Politics

According to U.S. intelligence reports, Russia has encountered far more resistance than it anticipated in its invasion of Ukraine while also overestimating its ability to win a propaganda war in the region. 

The athletes of Ukraine have helped on both fronts by actively taking up arms against the Russian invaders and by using their massive platforms to educate us all on their nation's desire for peace, freedom and democracy in the face of such a horrific assault. 

FIFA is set to suspend Russia's national teams from international football until further notice due to the country's invasion of Ukraine, a source with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on Monday.

FIFA is in advanced talks with European soccer body UEFA over the matter and a decision could be made later on Monday.

European governing body UEFA is due to hold an executive committee meeting at 1800 CET on Monday to decide on several issues relating to Russian football.

The Czech Republic will not play a potential soccer World Cup qualifier against Russia following their invasion of Ukraine, the Czech FA said on Sunday.

WARSAW — Poland and Sweden said they would not play their soccer World Cup qualifiers against Russia in March, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the governing bodies of both national teams said on Saturday.

The playoff matches are set to be held in March to fill a slot for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and several Poland players including captain Robert Lewandowski backed the decision with statements on social media.

LIMBE, Cameroon - Droves of armored vehicles are patrolling the streets of Limbe in Cameroon's conflict-torn South West Region ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer finals starting on Jan. 9 that separatist militants have vowed to disrupt.

Cameroon is hosting the tournament in six cities, but security is potentially most at threat in Limbe, a city on the tropical Atlantic coast whose surrounding region has been rocked by armed attacks since war broke out in 2017.

LONDON, England - Leicester City's Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday and Manchester United's home clash with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday have been postponed as rising COVID-19 cases threaten to play havoc with the season.

Thursday's announcements from the Premier League mean five games have been lost in the past week, although the league says it plans to continue with the current fixture schedule.

LISBON - Benfica's Primeira Liga match at Belenenses on Saturday was abandoned amid extraordinary scenes after their COVID-19-hit opponents were forced to name a team of nine players — including two goalkeepers.

Benfica took advantage of their numerical superiority to rack up seven goals by halftime before Belenenses returned with only seven players for the second period.

Premier League clubs have unanimously opposed FIFA's plans for a biennial World Cup and extended international breaks from 2024, the league's chief executive Richard Masters said on Thursday.

Soccer's world governing body is considering holding the global showpiece event every two years instead of every four once the international match calendar is revamped after 2024.

Gianni Infantino, the ninth President of FIFA, has found himself increasingly in the news of late, which we’ve come to learn is never, ever a good sign when it comes to FIFA presidents. The 51-year-old’s latest fixation is a biennial World Cup that’s been panned by everyone with a genuine love for the game, so it’s only a matter of time before the plan becomes reality.