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    England fans face paying THOUSANDS per World Cup 2026 match as Fifa consider controversial Oasis-style ticketing system

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    ENGLAND fans heading to next summer’s World Cup could be fleeced for THOUSANDS per match under Fifa plans to use a “dynamic pricing” strategy.Average costs of around £305 per match had previously been reported.Fifa are set to use dynamic ticket pricing at the World CupCredit: APPrices could sky-rocket for the biggest games like the final at the MetLife StadiumCredit: GettyBut now Fifa chiefs are looking at the same demand-based pricing arrangements that saw this summer’s Oasis reunion concerts plunged into controversy.And that could see ticket prices for the biggest games sky-rocketing with supply not being able to keep up with demand despite stadiums having capacities of 70,000-plus.A similar system being used in this summer’s Club World Cup – which includes Chelsea and Manchester City – saw prices fall to as low as £29 for games in the group stage.But that is unlikely to be the situation at the World Cup, despite the expansion to a 48-team tournament which will see a record 104 games played.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Fifa model will NOT apply to fans supporting the three host countries – the USA, Canada and Mexico.But visiting supporters will be exposed to the system, which could see top price tickets for knockout games going for £5,000 or more.Official fan groups supplied with tickets by their home associations are also likely to pay a lower price, although allocations are unlikely to exceed 6,000 for any matches.The measure, if confirmed, is likely to see Fifa accused of exploiting supporters and seeking to maximise their own income.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSUnlike previous World Cups, which have been overseen by a Fifa-delegated local organising committee, 2026 will be run by the Zurich-based body.The greater the revenue from the estimated 6.5m tickets available, the more Fifa will make from the tournament.Fifa confirm 12 stadiums for new-look Club World Cup including TWO £1.2BILLION NFL grounds and 88,500-seat Olympic venueFifa’s argument is that dynamic pricing is a standard practice for major events in the USA – although that is not the case in the other co-host nations.The successful three-country bid, which won the right in 2018 to stage next year’s World Cup, suggested that a projected £1.35bn in ticket sales would be a “conservative” estimate.That appears to be an understatement, although a Fifa spokesman declined to confirm the plans.The spokesman said: “Ticket sales for the Fifa World Cup 2026 are expected to begin in Q3 of 2025 via the Fifa website. Further details will follow in due course.”Fifa are projected to make £1.35bn in ticket salesCredit: AFP More

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      Gary Lineker has already told BBC how to avoid fan fury in World Cup 2026 final coverage

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      GARY LINEKER has already told the BBC how to avoid fan fury during coverage of the World Cup 2026 final.Lineker, 64, was due to bow out from his role as presenter for the broadcaster at the conclusion of next summer’s tournament. Gary Lineker warned the BBC how to avoid fan fury over the half-time show during the World Cup 2026 finalCredit: ReutersA Super Bowl-style half-time show will be introduced next yearCredit: GettyBut on Monday, he confirmed he is going to quit the BBC for good after Sunday’s Match of the Day episode covering the final day of the Premier League season. The ex-Leicester striker previously announced he was stepping back from weekly MOTD duties but was due to continue hosting live FA Cup matches next season before working the World Cup.However, following an anti-Semitism row, Lineker apologised and went public with his decision to step away from his £1.35million-a-year job with the Beeb. Lineker agreed to leave the BBC after meeting bosses last week – with a source saying he realised his position was untenable.READ MORE ON GARY LINEKERBut before his exit, the presenter gave his bosses a piece of advice on covering the 2026 showpiece at the end of the expanded 48-country competition.The World Cup final will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. But midway through the biggest match in football, there will be a Super Bowl-style half-time show.Fifa are working with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin on the plans – which may well mean Coldplay are one of the “multiple artists” set to perform. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Lineker is aware the controversial addition will not go down with fans.And it also gives TV bosses a dilemma about what to do at half-time – show the performances on the pitch or stick to the traditional analysis from pundits.Gary Lineker apologises for antisemitic post and confirms he’s quitting BBC next weekLineker, though, reckons he has the solution.Speaking on his Rest Is Football podcast in March – part of his Goalhanger podcast empire – he said: “I don’t like this, I have to say, before we start. “I hope it’s not going completely down the road of NFL half-time shows because that’s 25 minutes, half an hour, and I’m not sure we could quite cope with that.“I’m bowing out soon anyway, but I’ve got one World Cup left in me. “It’d be interesting to see, if they did have some big, massive half-time show, how TV deals with that because the analysis has always been part of television coverage. “Does TV suddenly go, ‘No, we’re going to show the half-time show?’“For someone like BBC, I would say, ‘Stick the show on the red button’, or they might (decide to) stick the analysis on the red button.”’SORRY’Lineker’s Instagram post to confirm his BBC exit came after The Sun revealed he was planning to step down following the scandal which saw him face backlash for re-posting a video which criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat.He said in a statement released at midday on Monday: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.”I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. “As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic – it goes against everything I stand for.Read More on The Sun”However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. “Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”Chris Martin has been involved in the talks with FifaCredit: GettyLineker announced he will leave the BBC after Sunday’s Match of the DayCredit: iNSTAGRAMHe was spotted outside his home on the day of the major newsCredit: PA More

