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Tag: FIFA

Lewandowski wins FIFA’s best player award
32-year-old Robert Lewandowski has defeated the golden duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the FIFA’s player of the year award.
Already, Lewandowski’s stellar season for all-conquering Bayern has been recognised by UEFA who awarded the Polish striker European player of the year in October.
He is now the second player to interrupt the 13-year Messi-Ronaldo hegemony.
Messi won the 2019 FIFA best men’s player award.
Messi and Ronaldo were both among the three finalists for the first time in 2007, when Kaka won. Since then each has missed making the top three only once and the only other player to win the award, in its various guises, was Luka Modric in 2018.
The Best awards began in 2017 after a brief merger with the Ballon D’Or and the FIFA Player of the Year award, which was created in 1991. FIFA added a women’s award in 2001 and now hands out 11 sets of its 6.4kg platinum-coated trophies.
December 18, 2020
FIFA reveals Nigeria’s latest position in the World Rankings
Nigeria’s senior national team has ended 2020 as the 35th best football playing country in the world.
Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles remain unmoved in December’s ranking released by Fifa on Thursday morning.
The three-time garnered a total of 1474 points to stay as the fifth-best team in Africa behind Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
In a year inundated by the coronavirus pandemic which crippled football-related activities global, Nigeria played four games. Their first match of 2020 ended on a 1-0 defeat to Algeria in an international friendly. This was followed up with a 1-1 draw against Tunisia in another international warm-up game staged at the Jacques Lemans Arena, Austria.
Nigeria’s double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualifier versus Sierra Leone ended 4-4 and 0-0 respectively.
Senegal are ranked first in the continent and 20th in the world with 1558 points, while the Carthage Eagles are 26th in the world and second in Africa after amassing 1503 points.
Belgium claimed the team of the year for the third consecutive time having won six of their eight matches played in 2020.
Their three immediate chasers – France (2nd), Brazil (3rd) and England (4th) – retain their respective rankings. The only change in the top five compared to 2019 is the appearance of Portugal in fifth place.
The team with the most progress in 2020 were Hungary (40th), after a gain of 44 points and 12 places allowed them to end the year in the top 50. In eight matches played in 2020, the Magyars lost just once (to Russia), a sequence of results that enabled them to secure a berth at Uefa Euro 2020.
Other notable climbers include Ecuador (56th, + 41 points compared to December 2019), Malta (176th, + 32 points), Brazil (3rd, + 31 points), and Equatorial Guinea (134th, + 31 points). Burundi (138th), meanwhile, picked up 29 points and made the most significant move in terms of places, ascending 13 positions.
2022 Fifa World Cup hosts, Qatar boast of a striking 1391 points over the course of a year to finish fifth in Asian and 58th in the world.
The next Fifa/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 18 February 2021.
December 10, 2020
Minister, FIFA agree on youth football development
By Mike Oboh
Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare alongside Ministers from selected countries on Friday had an on line meeting with the top brass of the world Football Governing body, Fifa where it was agreed that a new course must be taken to ensure youth football development.
Speaking during the third edition of the Town Hall with Nigerian Youths, Mr. Dare said ” The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is working with the Nigerian Football Federation in collaboration with the La Liga to organise training for coaches. We have asked the NFF to expand this programme to ensure that young coaches get proper training. I would take the message of Youth coaches training back to the NFF so that this can be expanded.
“The National Institute for Sports also trains quality coaches. We encourage youths to attend regular trainings.”
Mr. Dare disclosed that” I had a meeting with Fifa which wants to deepen youth involvement in football, coaches, referees, grassroots and secondary schools. They also need to deepen information network. I want to see more youths in the coaching crew of the Super Eagles, Flying Eagles and other junior teams.
“We would continue to create opportunities for our youths “
October 30, 2020
NFF confirms receipt of $1m from FIFA as COVID-19 Palliatives
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has confirmed the receipt of $1 million as COVID-19 palliatives from world football governing body, FIFA.
According to Pinnick, the fund is composed of $500,000 for “men’s football and $500,000 for the women’s game,” while also revealing FIFA will send in another “$500,000 in January 2021” as part of the palliatives.
