If you build it, grifters will come, as sport becomes a plaything of the investment class
Heritage is being sold off to the highest bidders as best interests of fans are ignored
World Cup
Read more news and analysis on the Fifa World Cup, including the 2026 tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada
Israel withdraws support for embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino
Efforts to force Infantino out of his role expected to intensify in the coming days
The FAI picks a side and it’s official – Gianni Infantino has lost Ireland
Uefa is the FAI’s main source of revenue, with the co-hosting of Euro 2028 the pot of gold on the horizon
The Irish man handpicked by Gianni Infantino, solar eclipse and EU presidency hospitality
Plus: 14 young cattle die of dehydration on Tipperary farm
Who is the Irish man who helped shape Fifa’s deal to ‘sell the World Cup’?
In the News podcast: Dan O’Toole is chief of staff at Fifa but was a largely unknown figure until last week
Who is Dan O’Toole, the Irish Fifa executive at the heart of deal to sell off World Cup?
Dubliner was reportedly handpicked by Gianni Infantino to work on controversial plan
The History of the World in 12 Soccer Matches: Players become spectators of the social upheavals surrounding them
Stefano Bizzotto adds emotional heft to tales previously told with judicious selections of archival writings and interviews
Uefa, Concacaf and AFC push for Gianni Infantino to quit and discuss rival competitions
Confederations write open letter damning Fifa president, with Concacaf president Montagliani seen as top contender
Fifa defends Gianni Infantino and launches attack after ‘effort to undermine’ president
Thinly-veiled attack aimed on Uefa as crisis roars on
Mexico and Argentina line up behind Infantino to deepen football’s civil war
Norwegian FA calls on the Fifa president to resign: ‘There is no trust now ... There is no way back for him’
Argentina commemorate win against England at World Cup with special day
National Football Teams Day established for July 15th by country’s football association
Uefa planning to check if Infantino agreed to lowball offer for stake in World Cup
Uefa has also called for a thorough review of Fifa’s governance and threatened legal action
Gianni Infantino has ‘full support’ of Fifa executives after crisis meeting
Body’s president forced to abandon plans to sell stakes in a company to run World Cup amid widespread criticism
Gianni Infantino discussed having Fifa’s name on European Super League
Document shows Fifa staff were involved in project
Gianni Infantino’s remarkable rise from Uefa bureaucrat to ‘king of soccer’
If he is to survive as Fifa president, he must continue to play the rest of the world off against the continent which allowed him to rise to power.
More European countries withdraw support for Gianni Infantino as pressure intensifies
Fifa president last week shelved his widely denounced plan to sell off World Cup stakes to private investors
Mauricio Pochettino agrees deal to stay as US manager through to 2030 World Cup
Former Tottenham manager keeps job after reaching last 16 of the World Cup on home soil
Gianni Infantino’s World Cup plan was a terrible business deal
Football’s entire governance model is an archaic structure that must be torn down and replaced
Bank holiday blues: Must we have more of these hellish festivals of stress?