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      ‘It’s time’ – England could host World Cup after seven decades as Fifa chief tells FA to ‘seriously think’ about it

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      ENGLAND could host the World Cup after a SEVEN-DECADE wait following a top Fifa figure’s encouragement to bid for the tournament.The nation hasn’t bid for the tournament since the controversial 2010 vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, in which it was alleged that Fifa members were bribed to vote for the host countries.England hasn’t hosted the World Cup since lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966Credit: GETTYThe FA failed to land the 2018 or 2022 World CupsCredit: GETTYFifa Vice-President Victor Montagliani believes it’s time the tournament returns to Old BlightyCredit: GETTYEngland hasn’t staged a World Cup since the historic 1966 tournament, which saw Sir Alf Ramsey’s troops win the competition on home soil.And Fifa vice-president Victor Montagliani believes it’s high time the tournament returns to these shores.During an interview with The Times, he said: “I can’t see why, not just England but the United Kingdom shouldn’t be hosting the World Cup.”I think it would be a fantastic World Cup and I think they should seriously think of putting their foot forward to host.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”We all know what the game means in the UK and I think it’s time.”The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while the 2030 tournament set to be split across Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South America.Saudi Arabia will stage the 2034 tournament having run unopposed for the hosting rights.The Women’s World Cup will take place in the UK in 2035 and could be a potential catalyst for the men’s tournament to return to these shores in 2038 or 2042.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSEngland could bid to host the 2038 or 2042 World CupsCredit: GettySpeaking on Fifa’s rotation model, Montagliani said: “I support what we have done in recent history, I think it’s the only way.”Now it shouldn’t be the Fifa president’s decision alone, he has a board, he has a council.Major change to World Cup final confirmed by Fifa chief Gianni Infantino with Coldplay to perform half-time show “But I think the old way we used to do it where people just waste their money and then all these shenanigans happen.That’s ridiculous. Let’s get away from that.“Let’s become a proper business. Let’s have an event management strategy so that we’re properly rotating it, everybody gets a crack at it.“The reality is that the World Cup generates 80 to 90 per cent of Fifa’s income, which then sends 80 per cent of that back to its members for the development of football.”And if Fifa doesn’t generate that money there is a significant number of the 211 countries that do not have the funds to develop football.”Next year’s North American World Cup will be the first tournament to include 48 teams.But South American footie chiefs have called for future tournaments to be expanded to an incredible 64 TEAMS, a total Montagliani believes would devalue the prestige which comes with qualifying for the competitionHe said: “Sixty-four teams is just too much in my opinion. We still haven’t kicked the ball for 48 teams, although I think we’ll be fine.Read More on The Sun“We’re OK where we are and I’m not comfortable with any more — scarcity is still important.”It still needs to be difficult to get to a World Cup and I think at 48 you’re still going to have some nations you may think should be at a World Cup but fail to qualify.” More