He also revealed that FIFA sent $600,000 for the FIFA Forward 2.0 projects in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State and Ugborodo in Delta State while stating that the body will be expecting $300,000 from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before November 1st, 2020.
According to Pinnick, the NFF will work with an auditing firm to ensure the disbursements follow the best global practices.
“Huge appreciation to football’s world governing body, @FIFAcom, for the $1 million (one million dollars) the Federation has received in the frame of COVID-19 palliatives,” Pinnick began in a series of tweets on his handle on Wednesday, October 28..
“The money was received by the @thenff and we re-confirmed the purpose from FIFA two days ago.”
“At $300,000 each, it will enable the mini-stadia in both centers to start at a very good pace, as we earmark completion by the end of March 2021,” the Federation leader added.
“With the $200,000 we have already ring-fenced from our sponsors’ funds for the purpose, the coast will then be clear for us to start the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries, as captured in our approved template, from next week.”
“Beneficiaries MUST ensure 100% compliance to guidelines by ensuring that all funds are paid into designated accounts,” the Delta-born Pinnick stated.
“I would also like to thank all beneficiaries for their patience and understanding at these trying times. Finally, I would like to wish @FIFAcom President, Gianni Infantino God’s speed as he recovers.”
See the tweets below:
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October 29, 2020
COVID-19 pandemic to cost football N5.4trn this year — FIFA
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to cost club football 14 billion dollars (about N5.4 trillion) this year worldwide, a leading official at global football body FIFA said on Wednesday.
Olli Rehn, who heads the FIFA committee set up to tackle the effects of the pandemic, said the cost is around one third of its value.
He added that FIFA, along with financial consultants, had estimated the club game to be worth between 40 billion dollars and 45 billion dollars worldwide.
Rehn said the figure of 14 billion dollars was based on the current scenario, where football is slowly restarting after a three-month hiatus earlier this year.
But the FIFA official stated that it would be a “different ball game” if the pandemic did not let up.
“Football has been hit very hard by the coronavirus pandemic,” Rehn, a former EU commissioner and now governor of the Bank of Finland, said.
“It has created plenty of turmoil at different levels with some professional clubs facing very serious difficulties.
“I’m also very concerned about youth academies and lower division clubs.”
Rehn said that football in South America had been especially hard hit, while Africa and Asia were also a concern.
“It is a real danger that the good work that has been done developing football in Asia and Africa could be ruined. So, we want to soften the blow and maintain the development that has been done,” he said.
FIFA has allocated 1.5 billion dollars to help tackle the effects of the pandemic and Rehn said 150 of the 211 member-associations had so far applied for funds.
He said that, while football was slowly re-awakening, another downturn could not be ruled out.
“The critical thing will be whether a vaccine will be developed and can be used, and that we have medical and other means to fully contain and tame the pandemic, and that is uncertain,” Rehn said.
“We cannot rule out worse developments and that would be another ball game if the pandemic were to continue in a severe form next year. Now we are working on the basis of the current scenario.”
September 16, 2020
FIFA confirms 2022 World Cup match schedule
The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has confirmed the match schedule for the 2022 FiFA World Cup in Qatar.
A statement on the world football governing body’s website said that the host, Qatar would kick off the 2022 tournament at Al Bayt Stadium.
”Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity arena that takes its name and shape from the traditional tents used by nomadic peoples in the Gulf region, will be the stage for hosts Qatar to kick off the tournament on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 at 13:00 local time (11:00 CET).
”The local kick-off times for group matches have been set for 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00, with the simultaneous kick-offs for the last round of group games and knockout-stage timings being 18:00 and 22:00.
”Khalifa International Stadium will be the setting for the play-off for third place on Dec. 17.
”The final will kick off one day later at 18:00 at Lusail Stadium in front of an 80,000 crowd.
”With the aim of providing all teams with optimal rest between their matches, the group stage will last 12 days and, with four matches per day, it promises a full and exciting schedule for fans,” the statement read.
It added that tournament’s compact nature, with no air travel needed to move between the venues, would allow organisers, for the first time, to optimise specific match demands for the benefit and comfort of fans, teams and media.
