FIFA Organization

FIFA has written to World Cup teams urging them to focus on the soccer in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged into ideological or political "battles".

The letter from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing body's secretary general Fatma Samoura follows a number of protests made by World Cup teams, on issues ranging from LGBTIQ rights to concerns over the treatment of migrant workers.

"Please, let's now focus on the football!" Sky News quoted Infantino and Samoura as saying in the letter to the 32 nations contesting the World Cup.

The United States’ largest soccer supporters group, the American Outlaws, came under fire Thursday following a New York Times article claiming that a board member accepted a free trip to Qatar in exchange for reporting individuals who are critical of the host nation. The Outlaws have vehemently denied these allegations and issued a statement, saying the organization has never taken money from FIFA or Qatar and will never do so.

The draw made next summer's tournament in Australia and New Zealand come into focus, but we can really start to anticipate the event with FIFA now revealing the 2023 Women's World Cup kick off times. 

On Tuesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Qatar World Cup organizers confirmed that ticket sales for the event were nearing three million. This is in line with the estimate of roughly 1.2 million people visiting country, which has a population of just 2.8 million, over the course of the 29-day event.

The soccer World Cup being held in Qatar next month will have areas for drunk fans to sober up, its chief executive said in a television interview.

The Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup is the first to be held in a Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, presenting unique challenges for organizers of an event sponsored by a major beer brand and often associated with beer-drinking fans.