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      Decapitations, death plunges & electrocutions… how Saudi’s World Cup with 11 new stadiums ‘is being built on blood’

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      CONSTRUCTION workers building Saudi Arabia’s 11 new stadiums for the World Cup have been dying heinous deaths – from decapitations to death plunges.Human rights groups have warned of a terrifying “surge” in the deaths of migrant construction workers in the Middle Eastern region as it gears up to host the 2034 tournament.Migrant workers are seen at a construction site near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in MarchCredit: GettyHuman rights groups have warned of a terrifying “surge” in the deaths of migrant construction workers in the Middle Eastern regionCredit: GettyFIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously faced accusations of steering the nomination towards Saudi ArabiaCredit: PAAfter being confirmed as the host of the 2034 men’s football World Cup in December, Saudi Arabia is throwing tens of billions of pounds at insane building projects – including an entire mega-city.In preparation, the Saudis unveiled plans to build or upgrade 15 futuristic stadiums – 11 of which will be entirely new.Despite the Cup being nine years away, labourers working to build the sites are dying in horrific yet preventable incidents, reports from Human Rights Watch and Fairsquare claim.It comes just a day after the President of FIFA Gianni Infantino visited Saudi Arabia alongside US President Donald Trump as the pair attended a US-Saudi investment forum.READ MORE SPORTHuman Rights Watch were able to speak to the hearbroken families of 31 workers from Bangaldesh, India and Nepal.Their relatives either fell from heights at the sites, were crushed or decapitated by heavy machinery – or electrocuted.But Saudi medical authorities rarely conduct autopsies to establish the exact cause of migrant workers’ deaths, FairSquare claims.A couple of months ago a Pakistani foreman, Muhammad Arshad, was reported to have plunged from a construction site at a stadium under construction in the eastern city of Al Khobar.Most read in FootballMuhammad’s tragic death marked the first related to the World Cup – with many more to follow.One widow of a 46-year-old Bangladeshi man who was working in Saudi Arabia told Human Rights Watch of her husband being harrowingly decapitated in the workplace.Migrant workers are seen at a construction site near RiyadhCredit: GettyThe Roshn Stadium has one of the most striking designs of all the 2034 venuesCredit: www.dezeen.comThe Qiddiya Coast Stadium will host games in the group stage, as well as the rounds of 32 and 16Credit: www.dezeen.comShe said: “According to his colleagues and the foreman, he noticed a mechanical issue with the machine he was operating. “He turned off the machine to fix it and was trying to remove a stone that was stuck inside when someone accidentally turned the machine back on. His head got caught inside, and he died on the spot.”The grieving woman added that when her husband’s body arrived in Bangladesh, “his head was separated from his body” which resulted in her losing consciousness “seeing him in that state”.And another widow of a 25-year-old Nepali man revealed that despite her husband getting electrocuted at work, his death “is officially classified as a natural death”.She added: “We did not receive the dead body of my husband, but were instead informed that his last rites were already done in Saudi Arabia itself without our permission. This has put us in further pain.”We believe all this was an elaborate plan to deprive us of compensation. There are so many questions unanswered.”Who gave them permission to bury [my husband] instead of repatriating [his] body? Witnesses say that the death was caused by electrocution.”With many deaths of workers wrongly classified as being natural, grieving families have received no compensation, the reports claim.Human Rights Watch’s director of Global Initiatives Minky Worden said: “The 2034 Saudi World Cup will be the largest and most expensive ever, but it could also have the highest cost in human lives, as millions of migrant workers build infrastructure, including 11 new stadiums, a rail and transit network, and 185,000 hotel rooms.”FIFA says it has a “steadfast commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights in the context of its operations”.The Neom stadium has been dubbed the ‘most unique stadium in the world’Credit: www.dezeen.comThe King Salman Stadium will be Saudi’s largest stadium and is due to host the World Cup finalCredit: www.dezeen.comThe Roshn Stadium has one of the most striking designs of all the 2034 venuesCredit: www.dezeen.comIn 2024, the Saudi government defended that there had been “tangible achievements” in occupational health and safety, claiming that the rates of deaths and injuries among workers were falling.And FIFA praised the alleged “significant steps” taken by Saudi Arabia to improve its labour laws since 2018.But the global construction worker’s union, or BWI, revealed there had been an “alarming rise” in accidents that could have been prevented.BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson said: “These are the result of systematic negligence, corruption and inadequate oversight and accountability.”And FairSquare’s co-director James Lynch has described FIFA’s human rights policies as a “sham”.He added: “While FIFA praises Saudi Arabia to the rafters and highly-paid western law firms generate vast profits for curating Saudi’s reputation, children in places like Nepal grow up without their fathers and never even learn how they died.”FIFA told Human Rights Watch of its plans to establish a workers’ welfare system to ensure mandatory standards and enforcement mechanisms are dedicated for construction related to the World Cup. as well as service delivery in Saudi Arabia.Football’s global governing body said: “We are convinced that the measures implemented to ensure construction companies respect the rights of their workers on FIFA World Cup sites can set a new standard for worker protection in the country and contribute to the wider labour reform process, helping to enhance protections for workers on World Cup sites and beyond.”But Human Rights Watch has slammed FIFA, saying no further details were given on how the so-called welfare system would actually work.The group said: “Saudi authorities, FIFA, and other employers should ensure that all migrant worker deaths, regardless of perceived cause, time, and place are properly investigated and that families of deceased workers are treated with dignity and receive fair and timely compensation.”Eight stadiums are being built in the capital Riyadh, four in Jeddah, and one in each of Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom.Neom is the brand new £1 trillion desert mega-city the county is planning to build from scratch – and half of which will be floating in the ocean.Read More on The SunThere have been concerns, however, that the city will not be finished in time.They are also promising to whip up the world’s biggest airport, King Fahd International Airport, which is due to open in 2030.It is thought the King Salman International Airport in Saudi Arabia will be the largest in the world when it opens in 2030Credit: Foster + Partners More

