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      England boss Gareth Southgate slams World Cup 2030 plans in six countries and blasts integrity of the competition

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE says the  integrity of the  2030 World Cup will be trashed by Fifa’s plan to stage it in SIX countries across THREE continents.In a bonkers first, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are to host a single opening match before the remainder of the centenary tournament is completed in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
      Gareth Southgate has slammed Fifa’s plans for the 2030 World CupCredit: Getty

      And the England boss said: “My big thing is I don’t get the integrity of the competition. I’m not a fan of it.
      “Three matches played in South America, then teams have to travel across the globe, change time zones and pick up the competition with home advantage in one part of the group but not another.
      “Logically, you could play Argentina there and have to travel back.
      “There’s a big difference  between playing Argentina in Buenos Aires and playing them in ­Casablanca.”
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      Euro 2020 was staged across 11 cities in 11 countries, culminating in Italy’s Wembley final win over England in 2021.
      But Southgate added: “We had a little bit with the last Euros but the World Cup plan seems disjointed — a different landscape for different teams in different groups.”
      And England star Jordan Henderson, 33, has hailed Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup.
      Hendo, who quit Liverpool for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in the summer, posted: “Very excited about the announcement. Go Saudi Arabia 2034.”
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      Fifa’s decision to hand the South American nations a game each is a tribute to the first World Cup in 1930.
      Uruguay hosted the maiden edition of the tournament a century ago, going on to win the first of their two World Cups. More

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      Football should be the beautiful game – but 2030 World Cup covering half the globe is an ugly kick in the teeth for fans

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      FOOTBALL is supposed to be the people’s game.It’s supposed to be about the fans as well as the players.
      Nobody outside a chosen few inside Fifa headquarters in Zurich was celebrating the latest brainwave pulled off by world football boss Gianni InfantinoCredit: PA
      Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup trophy in Qatar – a tournament allegedly powered by giant solar fields in the desert that NOBODY has ever seenCredit: Getty
      And the World Cup, the pinnacle of the sport, is supposed to be a global party.
      But nobody outside a chosen few inside Fifa headquarters in Zurich was celebrating the latest brainwave pulled off by world football boss Gianni Infantino.
      A World Cup covering half the globe, spread over 39 days and involving 48 teams and 104 matches.
      Starting with three games in South America, before the rest of the tournament is split between the Iberian peninsula and North Africa.

      Yet what was inconceivable is now, overnight, a looming reality, coming our way in just seven years, in 2030.
      A kick in the teeth for fans around the planet, who still love the beautiful game, no matter how ugly it can seem.
      And further irrefutable proof that what counts in football now is not the sport, the emotion and the passion.
      That went out of the window long ago.
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      The brutal truth is that it is now only about the money, the politics, the deals and the TV contracts.
      Who in their right mind would conceive of sending fans halfway around the world — then back — for ONE match?
      Fifa, of course.
      The blazers in their ivory towers, who know they get executive travel, first-class seats and the biggest suites in the swankiest hotels, all meals and match tickets included, for nothing — plus £400 a day in cash for spending money just to keep them sweet.
      No worries about saving up for the journey for these men and women.
      The same Fifa that trumpeted the green credentials of a £185BILLION World Cup in Qatar, allegedly powered by giant solar fields in the desert that NOBODY has ever seen.
      That’s before you even get into the other issues in the Gulf state — the treatment of migrant workers and legalised homophobia.
      Yet it’s as much about the sheer cost of the concept as well.
      Playing the opening three matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay pays homage to the centenary of the tournament that was first played in Uruguayan capital Montevideo in 1930.
      Divide and rule
      There is a romantic element in that — although many real fans of the game will argue that the 2030 tournament should have been hosted entirely back where it all began.
      But Fifa is asking some fans to fork out thousands to fly 6,000-plus miles to see their team in action in South America and then back across the Atlantic for a tournament split between Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
      Where, of course, tickets will be at premium rates for travelling fans. Someone has to pay the bills. And it’s you.
      Does anybody in Zurich care about that? It doesn’t look that way, does it?
      For Fifa President Infantino, football’s version of The Hood from Thunderbirds, it is an ingenious, some would argue brilliant, solution.
      After all, he has handed six countries and three continents a piece of the action.
      That allows all the potential bidders to keep face at home and also ensures the maximum interest and pay cheques from the European TV companies who fund his global projects, pitches and training centres in countries that otherwise would not be able to afford them.
      Infantino may not have been a protege of former Fifa chief, disgraced Sepp Blatter.
      But he has learned from the Blatter play book of divide and rule — and brought it into the modern age.
      And seasoned, and cynical, Fifa watchers know what the real end game is here.
      It is less about 2030 — although that is what has captured immediate attention.
      Instead, it is more, far more, about 2034 — and giving Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman what HE has craved for years.