”This will be achieved through the assignment of the group fixtures for each matchday to a stadium and kick-off time only after the final draw, currently planned for after the March 2022 international match calendar qualifying window.
”Once the pairings are known, the possibility will be discussed of providing a more beneficial kick-off time for audiences at home, or indeed for fans in Qatar with regard to the stadium allocation.
”That additional flexibility is possible without affecting any technical aspects since all stadiums are located within a compact radius and the climate is perfect at that time of year in Qatar, whether it is an early or a late kick-off.
”On top of that, this will potentially give fans the opportunity to attend more than one match a day during the group stage,” the statement read. (NAN)
July 15, 2020
NFF to benefit from FIFA COVID-19 grant
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is to benefit from the sum of $500,000 (about N95million)with FIFA sharing $150million to its member associations as palliative amid the hardship occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.
FIFA says the money will be shared to a hundred and twenty one member football associations including Nigeria
The money is FIFA members’ 2019 and 2020 operational funding.
The second installment of the 2020 funding was planned to be paid in July, but the world football governing body has decided to fast-track it and make it available to also serve as bailout in the face of challenges which the coronavirus scourge has posed.
It is expected that the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF will get huge relief from the FIFA money amid its stringent financial situation.
April 25, 2020
Infantino says football will be totally different after coronavirus
Football will be totally different when it eventually resumes after the coronavirus outbreak, the head of global body FIFA Gianni Infantino said on Thursday.
“Football will come back, and when it does, we’ll celebrate coming out of a nightmare together,” he told the Italian news agency ANSA in an interview.
“There is one lesson, however, that both you and me must have understood: the football that will come after the virus will be totally different…(more) inclusive, more social and more supportive, connected to the individual countries and at the same time more global, less arrogant and more welcoming.”
He added: “We will be better, more human and more attentive to true values.”
Last week, Infantino told Italian sports media outfit Gazzetta dello Sport that it was the right time to take a step back.
He added that it was time to reform a sport where fixture lists have become overloaded and financial resources increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few elite clubs.
Infantino suggested there could be “fewer, but more interesting tournaments. Maybe fewer squads, but more balance. Fewer, but more competitive, matches to safeguard the health of the players.”
Later on Thursday, Infantino told the annual congress of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) that “it is our responsibility as football administrators, first of all, to ensure football can survive and secondly move forward once again.”
“On the international match calendar we have to look for global solutions to tackle these global problems in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity,” Infantino said in a video link from Zurich.
“Everyone has different interests, but we must talk and put on the table topics that we perhaps didn’t discuss in the past.’’(Reuters/NAN)
April 3, 2020
FIFA recommends March, April internationals be postponed
FIFA has recommended that all international matches scheduled to be played in March and April be postponed because of the coronavirus.
The global football body also said, in a statement on Friday, that clubs would not be obliged to release players for any matches which were played.
“The general football rules which normally oblige clubs to release players for national team matches will not apply for the upcoming international windows in March and April,” it said.(Reuters/NAN)
March 14, 2020
FIFA offers help to players with unpaid wages
World football administrators on Tuesday unveiled plans to help players left in difficulty by clubs who fail to pay their wages.
Several recent reports have highlighted the gravity of the problem caused by clubs failing to pay their players, notably after shutting down.
The $16 million (14.6 million euro) fund agreed by players union FIFPRO and FIFA, world football’s governing body will offer income support worth $11 million over the next three years with the rest set aside for retroactive protection from July 2015 and June 2020.
“More than 50 clubs in 20 countries have shut in the last five years, plunging hundreds of footballers into uncertainty and hardship,” said FIFPRO president Philippe Piat.
“This fund will provide valuable support to those players and families most in need.”
FIFA has bolstered its measures against so-called ‘successor clubs’ set up to replace debtor clubs with the prime aim of avoiding paying players their overdue wages.
“Many of these clubs have shut to avoid paying outstanding wages, immediately re-forming as so-called new clubs,” Piat said in a FIFA statement.
“FIFPRO has long campaigned against this unscrupulous practice and thanks FIFA for combating it in its Disciplinary Code.”
February 11, 2020