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      Fifa president Gianni Infantino ‘unfollows’ pal Salt Bae on Instagram after World Cup final pitch invasion

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      FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has unfollowed his pal Salt Bae in the wake of his shameful antics after the World Cup final.His snub came as the world governing body admitted the fame hungry chef should never have been allowed on the pitch to pester Lionel Messi.
      Fifa boss Gianni Infantino at Salt Bae’s restaurant in Doha last monthCredit: Saltbae Views
      Infantino and Salt Bae in the VIP box with Brazil legends Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto CarlosCredit: Instagram
      Infantino has now unfollowed his friend on InstagramCredit: Instagram
      Fifa has admitted Salt Bae should not have been allowed to pester Argentina talisman Messi on the pitch
      The Turkish cook — real name Nusret Gökçe — has courted a years-long friendship with Fifa president Infantino.
      They have been pictured together several times, and the football chief has been gushing in his praise for the flamboyant Instagram star.
      During the World Cup, Infantino was filmed introducing Salt Bae to a series of VIPs including the King of Malaysia at a swanky official reception.
      The pair were also pictured together in a VIP box alongside Brazil legends Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
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      Infantino also visited Gökçe’s Nusr-Et steakhouse in Doha where he was filmed giving the chef a hug.
      And he said: “Football unites the world and Nusret unites the world as well.”
      Infantino was also filmed imitating Salt Bae’s salt sprinkle gimmick in a cringe-worthy video at his Dubai restaurant in 2020.
      He gushed: “He is number one. The meat here is incredible.
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      “Food is like football — it’s heart, it’s emotion, it’s love — all the ingredients we can find them here thanks to this man.”
      In another video in 2021 Infantino said: “Mr Nusret, number one. The best of the best. An unforgettable evening here in Dubai with Nusret. I’ll come back.
      “Legend, he’s a legend. Legend number one. Thank you very much.”
      Another snap shows Infantino grinning while holding up a Christmas jumper featuring Salt Bae in knitted form.
      And he was pictured in a Salt Bea branded apron and holding a slab of meat, apparently during a private cooking lesson.
      However the bromance seems to be over today after he unfollowed Salt Bae on Instagram.
      Infantino previously followed 303 accounts but now that is down to 302.
      And Salt Bae’s official account @nusr_et — with 49.9million followers — no longer comes up on his feed.
      It comes after Fifa last night finally responded to the embarrassing scenes on the pitch following Argentina’s nailbiting victory on Sunday night.
      Gökçe was seen grabbing Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      The chef — wearing a Fifa security pass — also muscled in on Argentina’s celebrations, snatched the trophy from one winner’s baby, and bit players’ medals.
      As well as spoiling the celebrations and annoying the champions, Gökçe also broke Fifa’s strict rules by pawing and kissing the trophy.
      Only a select group are allowed to handle the £17million gold icon including former winners and heads of state.
      The chef faced a furious backlash from his own fans over his attention seeking antics at the World Cup final.
      And Fifa was forced into a humiliating admission last night as fury over his conduct grew worldwide.
      It said Gökçe should not have been on the pitch and it will discipline staff as part of an official probe.
      The governing body said: “Following a review, Fifa has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on December 18.
      “The appropriate internal action will be taken.”
      Fifa sources reportedly deny that Gökçe was personally invited on the pitch by Infantino himself.
      Salt Bae has also now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup, following the disgraceful scenes in Qatar.
      Organisers tweeted: “Salt Bae is hereby banned from the 2023 US Open Cup final.”
      The US Open Cup is a knockout competition featuring teams from the MLS as well as other domestic tournaments.
      Salt Bae has brushed off criticism of his conduct – and instead continued trying to show his closeness to football icons.
      He reposted an old video of him hugging Messi when he visited his Dubai steakhouse in 2018.
      Read More on The Sun
      And another vid shows his shrine to the late Diego Maradona with one table “permanently reserved”.
      That was despite Maradona ridiculing Salt Bae to his face with a hilarious dig at his “sprinkle” gesture.
      Salt Bae and Gianni Infantino have been pals for yearsCredit: Instagram
      Infantino introduced Salt Bae to VIPs at a reception in Qatar last weekCredit: Instagram
      Infantino performs the ‘sprinkle’ at Salt Bae’s Dubai steak house in 2020Credit: Instagram
      Fifa has launched a probe into how Salt Bae gatecrashed Argentina’s World Cup celebrations
      He finally got a selfie with Lionel Messi but should not have been on the pitchCredit: instagram
      Salt Bae was pictured pawing the trophy in breach of Fifa’s strict rulesCredit: instagram More