      The door for the Saudis to walk through and host that tournament is not ajar. It is wide open.
      Nominally, Australia could bid as well.
      But it would be a forlorn and expensive waste of money. The die is cast.
      “All the fish is sold,” as they say in Fifa land.
      It does not matter that there will be another desert storm of protest, that fans will not be able to get a drink — to be fair, the absence of booze in the stadiums in Qatar made for a far less aggressive and hostile atmosphere.
      Nor that the Saudi record on human rights is pretty compatible with that in Qatar.
      Indeed, the Qataris do not, as far as we know, have a track record of dismembering critical journalists in any of their embassies.
      Doha 1, Riyadh 0.
      Effectively gifting Saudi the tournament means another winter World Cup in November and December of 2034 — and another enforced six-week break for the Premier League.
      And because the new 32-team Club World Cup — Chelsea, Manchester City and almost certainly Liverpool play in the first version in the USA in 2025 — is held in the same country as the next World Cup, the situation will be similar 12 months earlier, with players going to Saudi in 2033.
      Scant consolation
      Two successive European club seasons ruptured in half, just to ensure MBS gets what he wants.
      Have the fans, players or even the clubs been asked about that? Of course they haven’t. They never are.
      The good news, the only good news, is that Infantino will not be around to bask in the reflected “glory” of his masterplan when it comes to fruition.
      Even after dismissing his first three years in the job as not counting, he must give up his place as Fifa President in 2031.
      Canada’s Victor Montagliani is a potential successor.
      But that will be scant consolation to the fans forking out money they really can’t afford to follow their teams in 2030 or four years later.
      They are barely an afterthought.
      Scenery for the TV pictures.
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      Willing victims who pay for the privilege.
      As Sir Alex Ferguson once said, in very different circumstances: “Football. Bloody hell.” More

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      World Cup 2030 to be held across THREE continents and England could face crazy 13,000 mile travel schedule

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      THE 2030 World Cup will be held in SIX countries across THREE continents.In a remarkable deal stitched together by Fifa President Gianni Infantino, the opening three matches of the tournament will be played in South America.

      FIFA President Gianni Infantino helped to arrange the dealCredit: PA
      That will see the first match played in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo, followed by Argentina hosting a game in Buenos Aires, before the third fixture is held in Asuncion, Paraguay.
      The six teams involved in those games will then fly across the Atlantic, with the rest of the tournament shared between Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
      England could be one of the teams involved, meaning the Three Lions would have to travel approximately 6,500 miles to South America for their first match.
      They would then have to travel the same distance back to Europe and Africa for their remaining group games either in Spain, Portugal or Morocco.
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      The agreement was announced on X, formerly Twitter, by South American football boss Alejandro Dominguez.
      He said: “We aimed high and dreamed big.
      “The 2030 Centenario World Cup starts where it all began.
      “The host of the opening matches of the Centenario World Cup will be Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.”
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      It means the anticipated 101 games of the 48-team tournament played in Europe and North Africa, with the Final expected to be staged in Real Madrid’s Bernabeu.
      The unprecedented agreement was voted through by Fifa’s ruling Council this afternoon and will now be confirmed by the annual Congress in Zurich at the end of next year.
      Uruguay hosted the first ever World Cup in 1930, which they went on to win.
      Argentina last hosted the tournament in 1978, while Spain took that honour in 1982.
      Morocco will become the second African nation to host the tournament, following in the foot steps of South Africa where it was held in 2010.
      Portugal has never hosted the tournament.
      Today’s news leaves the door open for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 tournament – which would have to be another winter World Cup – although Australia are also potential bidders.
      But the shock development, expected to be announced by Fifa in the next few hours, shows Infantino’s ability to shape the future of the global game.
      The Uruguay team celebrate winning the tournament in 1930Credit: EMPICS Sport More

