DOHA - Gianni Infantino has stepped sharply back from hotly contested plans for a biennial World Cup, telling world soccer’s leadership that FIFA had never proposed such an idea.
The FIFA president has been under fire for the past year, particularly in Europe, for proposals to increase the frequency of the global extravaganza from every four years, to every two.
Over the weekend, Lionel Messi made headlines by hinting at his international retirement following the World Cup.
When the yin speaks then the yang must respond.
On Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo addressed the press ahead of Portugal's decisive World Cup playoff against North Macedonia, and Ronaldo also made headlines by hinting at an international career that could go on forever and ever.
The USMNT all but clinched a spot at the World Cup by hammering Panama 5-1 on Sunday night in Orlando, although a trip to Costa Rica remains on Wednesday with the smallest possibility that the American's passage could be delayed via a six-goal defeat.
PORTO, Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo is excited about the return of experienced defender Pepe to the Portugal squad after he missed Thursday's 3-1 win over Turkey due to COVID-19.
"The king is back! Pepe is back in the house! Look out!" a smiling Ronaldo shouted before Portugal's training session on a warm and sunny Sunday morning in Porto as the 39-year-old defender emerged from the dressing room.
United States head coach Gregg Berhalter is urging his players to stay "in the moment" ahead of Sunday's World Cup qualifier at home to Panama with a shot at reaching the finals on the line.
The U.S. battled to a 0-0 draw away to Mexico on Thursday and sit three points behind leaders Canada in the CONCACAF group standings. They are tied with Mexico on 22 points but are above them in second place on goal difference.
Christian Eriksen said he made his return to international football in the "perfect way" by scoring two minutes after coming on for Denmark on Saturday following a near-fatal heart attack last year.
Denmark lost 4-2 to the Netherlands in the international friendly, with Eriksen producing a stunning finish into the top corner in the 47th minute after he came on as a half-time substitute.
Italy broke English hearts last July as they won the European Championship final but after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second straight tournament they have left fans thinking their Wembley triumph was a flash in the pan.
For a country who have won the World Cup four times, Italy's recent record is a national embarrassment.
Since lifting their fourth World Cup trophy in 2006, they have not played a knockout game in the showpiece event, having only won one group stage match at the finals in that time. Their recent World Cup record is even more distressing.
Back in 2017, with two matches remaining in the World Cup qualifying cycle and the USMNT on the outside, looking in, Alexi Lalas went ballistic post-match on FS1 after a 1-1 draw between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy. Lalas' tirade was directed at "the supposed leaders" of the U.S. squad, and criticized them for, among other things, having tattoos and being Jozy Altidore.
Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg returned to the Norway squad for the first time in nearly five years on Thursday, handing a huge boost to the team ahead of this year's European Championship.
Hegerberg, who won the inaugural women's Ballon d'Or in 2018, quit the national team in 2017 because of a dispute with the Norwegian Football Federation over the treatment of women's soccer in the country. The federation's attempts to break the impasse failed.