FIFA apologises to its member associations over now-withdrawn FFE pla…

Rabat [Morocco], August 6 (ANI): FIFA has apologised to its member associations for the handling of its now-withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal to sell World Cup commercial rights, while the organisation’s leadership, on Thursday, reiterated its backing for President Gianni Infantino following a meeting in Morocco.

Both FIFA and Infantino have come under intense scrutiny since the announcement of the FFE, a proposed entity aimed at consolidating the sale of FIFA’s commercial rights–including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing–along with the operational delivery of its tournaments. Under the plan, FIFA intended to raise upto USD 4.2 billion by selling minority, non-controlling stakes in the FFE to external investors. syntagm.co.za

However, this move generated a lot of concern and anger from the football fraternity, particularly UEFA, who felt that the sport, particularly its showpiece event, the FIFA World Cup, was being put for sale. Also, CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also said its members had raised “deep concerns" over the proposal, citing a lack of due process, an unusually short consultation period, and the absence of review or approval by FIFA’s relevant governance bodies.

After facing the wrath from various quarters in world football, FIFA went on to drop its plans of establishing FFE. But nonetheless, Infantino continued to face anger from world football, with the FA (Football Association) in England set to withdraw support for his re-election to the top post, after the Football Association of Wales had become the first football association to do so.

Now, in a statement on Thursday, FIFA admitted mistakes in the handling of its FFE proposal, acknowledging that its Council and member associations should not have felt excluded from the process. It also conceded that further errors were made after details of the proposal were leaked to the media.

“The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged. It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media," a FIFA statement reads.

FIFA apologised to its Council and member associations for mistakes in handling the FFE proposal and pledged to prevent similar errors in the future. The governing body confirmed the proposal has been withdrawn and announced a review, with findings to be presented at the next FIFA Council meeting. FIFA also vowed to defend its integrity and governance against criticism, while maintaining that the process complied with its regulations. Going forward, it said it will work with stakeholders to strengthen the FIFA Forward programme in support of its 211 member associations, confederations and regional associations.

“In a separate letter to the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again. A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting," FIFA said.

“As previously communicated, the FFE proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table. With the project withdrawn, it was agreed that FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation. There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework," FIFA added.

“FIFA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it can further support the development of the game through the FIFA Forward programme for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, the Confederations and the Regional Associations," FIFA said further in its statement.

FIFA also said that its leadership has unanimously reaffirmed support for President Gianni Infantino, while Infantino also reiterated his confidence in FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and the administration for their role in delivering the organisation’s vision.

“Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations. In turn, the FIFA President reiterated his full support for the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision," reads the FIFA statement. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

The 2027 ODI World Cup Qualifier is set to take place from February 22 to March 23 next year, according to a report by Cricinfo.

Although the International Cricket Council (ICC) has locked in the dates for the tournament, the host nation has not yet been named. Under the revised qualification framework introduced by the ICC in July, the winner of the 10-team Qualifier will earn direct entry into the 14-team World Cup group stage.

Meanwhile, the teams finishing in second, third, and fourth place will move into an opening round called the Super Series. There, they will battle for the final spot in the 12-team main stage, with only the top team advancing.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia across 12 venues from October 4 to November 21.

10 teams will battle out for ODI World Cup qualification

The 10-team Qualifier will feature the two lowest-ranked Full Members in the ODI rankings, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, as of the September 30, 2026 cut-off date. Joining them will be the top four teams from Cricket World Cup League 2 and the top four teams from the World Cup Qualifier Playoff.

The eight-team Qualifier Playoff will consist of the bottom four sides from League 2 alongside the top four teams from the third-tier Challenge League. While the exact structure of the Playoff remains to be determined, the four top-ranked teams will book their spots in the World Cup Qualifier.

The Challenge League features 12 nations split into two groups of six, with each group taking part in three round-robin tournaments during the qualification cycle. The top two teams from each group will advance to the World Cup Qualifier Playoff.

West Indies currently sit 10th in the ODI rankings with only two matches remaining before the September 30 deadline, both against India in September. Their prospects of securing a top-eight spot and avoiding the Qualifier also hinge on other results, particularly the upcoming series between eighth-placed Afghanistan and 12th-placed Ireland. West Indies missed the 2023 World Cup in India after losing in qualifying rounds.

(With inputs from ANI)

India's pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, 34, is keen to excel in the upcoming domestic season to impress national selectors ahead of India’s away Test series against New Zealand in November. Thakur, who has 33 scalps in 13 Tests so far, played his last Test against England, scoring 41 at Manchester in July 2025.

“As long as I play cricket, my goal will always be to play for India. I’m not in the Indian team currently, but I’m definitely preparing to make a comeback. I have no other option but to perform. Given my experience, if I perform well, I feel the selectors or the team management will consider me. I don’t need to prove that I can play international cricket well, that’s already been done. So, now it’s just about how well I perform and how many matches I can help my team win,” Thakur told mid-day during an exclusive chat at his residence in Powai recently.

India pacer Shardul Thakur. Pic/AFP

Duleep Trophy from Aug 23

Thakur, who has also played 47 ODIs and 25 T20Is, claiming 65 and 33 wickets respectively, insists that the upcoming domestic season, starting with the Duleep Trophy on August 23 in Bengaluru, is crucial for him. He will be representing the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led West Zone team.

“Our [2026-27] season begins with the Duleep Trophy. Since it’s a knockout game, I can’t say how many chances I’ll get, but even if I get one match, I’ll try to give more than my 100 per cent. Then, there are some other important domestic invitational tournaments in September, followed by the Ranji Trophy. So, all upcoming matches are important. I’ll have to play these matches with a get-set-go attitude because the Indian team touring New Zealand in November will need an all-rounder at the No. 8 position. I want to explore that opportunity, so a strong, positive attitude is important for all upcoming games,” Thakur said.

The Thakur-led Mumbai team lost to Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final last season, and the attacking all-rounder said a complete team effort will be needed to emerge triumphant again.

Eyeing another Ranji title

“Winning Ranji Trophy is in everyone’s hands — players, coaches, trainers, physios, doctors, team managers, those outside the playing XI and also our MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] management. Everyone’s contribution is important. Only then can you win a championship. I entered the Mumbai team [in 2012] and against all odds, cemented my place. As a senior player, my job is to share my experiences with the players, and I do that, whether or not I’m the captain. As captain, of course, I want to lift the Ranji Trophy, but before that, I must think about how I can help my bowlers pick up five-wicket hauls,” Thakur explained.

[popcorn number="Two" desc="No. of first-class centuries scored by Shardul Thakur" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="7-61" desc="Shardul Thakur’s career-best bowling figures across all formats; he registered them during the second Test against SA in Johannesburg in 2022" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="131" desc="Total international wickets claimed by Thakur in 85 matches; he has also scored 775 runs" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="2818" desc="No. of runs scored by Thakur in 103 first-class matches, apart from claiming 315 wickets" class="Default"]

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