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      Russia could be allowed to play international football again as Fifa ‘considers lifting blanket ban’

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      FIFA could end its total ban on Russian teams this AFTERNOON.But the new position, bringing world chiefs in line with Uefa’s controversial move last week, will ONLY apply to Under-17 sides.
      Russia could return to international footballCredit: Getty
      They have been banned since Valdimir Putin the invaded UkraineCredit: Reuters
      Fifa and Uefa reacted to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 by booting Russia out of the World Cup play-offs.
      The nation were banned from entering the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and all club sides also prevented from playing in official competitions.
      But last week an acrimonious meeting of Uefa’s ruling executive committee voted to allow Under-17 sides to compete, with the condition that no national flags or kit were used and the matches played outside Russian territory.
      The FA led a fierce backlash, with other countries including Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania backing Ukraine’s stance that there should be no leeway for Russia, even for “children”.
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      It subsequently emerged that the Swedish and Danish representatives on Uefa had SUPPORTED the move, despite the stance of the national federations they represent.
      And now Fifa is poised to take the same step at this afternoon’s meeting of its ruling Council.
      The Fifa decision would allow Under-17 Russian sides to play in the Fifa junior World Cup if they qualify through the Uefa tournaments.
      However, the finals of next year’s women’s version is due to be played in Sweden and the Swedish FA has reiterated its stance that Russia will not be allowed to compete.
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      Today’s likely vote represents a dilemma for FA chair Debbie Hewitt, elected as the Home Nations vice-president.
      As a representative of European football, she will be expected to back Uefa’s position but that is diametrically opposed to that of the FA.
      Russia have still been permitted to play friendly matches since being slapped with the ban.
      It was once reported that they were considering switching to the Asian confederation to escape Uefa’s sanctions. More

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      Fears for Everton as prospective owners 777 Partners’ Brazilian club hit with Fifa transfer ban over late payments

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      CONCERN over Everton’s prospective new owners have risen once again.That comes after 777 Partners’ Brazilian club were hit with a transfer ban by Fifa over late payments.
      777 Partners, co-owned by Josh Wander, are struggling to fund Vasco da GamaCredit: AFP
      As reported by The Times, Vasco da Gama failed to stump up the cash to three different clubs amid outstanding debts.
      Brazilian media outlet Globo claim 777 were due to provide money for Vasco this month.
      But it is understood that payment has been delayed.
      And now the Rio de Janeiro side are under a transfer embargo preventing them from signing new players.
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      A Fifa spokesperson told The Times: “The club Vasco de Gama is currently prevented from registering new players due to an outstanding debt.
      “The relevant ban will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debt being confirmed by the creditor concerned.”
      Elsewhere, 777 also failed to make a payments on time which has put the British Basketball League under threat of “immediate administration”.
      The Miami-based private investment firm co-owns the BBL but there are cash-flow struggles as well as discrepancies relating to the registered personnel on Companies House.
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      But it is the news about Vasco da Gama that will no doubt create further fears regarding Everton’s possible takeover.
      Current Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri confirmed he had reached an agreement to sell the club to 777 on September 15.
      Reports suggested the deal could be worth a staggering £500million.
      However, the Premier League could still block the takeover through the owners’ and directors’ ‘fit-and-proper’ test – and the investigations could take months.
      But with the deal in jeopardy, SunSport revealed Moshiri has devised a back-up plan to accept the money in instalments.
      And that could even see 777 take over at Goodison Park without putting down ANY hard cash.
      Farhad Moshiri announced he had struck a deal with 777 PartnersCredit: PA More