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      Shameless Salt Bae posts bizarre videos flexing his thigh muscles in cringey workouts after Messi’s World Cup final snub

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      SHAMELESS Salt Bae has shared bizarre videos flexing his thigh muscles in the gym days after Lionel Messi snubbed him at the World Cup.The fame hungry chef posted it online as Fifa finally admitted he should never have been allowed on the pitch.
      Salt Bae shows off his rippling thigh muscles in a cringe Instagram storyCredit: Instagram
      He posed in tiny red shorts at the gym in DubaiCredit: Instagram
      Salt Bae’s workout comes days after Lionel Messi snubbed him at the World CupCredit: Instagram
      Fifa has admitted he should have been allowed to pester the Argentina talisman on the pitch
      The Turkish cook and Instagram star – real name Nusret Gökçe – has left Qatar and is now in Dubai, according to a series of Instagram stories posted overnight.
      Most show diners in his pricey steakhouse – but he is also seen crushing weights at the gym.
      Gökçe, 39, is seen wearing his trademark round sunglasses and tiny red shorts while showing off his rippling thighs.
      And the camera zooms in to show exactly how much weight he is lifting on each of the machines.
      MORE ON SALT BAE
      It comes after the chef faced a backlash from his own fans over his attention seeking antics at Sunday’s World Cup final.
      He was seen pestering Lionel Messi for a selfie in embarrassing scenes following Argentina’s nailbiting victory.
      Footage shows how he grabbed Messi by the shoulder at least twice as the baffled megastar tried to shrug him off.
      Gökçe – wearing a Fifa security pass – also muscled in on players’ celebrations and snatched the trophy from one winner’s baby.
      Most read in Football
      As well as spoiling the celebrations and annoying the winners, Gökçe also broke Fifa’s strict rules.
      It says only a select group are allowed to handle the £17million gold trophy including former winners and heads of state.
      Fifa was forced into a humiliating admission last night as fury over his conduct grew worldwide.
      It said Gökçe should not have been on the pitch and it will discipline staff as part of an official probe.
      The governing body said: “Following a review, Fifa has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on December 18.
      Salt Bae has also now been barred from attending The US Open Cup, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup, following the disgraceful scenes in Qatar.
      Organisers tweeted: “Salt Bae is hereby banned from the 2023 US Open Cup final.”
      The US Open Cup is a knockout competition featuring teams from the MLS as well as other domestic tournaments.
      Salt Bae has brushed off criticism of his conduct – and instead continued trying to show his closeness to football icons.
      He reposted an old video of him hugging Messi when he visited his Dubai steakhouse in 2018.
      Read More on The Sun
      And another vid shows his shrine to the late Diego Maradona with one table “permanently reserved”.
      That was despite Maradona ridiculing Salt Bae to his face with a hilarious dig at his “sprinkle” gesture.
      The chef has left Qatar and is now working at his steakhouse in DubaiCredit: Instagram
      Fifa has launched a probe into how Salt Bae gatecrashed the World Cup celebrations
      He finally got a selfie with Lionel Messi but should not have been on the pitchCredit: instagram
      Salt Bae was pictured pawing the trophy in breach of Fifa’s strict rulesCredit: instagram More

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      World Cup goal of the tournament revealed as Richarlison’s bicycle kick wins award while Mbappe and Neymar are snubbed

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      FIFA have announced that Richarlison has won the World Cup goal of the tournament.Tottenham’s Brazilian star, 25, enjoyed a stellar tournament for the Samba Boys as he found the net three times.
      Brazil’s Richarlison has won the World Cup goal of the tournamentCredit: AP