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      Donald Trump claims letting Russia qualify for World Cup 2026 could be ‘incentive’ to end Ukraine war

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      DONALD TRUMP has claimed the 2026 Fifa World Cup could be an “incentive” to bring the war in Ukraine to an end.Russia has been banned from playing in international competitions since the nation’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Donald Trump spoke about the 2026 World Cup with Gianni InfantinoCredit: SplashHe claims that letting Russia play could be an ‘incentive’ to end the war in UkraineCredit: APThe US president claimed he would end the ongoing conflict on “day one” of being in office during his campaign.Trump, 78, began his second term as president on January 20 – over 100 days ago – and the war is still ongoing.Current rules state that Russia will not take part in next summer’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.The ban was put in place by Fifa and Uefa and includes removing Russian clubs’ places in European competition.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLTrump has now claimed that letting Russia back into the footballing world could incentivise an end to the war in Ukraine.He made the suggestion during his administration’s World Cup taskforce in the presence of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.At first, he was unaware that Russia was banned from the tournament.He asked: “I didn’t know that. Is that right?”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSTo which Infantino replied: “That is right.”They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.”UK to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as Fifa chief Gianni Infantino confirms just ‘one valid bid’ for tournament2026 World Cup stadiumsHere are the stadiums that will feature at the World Cup…MexicoEstadio Banorte, Mexico City – 87,523Estadio BBVA, Monterrey – 53,500Estadio Akron, Guadalajara – 49,850CanadaBC Place, Vancouver – 54,500BMO Field, Toronto – 28,180US MetLife Stadium, New York – 82,500AT&T Stadium, Dallas – 80,000GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City – 76,416NRG Stadium, Houston – 72,220Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 71,000SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles – 70,240Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – 69,796Lumen Field, Seattle – 69,000Levis’ Stadium, San Franciso – 68,500Gillette Stadium, Boston – 65,878Hard Rock Stadium, Miami – 64,767 The former Apprentice US host suggested: “That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?”We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop.”Five thousand young people a week are being killed – it’s not even believable.”However, Trump admitted that Infantino was “the boss” when it came to decision-making over football.He also insisted that he would have “nothing to do” with any demands to have Vladimir Putin’s Russia reinstated.In February, it was reported that Ukraine had suffered losses of over 46,000 soldiers since the invasion in February 2022.Previously thriving Ukrainian cities such as Mariupol and Bakhmut have been reduced to rubble.Meanwhile, vice-president JD Vance demanded that travelling supporters must “go home” after the tournament.Some 78 of the 104 matches of the tournament will be hosted in the US, including the final.The World Tourism Forum Institute has warned the US that the current strict immigration policies could disrupt fans’ travel plans.Vance said: “I know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to 100 countries.”We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game.”But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home.”Read More on The SunIt is expected that two million tourists will make the trip to the US, Canada and Mexico for the World Cup.Tickes for the 2026 World Cup have already gone on sale with packages costing up to a whopping £55,000.JD Vance urged fans to leave the US after the tournamentCredit: Rex More