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      Mason Greenwood WILL be in EA FC 24 video game after being removed from Man Utd squad in FIFA… but there’s a catch

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      MASON Greenwood will be included in the EA Sports FC 24 video game – but there’s a catch.The popular football game is due to be released on September 29 and comes after the controversial striker was dropped from FIFA 22 following his arrest.
      EA Sports has confirmed Mason Greenwood will appear in the latest version of their popular video gameCredit: Rex
      Greenwood has been seen training with Getafe having been loaned to the Spanish side from Man UtdCredit: Alamy
      Greenwood is currently on loan to Getafe from Manchester United after the charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him were dropped in February.
      A statement from EA Sports said: “EA Sports FC 24 authentically reflects the active rosters of teams and clubs in the real world of football.
      “As he is now part of an active roster with Getafe CF, Mason Greenwood will be included in FC 24.”
      The 21-year-old though will not appear in the popular Ultimate Team mode as he wasn’t part of an active squad at the time of the cut-off date by EA.
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      Ultimate Team is a game mode where you unlock players to add to a virtual squad – which is then used to play against others online.
      When Greenwood last appeared in a FIFA update on January 27, last year, he had an overall rating of 79 with 90 potential.
      EA added: “As Greenwood was not part of an active roster at the time of our cut-off date for final team and player data, he will not appear in Ultimate Team at launch.”
      Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 with the charges dropped on February 2 this year.
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      Man Utd launched an internal investigation and announced in August Greenwood would leave the club and he was subsequently loaned to the Spanish La Liga side.
      A statement from United said: “All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.
      “It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome.
      “Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged.
      “That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.”
      Another popular video game, Football Manager, announced last week that Greenwood will be reinstated to their game.
      A Sports Interactive spokesperson told The Athletic: “Players or officials serving indefinite suspensions from football, for any reason, are removed from Football Manager at the first opportunity.
      “When suspensions or playing restrictions are lifted, the player or official will be reinstated in-game at the next scheduled update.”
      The news comes after Greenwood’s girlfriend Harriet Robson was reportedly seen out and about with some of the Getafe Wags.
      Greenwood signed with the Spanish side just before the end of the transfer window last month.
      Greenwood was later unveiled to a stadium of fans and has been seen training in footage shown on the club’s social media accounts.
      But a week-long break from club football owing to an international break has delayed his first appearance for Getafe.
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      And Getafe is understood to have been pulling out all the stops to ensure he is accommodated off the pitch ahead of his debut.
      Despite only signing on loan ten days ago, he is expected to feature against Osasuna on September 17.
      The charges against Greenwood were dropped in February this yearCredit: Getty More

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      Fifa The Best nominees revealed as Premier League dominate 12-man shortlist.. but fans left shocked after ‘GOAT’ snubbed

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      FIFA have revealed the nominees for this year’s Best Awards.The 12-man shortlist for Best Men’s Player is dominated by Premier League stars.
      Five Manchester City stars made the 12-man shortlistCredit: Getty
      The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Declan Rice all feature.
      But some fans have been left upset by Cristiano Ronaldo’s omission.
      The Portuguese veteran has spent the entirety of 2023 playing in Saudi Arabia.
      Ronaldo, 38, has scored 20 goals in 24 games for Al-Nassr – while also laying on seven assists.
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      Upon the release of the nominees, one fan blasted: “Where’s Ronaldo?”
      While a second tweeted: “They forgot Ronaldo.”
      A third whined: “Without Ronaldo, that list is incomplete.”
      And another whinged: “Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to be on this list as much as Messi.”
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      Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from The Best’s shortlistCredit: AFP
      Ronaldo was not nominated last year either.
      But his old rival Lionel Messi did make the list – despite moving to Inter Miami in MLS.
      Also included were former Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan, Marcelo Brozovic, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe and Victor Osimhen.
      Fifa also released their list of nominees for other awards.
      Manchester United’s Andre Onana joins City star Ederson and the likes of Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois and Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the best goalkeeper’s shortlist.
      While Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is one of five managers nominated for Best Coach alongside Pep Guardiola, Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletti and Xavi.
      Popular Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was nominated for Best CoachCredit: Getty More