      The forward helped himself to a brace in the 2-0 victory over Serbia in his country’s opening group game.
      And he also got on the scoresheet in the 4-1 last-16 triumph over South Korea.
      But it was his outrageous overhead kick against the Serbs that has deen him pip his compatriot Neymar and France’s Kylian Mbappe to the crown of goal of the tournament.
      His moment of magic occurred after he had already reacted first from a Vinicius Jr shot to lash home the rebound just after the hour mark.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      But 11 minutes later he doubled his tally for the evening in breathtaking fashion.
      Vinicius crossed into the penalty area and Richarlison did the rest, teeing himself up before acrobatically swivelling to lash an outrageous effort into the corner beyond Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
      That led to many supporters tipping him to win the Puskas Award.
      However, for now, he can take comfort in the fact that he has scooped this accolade despite him and Brazil ultimately going on to suffer penalty heartbreak against Croatia in the quarter-finals.
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      Neymar scored a brilliant goal in extra-time of that prior to Bruno Petkovic equalising to set up a penalty shoot-out.
      Many felt the Paris Saint-Germain’s wonderful effort would be a strong contender – but even more believed Mbappe’s volley against Argentina would be just as unstoppable as the forward’s strike.
      The Frenchman had just pulled a goal back from the spot before he instantly thundered home a volley to make it 2-2 and send the World Cup Final to extra-time.
      He would go on to make history by securing his hat-trick – but it would ultimately be Argentina that went on to win the shoot-out and be crowned world champions. More

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      Fifa delete TWO tweets after Cristiano Ronaldo fan uproar as they appear to label Messi goat and troll Portugal ace

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      FIFA have deleted TWO tweets following a huge backlash from Cristiano Ronaldo’s fervent fanbase.Ronaldo endured a disappointing tournament in Qatar, scoring just once from the penalty spot before being dropped to the bench.
      Cristiano Ronaldo endured an underwhelming World CupCredit: Getty
      His great rival Lionel Messi, meanwhile, scored seven goals and laid on three assists on the way to winning the tournament and the Golden Ball.
      The 35-year-old’s exploits effectively ended the GOAT debate for many fans, and Fifa’s official World Cup Twitter account tweeted a message to that effect.
      They wrote: “The GOAT debate is settled. The ultimate prize is now part of the collection.
      “On the day @Argentina won their third #FIFAWorldCup, Leo Messi is your @Budweiser Player of the Match.”
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      The tweet seemed to upset some Ronaldo fan accounts, and has still been gaining traction even since it has been deleted.
      One wrote: “A professional account of the biggest football organisation in the world.
      “It has always been Ronaldo vs the rigged system.”
      A second huffed: “Very unprofessional.”
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      This tweet was swiftly deleted
      Lionel Messi, 35, won the World Cup at the fifth attemptCredit: Rex
      And a third moaned: “It’s everyone against him.”
      Fifa deleted a further innocuous tweet.
      They posted a picture of Ronaldo smiling and raising his thumb, with the caption: “Thumbs up if you really enjoyed the #FIFAWorldCup.”
      Some fans took the tweet to be insulting to the 37-year-old, who had a miserable tournament.
      One wrote: “Fifa mocking Ronaldo. They have now deleted this tweet.”
      Another bizarrely claimed: “The favouritism displayed by Fifa in that now-deleted tweet further corroborates our assumption of a rigged system against Ronaldo all along.”
      Ronaldo’s tournament ended at the quarter-final stage, when Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco.
      He was brought on in the 51st minute, but was unable to make an impact.
      After the match he left the field in tears, after seeming to realise that his World Cup dream had slipped away.
      Ronaldo fans felt that this tweet was disrespectful
      The former Manchester United star was upset after his side crashed outCredit: ITV More

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      How World Cup 2026 will work with 104 matches, six games a day and 48 teams in biggest tournament ever