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      Chelsea and Man City boost as Club World Cup to be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK after landmark deal

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      CHANNEL Five will screen more than 20 games at this summer’s expanded Club World Cup after teaming up with the terrestrial partner of streamer DAZN.DAZN were announced as the global broadcaster of the tournament, with their £770m TV deal providing Fifa’s record cash pot.Chelsea chief Enzo Maresca and Man City rival Pep Guardiola will again be in the USA, for the Club World Cup, from June 15 to July 13Credit: GettyThis trophy will be a stake when some of the planet’s best teams meetCredit: GettyIt was anticipated that DAZN would find a broadcast partner in all major territories to ensure the widest possible access to supporters.But with BBC and ITV both opting out, Five emerged as the sub-licence partner.The DAZN deal means Chelsea and Manchester City are guaranteed around £30m up front with a further potential £67m if they go all the way to win the Final in New York in July.But now fans without access to streaming services will be able to watch 23 of the 63 games free of charge on terrestrial TV after the Five agreement.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThose games include 15 group stage matches, likely to include the games of the two Prem giants, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the Final.The newly- expanded 32-team competition also includes Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and Juventus.Fans with smart TVs will be able to watch all 63 matches for free via DAZN.The British streaming platform has come to an arrangement with Fifa, who had gone into the new year reportedly still struggling to find a broadcaster. Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKAt one stage, Fifa president Gianni Infantino is understood to have held an emergency meeting in an attempt to bolster interest. ITV had hoped to tempt football’s ruling body into giving them broadcasting rights for FREE.Roy Keane cracks joke live on Sky Sports as he tells De Bruyne to join Man UtdIn exchange, ITV would have shown the games on their main channels – giving the event a high profile. But Fifa have now agreed a deal with smaller broadcaster Channel Five.The tournament runs from June 15 to July 13, across venues in the USA, including Charlotte, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. More

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      Chelsea Champions League winner, 38, could be set for emotional clash against Blues in Club World Cup after draw drama