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      I have the second-highest Fifa rating EVER but I bounced around between 12 clubs and have an accounting diploma

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      MATTEO BRIGHI possesses the second-highest Fifa rating of all time.The former Juventus midfielder was given a stunning 97 score on Fifa 2003.
      Matteo Brighi signed for Juventus in 1999.Credit: Alamy
      The midfielder starred against Juventus for loan club BolognaCredit: Reuters
      Despite the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini being in their pomps, it was Brighi that was somehow the best player on the game.
      Brighi signed for Juve in 1999, and was not your typical wonderkid.
      Juventus had intended to have the teenage Brighi play for their youth team during the 1999-2000 season – but he insisted on staying at hometown club Rimini… because he wanted to finish his diploma in accounting.
      This meant that he remained in Italy’s fourth-tier, despite being among the country’s biggest talents.
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      After finally arriving in Turin he would feature just 12 times during the 2000-01 campaign, leading to him being loaned out to Bologna.
      His campaign at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara proved to be a defining one, as he earned Serie A’s Young Player of the Year award under future Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin.
      Brighi’s performances somehow earned him a 97-rating on Fifa 2003, making him the best player on the game.
      Oliver Kahn was second with 95, and Edgar Davids third on 94.
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      Only Ronaldo the following year with 98 ever earned a higher Fifa rating than Brighi.
      Despite the hype which led to frequent Fernando Redondo comparisons, Brighi wasn’t given another chance at Juventus.
      Instead 50 per cent of his rights were sold to Parma, where he struggled to maintain the same kind of form.
      A shy character, Brighi lasted just a year at Parma before being loaned to Brescia.
      Juventus bought him back in 2004 only to include him in a package to sign Roma star Emerson.
      Rather than give Brighi a chance, Roma then included him in another deal that saw them land Simone Perrotta – sending the former wonderkid to Chievo on loan.
      Brighi would spend three seasons with the Verona-club – even helping them to Champions League qualification.
      And after 94 appearances for his loan side, he was finally given a chance at Roma.
      He eventually earned a new contract in the capital and even helped them finish second in Serie A – going on to play 141 times for them before leaving in 2013.
      The rest of Brighi’s career saw him become something of a journeyman – turning out for Atalanta, Torino, Sassuolo, Perugia and Empoli, finishing his career with the latter in 2019.
      From the human point of view he is a splendid boyMarcello Lippi
      He even made a brief return to former loan club Bologna, but couldn’t recapture the magic of his previous spell there.
      While he didn’t win the big trophies that his peers did and only appeared for his country four times, Brighi still had huge supporters within the game.
      Legendary Italian boss Marcelo Lippi said of him: “From the human point of view he is a splendid boy, and from the technical point of view he is one of those diligent midfielders that every trainer would want to have.
      “To my warning, at the beginning of his career, he was praised so excessively that too many expectations were created around him.”
      Now 42, Brighi has previously admitted that perhaps he didn’t big himself up enough during his career.
      In 2013, he told Sky: “I like to work, not talk. Other players talk and sell themselves, certainly better than I do. I don’t blame them for it. It’s just not me.”
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      Carlo Ancelotti reckons Brighi could have gone even further in his career.
      His former Juventus boss said: “In some ways he looks like me – he’s a simple, linear player. He should only be less shy.”
      Brighi played against Arsenal in the Champions League for RomaCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      He also faced off with David Beckham in Serie ACredit: AFP More