next year.
Anyone wanting to witness countries going head-to-head with bizarre performances should head to Arena Burgas next May.
The city on the Black Sea coast is also one of the cheapest spots for a family holiday with 89p beers and all-inclusive holidays for under £280.
One-way flights to Burgas can cost as little as £17 and are direct from nine UK airports.
Brazil… for FIFA Women’s World Cup
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will have 64 fixtures across eight host cities throughout June and July.
Locations include Salvador, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro which according to Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey is ‘just like the movies’.
It’s home to Sugarloaf Mountain where you’ll see one of the Wonders of the World, Christ the Redeemer, and the city also has the famous Copacabana Beach.
Rio de Janeiro has direct daily flights from London with British Airways, taking just over 11 hours.
Luxor… for the eclipse
For those who enjoyed the recent partial eclipse in August – a total solar eclipse will block out the sun over parts of North Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Luxor in Egypt is a spot that will see a lot of the eclipse – it will be dark for a total of six minutes and 22 seconds.
The city is known for having the historic Valley of the Kings tombs, and Karnak Temple.
There aren’t any direct flights to Luxor – indirect journeys can take nine hours with a stopover at Cairo.
Australia… for Men’s Rugby World Cup
Between October 1 and November 13 2027, rugby will dominate Australia at the Men’s Rugby World Cup.
Matches will take place across the country in Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville.
Of course heading to Australia isn’t just a weekend break for Brits – so make the most of it by planning excursions, heading to its beautiful coastline and even go on a safari.
It’s about to get easier to travel to as with new direct BA flights to Melbourne next January while Qantas will launch the longest ever flights called Project Sunrise between Sydney and London in 2027.
Madrid… for UEFA Champions League
The Premier League season is already underway and soon enough the UEFA Champions League will be too.
Paris Saint-Germain are the ones to beat – and the final match will take place at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
There’s plenty to do in Madrid too from visiting its world-class art museums like Prado and eating at Mercado de San Miguel where pintxos (open sandwiches) start from £1.30.
One-way flights take two and a half hours and start from as little as £13 and depart from six UK airports.
Limerick… for the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup golf tournament between teams from Europe and the US will return after two years being held at the Golf Course at Adare Manor in Limerick.
The competition takes just three days, so there’s plenty of time to explore the city.
Take a stroll along the riverside, tour King John’s Castle and enjoy a pint at JJ Bowles which is considered the oldest pub in Limerick.
The nearest airport is Shannon which is a 30-minute drive away from the city. One-way flights are as little as £15 and it takes an hour and a half from UK airports.
Florida… for Disney
Any fans of Disney will want to head to Florida next year, with a number of new exciting launches.
There’s the new Disney World attraction at the Glob Theatre called “Welcome to Monstropolis”, with the monsters in the show introducing visitors to Monstropolis.
And the new cruise ship Disney Believe is set to launch in late 2027 – with a Moana-inspired Grand Hall, Tinker Bell on its bow and Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the stern.
Airlines like BA, Norse, American Airlines, Finnair, and Iberia offer direct flights to Orlando.
Seoul… for K-pop
Calling any K-pop fans – you might want to book flights to Seoul.
Next December it will launch Fanomenon, a festival with concerts and award shows centered around K-pop will debut on December 2 which hopes to rival Coachella.
Head of Sun Travel, Lisa Minot, even tried out a K-pop dance class when she visited as well as exploring K-beauty shops in Myeong-dong and popped into a cat cafe.
Virgin Atlantic launched new flights from Heathrow to Seoul earlier this year, with return flights from £840.
Goodwood… for the races
If you don’t fancy hopping on a plane, then stay right here in the UK.
In West Sussex the Goodwood Estate hosts races throughout the year, and scheduled for 2027 is Qatar Goodwood Festival between July 27 -31.
It will also host a motorsport Festival of Speed between July 15-18.
There’s also live music, lounges, a roof garden, private bars and boxes.