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      FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has confirmed Chelsea’s opening Club World Cup opponents are set to be decided by a single game play-off.And that could bring a reunion with former Blues striker Olivier Giroud at MLS side LAFC.Chelsea could face Olivier Giroud and LAFC in the Club World CupCredit: GettyGiroud previously spent three years with the BluesCredit: APPlans for the 32-team tournament, offering a record £870m prize pot, were thrown in the air last month when Mexican outfit Club Leon were booted out of the event by world chiefs.Fifa’s regulations for the expanded tournament stated that no clubs under the same multi-club ownership umbrella could compete.Leon are part of the same group as fellow Mexican side Pachuca and have ignored demands for the club to be hived off from the overall ownership company.While Leon have lodged a complaint with the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to overturn the Fifa decision, it emerged last month that a play-off involving LAFC and another Mexican side, Club America, was being planned.READ MORE ON CHELSEAAnd despite claims from Spain that Barcelona were in the mix to take part, Infantino has now confirmed the play-off plan – as long as CAS rules in Fifa’s favour.Speaking on a visit to Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, where Chelsea’s opening game will be played on June 16, the Fifa President said: “In a couple of weeks we will have the final and definitive decision, we will respect any decision.”What we are looking at is that, if CAS confirms the decision of the Appeals Committee, FIFA’s intention is to play a match, a playoff, between the team that lost the final of the Concacaf Champions League, LAFC, and the next team in the ranking, which is Club America.”Infantino’s announcement came despite the tournament regulations stating no country could have more than two participants UNLESS they were all winners of their confederation’s main club competition in the four year qualification cycle.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford BridgeThose regulations meant the likes of European giants Liverpool and Barcelona, who would have qualified through their four-year coefficient ranking, missed out in favour of teams including Ajax andSalzburg.Mexico already have Pachuca and Monterrey in the tournament as winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2024 and 2021 respectively – Leon were 2023 winners – while the US is represented by Seattle Sounders, who won in 2022 and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.Inside Chelsea’s Strasbourg talent factory as angry fans fight identity crisis That has brought a separate CAS suit by Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, who argue that they are the highest-placed side in the Concacaf rankings who are not disqualified by representing either the US or Mexico.Fifa, though, appear to be dismissing that claim, with both potential replacements for Leon able to bring substantial value to the tournament.LAFC, who also include former Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris, are part-owned by US actor and comedian Will Ferrell, while Club America are the most widely supported club in Mexico.Fifa will not announce the date or venue of the play-off until after the CAS ruling but it is expected to be played in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium next month.Chelsea’s other two opponents in Group D are Brazilians Flamengo, who they meet in Philadelphia on June 20, and Tunisian outfit Esperance, with the final group game in the same venue four days later.The Blues have already been assured of around £30m in appearance money for the inaugural version of the expanded 32-team competition, with a further £67m up for grabs in potential prize money.England’s other representatives, Manchester City, start against Morocco’s Wydad in Philadelphia on June 18.They then meet Abu Dhabi outfit Al Ain in Atlanta before finishing against Juventus in Orlando on June 26.Read More on The SunFifa say there are no multi-club ownership issues despite Al Ain’s President being Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the BROTHER of City President Shaikh Mansour.If they win their respective groups, the two Prem sides cannot meet until the Final in New York on July 13. More

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      No TV interest, dismal ticket sales and furious bosses… ‘ridiculous’ Club World Cup is nothing but Fifa vanity project