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      SO that’s a wrap on the smallest World Cup in living memory — now we can all get ready for the biggest.Doha’s soaring skyscrapers, sparkling stadiums and gleaming Metro stations are now football’s past.
      Lionel Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World CupCredit: Getty
      Here’s a look at how the logistics of the 2026 World Cup will work
      For all the talk of new frontiers and “bringing people together”, the truth is that Fifa are absolutely delighted to be saying goodbye to Qatar, the controversy and criticism.
      Even before the suitcases were packed, thoughts were turning to the next incarnation of the event that does unite the world in passion.
      A World Cup in three countries, not one city. In 16 venues, split across four time zones and thousands of miles — rather than the distance between Selhurst Park and Kenilworth Road.
      With 48 teams, as opposed to the 32 that has been the norm since 1998. More from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Even, for the first time, a guaranteed slot for Oceania.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      And, almost certainly, a record 104 MATCHES and 33 days as well.
      It will be 12 groups of four but the real issues are over the next stage.
      The easiest way would be the top two in each group, plus the eight best third-place teams, reaching the final 32 and eight games, instead of seven, required to win.
      There are some arguments, though, that the best eight group winners should automatically go to the last 16, with the other four group winners plus the eight runners-up, playing off to join them.
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      That would mean 96 games not 104 — still the biggest World Cup by far, with only 64 matches in Qatar — but also cause issues.
      Teams drawn in a “soft” opening group who won all three matches easily would be rewarded for the luck of the draw, while it would also change the concept that all sides must play the same number of games to win the biggest prize in football.
      Another option is to split the 24 competing teams into two halves, with the “winner” of the two sections meeting in the final.
      That would mean the top two joined by the four best third-place sides in their half — more sensible if the tournament is split into geographical “east” and “west” sections — even if they were not in the top eight third-place teams overall.
      But the other factor that will be very different is the number of games each day in the group phase.
      Qatar was condensed to 29 days, with four matches each day in the opening stage.
      But the big European clubs will put huge pressure on Fifa to prevent an expanding tournament lasting any longer than 33 days maximum.
      The solution is obvious — up to six games each day in the opening round although that is more possible in 2026 than in any other potential venue for the future.
      Christian Pulisic’s USA are joint hosts with Canada and MexicoCredit: Getty
      Alphonso Davies will have a shot at World Cup redemption in 2026Credit: Getty
      East Coast cities like New York and Boston are five hours behind the UK, while Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco are a further three hours behind.
      One scenario would see the first match of the day starting in, perhaps, Toronto at noon local time, which is 5pm in the UK.
      Matches could then start every 2½ hours in Atlanta, Houston, Mexico City and Vancouver, with the last match in San Francisco beginning at 9.30pm local time — 5.30am at home. But there is still a problem for Fifa.
      Broadcasters for the major European nations will demand earlier kick-offs and the first three games of the day — but you cannot have Spain, Germany, England, France, Portugal and Holland all in the same half of the draw.
      Likewise, South American fans would prefer later, West Coast games.
      Fifa attempted to justify the choice of Qatar by pointing to the limited distances teams had to travel and pushing green credentials, sustainability and carbon offsetting.
      In 2026, driving between many of the cities is not feasible. Everyone will have to criss-cross Canada, Mexico and the States by plane.
      Read More on The Sun
      You try to get a train from New York to Boston, let alone Seattle.
      But that is for Gianni Infantino and Co to sort out. It won’t be easy. More

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      Morocco star Hakimi pleads with Fifa boss Infantino and complains about referee after third-place loss to Croatia

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      MOROCCAN star Achraf Hakimi allegedly confronted Fifa president Gianni Infantino to complain about refereeing yesterday.Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic sealed a 2-1 win for Croatia against the Atlas Lions to claim third place at the World Cup.
      Achraf Hakimi allegedly confronted Fifa’s president after Morocco’s defeat to CroatiaCredit: Getty
      He was fuming about the refereeing in the third-place play-off clashCredit: LeSiteinfo YouTube
      But defender Hakimi, 24, was furious with the match officials and Infantino after the defeat.
      Morocco firstly had a penalty ruled out for handball after Youssef En-Nesyri’s header hit Bruno Petkovic as replays showed the ball hit the Croatian’s back.
      Hakimi was then brought down by Petkovic, but referee Abdulrahman Al-Jassim waved play on.
      Now footage has emerged of the 24-year-old, who plays his club football for Paris Saint-Germain confronting the officials following the full-time whistle.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      But beIN SPORTS reporter Carrie Brown has stated that Hakimi also sounded off about the refereeing to Fifa president Infantino as he prepared to hand out bronze medals to the Croatia players.
      Instead of ranting and raving, Hakimi is said to have spoken in a “polite and desperate” way to Infantino.
      Brown then added that the player’s teammates “walked him away” after he “pleaded” with the footy chief.
      SVT Sport reporter Johan Kucukaslan has claimed that Fifa wanted to “delete the images” of the “embarrassing scenes” from Hakimi and Infantino’s exchange.
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      He told SVT Sport: “They wanted us to delete the images.
      “It is clear that these are embarrassing scenes for them, and it is a bit naive of them to think that a dozen journalists should not report on this when we witness it happening.”
      TV presenter Tom Egbers added: “He stood in front of Infantino, less than five centimetres.
      “With a raised voice, he ranted to Infantino about the referee. It was painful.”
      However, while speaking to reporters, Hakimi insisted that “nothing happened” in his confrontation.
      Although he did admit that he was “angry” after the World Cup match. More

