… International football body Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists the pre-tournament unease is overblown, dismissing the tide of downbeat headlines as “negative press”. …
Anxiety, anticipation as Fifa World Cup one-month countdown beginsNamibia Minute.
Monday, 11 May 2026
Namibia’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Monday, 11 May 2026
Windhoek—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Person
Gianni Infantino
Also known as: Infantino · FIFA president Gianni Infantino · Fifa chief · Fifa president
FIFA president who secured African and Asian backing for 2027 re-election and defended 2026 World Cup ticket prices and inaugural Trump peace prize.
In coverage
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
- May 2026
… Iran participation confirmed: Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup, with matches occurring in the United States as scheduled. …
NFA looks at agreement with Pakistan- April 2026
Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football received a massive boost on Thursday after pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations. …
Infantino re election boost after securing Asia, Africa backing… ions for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations are also part of the overall increase. “Fifa is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way,” Fifa president Gianni Infantino …
World Cup to get cash boost as Fifa unveils red card crackdown- March 2026
… In the immediate aftermath of the final, Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who attended the match, had condemned “some Senegal players” for the “unacceptable scenes”. …
Senegal lodge appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport over Afcon final decision… Fifa president Gianni Infantino, however, slammed Senegal’s walk-off the day after the final, and the FRMF announced it was pursuing legal action with international football body Fifa and CAF because it “significantly impacted the normal flow of the match and the players’ perform …
How Senegal lost their Afcon title… Fifa president Gianni Infantino says it was “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner” and that the scenes “must be condemned and never repeated”. …
Senegal football federation vows to fight back after team is stripped of continental title… This time, Fifa president Gianni Infantino — normally highly visible on social media — has refrained from comment. …
Four years after banning Russia, Fifa and IOC passive in the face of war- February 2026
All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday, even though tickets are still available ahead of the tournament’s June 11 kickoff. …
All World Cup matches sold out, says FIFA's InfantinoFifa chief Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to United States president Donald Trump as he dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott. …
Fifa president Infantino defends giving peace prize to Trump
Sport
2026 World Cup faces ticket prices, political tensions
The News
The one-month countdown to the 2026 Fifa World Cup begins Monday with a record 48 teams descending on the United States, Canada and Mexico, though soaring ticket prices, political tensions, and conflict in Iran have cast an early shadow over the tournament.
10 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Yesterday
2026 World Cup faces ticket prices, political tensions
The one-month countdown to the 2026 Fifa World Cup begins Monday with a record 48 teams descending on the United States, Canada and Mexico, though soaring ticket prices, political tensions, and conflict in Iran have cast an early shadow over the tournament.
10 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 7 May
NFA to sign football development agreement with Pakistan
The Namibia Football Association will soon enter an agreement with the Pakistan Football Federation to build long-term institutional ties and strengthen development pathways in both countries. Preliminary discussions took place at the 76th Fifa Congress in Vancouver, Canada, with formal signing planned during an upcoming Fifa seminar in Miami.
7 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 30 April
Infantino secures African and Asian backing for 2027 Fifa re-election
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received pledges of support from the African and Asian football confederations ahead of his expected candidacy for a fourth term in 2027. The two confederations account for 101 votes out of 211 in FIFA's presidential election.
30 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Wednesday 29 April
FIFA increases World Cup prize money to $871 million
FIFA boosted total World Cup cash distributions to nearly $900 million (specifically $871 million) from an initial $727 million, citing concerns over rising costs for the 48 teams competing in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The increase includes raising preparation costs per team from $1.5 million to $2.5 million and qualifying payments from $9 million to $10 million per team.
29 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 26 March
Senegal appeals AFCON title strip to sports arbitration court
Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge the Confederation of African Football's decision to strip them of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco after their players protested a penalty decision in the final. CAF had overturned Senegal's 1-0 victory, declaring them to have forfeited the match after they walked off the pitch in protest.
26 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 19 March
CAF strips Senegal of 2025 Afcon title, awards it to Morocco
The Confederation of African Football has stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco after reviewing a controversial final where Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest against refereeing decisions. Senegal's Football Federation has condemned the decision as "unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable" and says it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, a process that may take over a year to resolve.
19 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Senegal vows to appeal after CAF strips Africa Cup title
The Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco, overturning Senegal's 1-0 victory in the final after the Senegalese players briefly walked off in protest over a stoppage-time penalty. The Senegalese Football Federation says it will appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, calling it "unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable."
19 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 10 March
FIFA and IOC accused of double standards on war bans
Four years after expelling Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee have taken a muted stance toward the recent US-led attack on Iran, prompting experts to accuse them of applying inconsistent standards and prioritizing powerful nations over principle.
10 March 2026 · The Namibian →
Thursday 19 February
FIFA chief says all 2026 World Cup matches sold out
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be "sold out," with 508 million ticket requests received for seven million available tickets. Infantino defended ticket prices as market-driven and estimated the tournament would generate over $11 billion in revenue for FIFA and around $30 billion in economic impact for the US.
19 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 3 February
Fifa chief defends awarding Trump inaugural peace prize
Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to give US President Donald Trump FIFA's inaugural peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in December, dismissing calls for a boycott. Infantino told Sky News that Trump "objectively" deserved the award and rejected suggestions that the World Cup hosting in North America would be boycotted over Trump administration policies.
3 February 2026 · The Namibian →
Tuesday 20 January
Senegal wins chaotic Afcon final; Morocco hosts face scrutiny
Senegal defeated Morocco in a controversial Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, marked by a disputed penalty award, Senegal players walking off the pitch, and clashes between fans and security that have drawn criticism and threatened future sanctions against Senegal and potential FIFA investigation into Morocco's hosting and VAR inconsistencies.
20 January 2026 · The Namibian →