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      FRANK by name and frank by nature, as Brentford boss Thomas Frank has got his Bees in the right bonnet.His sting was aimed at the Club World Cup, which he described as “ridiculous”. And I agree with him.Fifa’s revamped Club World Cup has not gone down well with some Prem bossesCredit: APBrentford boss Thomas Frank is refusing to watch the tournamentCredit: PAFurious Frank said: “Who wants it? No one. “The addition of the Club World Cup is ridiculous and there is a bigger conversation needed about the number of games being played over a year – but that is not for us and more for the teams in Europe.”You sometimes feel Fifa is run by Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em’s Frank Spencer and this is further proof.Frank criticised Fifa for hugely expanding a tournament for which there is little interest.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThat’s not exactly true as the winner could bank £97MILLION for seven games, which does give the bean counters an incentive, if not the players.The fact that it has been turned down by BBC, ITV, Sky Sports and TNT Sports suggests the TV execs aren’t that bothered either, even though Manchester City and Chelsea are in it.But what Frank is angered by is simple – the players are bloody knackered.Come the end of a gruelling Premier League season, often with European games in midweek, footballers have run themselves into the ground.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKLike anyone else, they need a few weeks in the sun to relax and recover.‘Ah’, I hear you shout, ‘but what about all those pre-season tours to the Far East?’ Fifa show off incredible new Club World Cup trophy that has be opened with a giant gold KEYIt’s a fair point, but these tours can get players back up to fitness.As well as the Club World Cup, what is also a concern is the increasing gap between Champions League qualifying clubs and the rest.For instance, if Chelsea or City both finish in the top five, that will now guarantee them Champions League football next season and around £150m.If one of them wins the Club World Cup that all adds up to nearly £250m! How are the other 15 Premier League clubs supposed to compete with that?The Club World Cup strikes me as a vanity project for Fifa.City boss Pep Guardiola is unhappy clubs must field their strongest squads in the 32-nation tournament, which starts in America in mid-June and lasts a whole month.If Guardiola is cheesed off now, can you imagine his temper if Erling Haaland got injured in the big match against Morocco’s Wydad AC.Frank insisted there is absolutely “no chance” he will even be watching it.He’s not the only one, as by all accounts, ticket sales have been dismal.No wonder the TV giants didn’t want to touch it as nothing stinks out a sporting event more than banks of empty seats. Everyone has worked out there is no glory to it, only money.Read More on The SunThe 24-carat gold-plated trophy was unveiled in the White House. At the rate things are going there, Donald Trump might be melting it down to flog it soon. More

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      World Cup 2030 could make history for TWO reasons as chief proposes expanding tournament to 64 TEAMS

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      THE WORLD CUP could expand to 64 teams in a radical transformation, it has been revealed.An official proposal from Conmebol president, Alejandro Dominguez, for the 2030 tournament was submitted on Thursday.The 2030 World Cup could expand to 64 teams as part of a new proposalCredit: PAA 64-team tournament would mean more than a quarter of Fifa’s 211 member nations would qualify.The 2022 World Cup in Qatar played host to 32 teams, while the 2026 tournament – hosted between USA, Canada and Mexico – will have 48 teams.The 2026 expansion is already facing criticism for diluting the quality of the nations involved.A total of 12 third-place teams will be able to make the knockout round, while under a 32-team format the top two from the group reach the knockout stage.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFootball’s governing body, Fifa, is aware of the 64-team proposal.President Gianni Infantino, who participated in the Conmebol Congress, noted the “exceptional milestone” of the centennial tournament.The idea was first flouted last March by a delegate from the Uruguay Football Association during an online meeting of the ruling council of world soccer’s governing body.However, Dominguez has now put the idea into motion for the 100-year anniversary of the tournament.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKSpeaking at Conmebol’s 80th Ordinary Congress, he said: “This will allow all countries to have the opportunity to live the world experience and so nobody on the planet is left out of the party.”We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique because 100 years are celebrated only once.”UK to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as Fifa chief Gianni Infantino confirms just ‘one valid bid’ for tournamentThe 2030 World Cup will already make history to be the most widespread edition of the tournament with six host nations spread across three continents.Uruguay, the hosts of the first-ever World Cup in 1930, will host one game, while Paragauy, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Morocco co-host.The expansion would likely most heavily benefit Conmebol, with all 10 member countries able to make the tournament proper – and therefore allowing Venezuela, who have never qualified, to play.Dominguez added: “That is why we are proposing, for the first time, to hold this anniversary with 64 teams, on three continents simultaneously.”A Fifa statement on the idea on Friday said it had a “duty to analyse any proposal from one of its Council members”.Fifa’s 75th congress will be held on May 15 in Paraguay, when the proposal could be discussed.Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has already positioned himself against the idea, calling it a “bad idea” earlier this month.He said at a news conference: “This proposal was maybe even more surprising for me than you. I think it is a bad idea.”With 48 teams, the 2026 tournament will have 104 matches.Read More on The SunBut an increased 64-nation format would see 128 matches played – a dramatic increase from the 64-games seen at World Cups between 1998 and 2022.Earlier this month it was announced the UK is set to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after the Home Nations bid was confirmed as the “sole bidder”. More