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      World Cup fans mock Gianni Infantino as Fifa chief spotted wearing CUSTOM Adidas trainers with his suit

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      FANS have been taking great joy from mocking Fifa president Gianni Infantino for his footwear during the World Cup third-place playoff.The 52-year-old was spotted wearing CUSTOM Adidas trainers as he congratulated the Croatian side on their win.
      Fifa President Gianni Infantino has been mocked by fans for his trainersCredit: Getty
      The white Adidas trainers with ‘FIFA’ printed on the side caused a stir on social mediaCredit: Reuters
      The Europeans beat African side Morocco 2-1 in the match to claim third place in the World Cup.
      Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring before Achraf Dari equalised for Morocco. But Mislav Orsic netted the winner in the 42nd minute to give his side the victory.
      But Infantino took the attention of the fans with his trainers, which had “FIFA” printed on the side of them.
      And fans could not help but poke fun at him on social media as one said: “Infantino’s shoes are so tragic”.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      A second wrote: “Fifa, you need to get rid of Infantino purely for wearing white trainers with a suit”.
      A third commented: “Gianni Infantino always looks like a lad in a suit whose ‘good shoes’ are killing him so he wears his runners for watching the footie and getting his steps in”.
      A fourth added: “Infantino: suit, tie and white trainers. Like wearing shoes in the swimming pool”.
      A fifth tweeted: “White trainers with a massive logo on the tongue. Mmmm.”
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      Infantino has also received criticism for his plans for more winter World Cup tournaments.
      Premier League chiefs have suggested that the idea could ruin two seasons of domestic football due to the required six-week mid-campaign break. More

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      Cardiff City hit with transfer embargo for failing to pay £15m fee for tragic Emiliano Sala who died in plane crash

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      CARDIFF CITY have been hit with a transfer embargo after failing to pay the first part of the £15million transfer fee for Emiliano Sala.The Argentine striker died in a tragic plane crash in January 2019 as he flew to Britain after completing his record move.
      The consequences of Emiliano Sala’s tragic transfer to Cardiff continueCredit: AFP
      However, the fall-out resulted in the Bluebirds refusing to pay the first instalment to Sala’s previous club Nantes.
      Cardiff lost an appeal and were ordered by Fifa to make the initial payment of £5.3m but the club continue to dispute the ruling.
      Now, though, they have confirmed they are currently under an embargo and therefore unable to make any new signings.
      Chairman Mehmet Dalman, though, is “confident” the punishment will be lifted before the January transfer window opens.
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      He told BBC Radio Wales Sport: “I wish I had the power to lift the shadow of this situation from the club.
      “People at this club want this resolved.
      “People should not forget that a 28-year old man was killed when he there was no need for that accident to happen.
      “There is a human side to this story, it is not just a financial one.”
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      Cardiff are currently in talks with the EFL and Fifa to find a solution while they wait for a Swiss Federal Court verdict to their Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal which is expected to be returned early in 2023.
      Dalman’s club signed 17 new players in the summer transfer window – and yet sat just a point above the Championship relegation zone going into this weekend’s fixtures.
      He added: “There are lots of legal discussions going on and they will continue to go on, but we have received our first invoice from Nantes.
      “We haven’t paid it and at this stage have no intention of paying it, until certain negotiations come to fruition.
      We haven’t paid and have no intention of payingMehmet Dalman
      “This puts the EFL in a position where they automatically put us under a transfer embargo, but until January that is pretty meaningless anyway.
      “Until January I am sure there will be other developments. We are working hard to ensure we can do business then.
      “Should fans be worried we won’t be able to buy anyone in January? Yes and no.
      “We certainly would like to add more players, the manager [Mark Hudson] is keen to do that and we’ve told him to plan accordingly because we believe this is temporary not permanent.
      “But of course it is unpredictable.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I don’t know Mark dreadfully well, but he’s a professional, he understood our position.
      “He didn’t necessarily like it. But we have told him to get his targets in place.” More