Politicians love them, but the 19th century solution to the problem of monotonous, draining work is surely not the answer today
The Falklands: The Celtic roots of both the English and Spanish names for the islands
A skilled reconciler would come in handy today on our beautiful, troubled planet
Gianni Infantino, Fifa and the week that rocked the football world
Ultimately doomed plan for sale of commercial rights to World Cup caused chaos
Gianni Infantino ‘has lost Uefa’s confidence’ after Fifa chief scraps World Cup sell-off plan
Uefa: ‘We cannot keep going on with secret schemes’
Infantino’s World Cup plot leaves him deserted by allies and with his credibility detonated
Fifa president has managed to unite football, but not in the way he wished
The Irish Times view on football’s schism: Infantino overshoots
What began as a row over a bad deal has escalated
Franco Baresi was not only the captain but the moral heart of great Milan team
Centre-back defined era of hard Italian defending and collection of honours are eternal proof of his class
FAI joins Uefa nations in World Cup boycott
All 55 Uefa nations have rebelled against Fifa’s plans to sell World Cup stake to private equity
Uefa to boycott World Cup if Fifa plans go through to sell stakes to private investors
Decision made by 55 member associations at emergency meeting on Thursday
Gianni Infantino’s World Cup plan is part of a desire for expansion that was clear from the start
Fifa’s plans to sell a share of the World Cup’s commercial rights are the latest in a long line of presidential power moves
FAI among associations given 53 days by Fifa to sign up to controversial World Cup plans
Uefa has heavily criticised the proposal, saying it ‘crosses a line’
Is the World Cup for sale? Here’s what Fifa’s plans mean and what happens next
Gianni Infantino is under fire from Uefa over plans to sell off commercial rights for the tournament but he says they are ‘about the democratisation of football worldwide’
Concacaf joins criticism of Fifa plan to sell off World Cup stakes to private investors
Uefa furious at Fifa’s World Cup private investment plan, saying it crosses a line
Kerry’s lesson in grace was the GAA at its most sublime
In contrast to Kerry’s civility in defeat, the legend of the great Lionel Messi will forever be tainted by Argentina’s display of ugly losing
Argentina should look to Kerry to learn how to lose with dignity
The Kingdom lost with graciousness despite their bitter disappointment
‘This crosses a line’: Uefa furious at Fifa’s World Cup private investment plan
Fifa has announced plans to sell a share of its commercial operations to private investors
Javier Milei accuses US Democrats of financing ‘anti-Argentina campaign’ at World Cup
Governments of Brazil and Mexico also involved, claims Argentinian president
France turn to Zinedine Zidane as head coach in long-awaited homecoming
Four-year deal agreed to succeed Didier Deschamps: ‘I have so many emotions, I am ready for the challenge’
To win just once: John Kelly on the All-Ireland and Mayo’s magical performance
My 55th time at a final, but I had never witnessed anything like the outpouring of raw emotion
‘I didn’t get Messi’s but I have my Cape Verde shirt’ – Crumlin’s Pico Lopes home to hero’s welcome
Shamrock Rovers star gets official homecoming in Dublin suburb where he grew up dreaming of the World Cup
Ken Early: Argentina shows us what Ireland could be if our GAA culture escaped the island
Argentinians may believe that nobody can get more carried away over football than they do ... but we know better – just think England
It’s embarrassing that the Irish Open is being held at a Trump-owned property
Our night in Spain brought people together – something a Trump-hosted golf spectacle in Ireland is unlikely to achieve
The World Cup had the goodwill of the American people, but corporatism won
It felt as though the global understanding of the World Cup was undergoing a metamorphosis before the eyes of the world
After reading through the World Cup ‘highlights’, it’s time for soccer to clean up its act
Soccer just may be entering a state of worldwide decline, and there are numerous disturbing signs that such is the case
Instead of retracing their New England steps, it’s business as usual for Liverpool
Overcharging gullible fans to watch shadow XIs has become as much a part of summer’s ritual as epic thunderstorms and power outages
Greencore shares soar as sandwich supplier raises profit outlook amid post-merger momentum
Group expects to deliver ‘cost synergy’ of around £15m from Bakkavor deal this year
World Cup ruminations
RTÉ’s coverage, refereeing the final, and the famous photo of Messi and baby Yamal
‘Reclaim football’: Sepp Blatter joins La Liga chief in call for Gianni Infantino to resign
Blatter attacks successor as Fifa president, while Javier Tebas says system is ‘rotten at its core’
Neuer to Neymar: 10 World Cup players who have retired from international football
Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper and a Brazilian icon are among those who have called time after the 2026 tournament
Why has a clip of David Clifford, viewed over 38 million times, gone around the world?
Memes on X related to Argentina bring Gaelic football to a wider audience
Spain are champions of the world: Malachy Clerkin and Kevin Kilbane on the World Cup final
America 2026 with Kevin Kilbane and Paul Howard
World Cup half-time show in pictures: Shakira, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and more
Madonna kicked off the Super Bowl-style show, one of several American elements added to this year’s tournament
Trump and Infantino booed before US president attempts to crash Spain celebrations
Argentina’s Cristian Romero snubs Trump’s handshake during presentation of the World Cup runners-up medals
Rodri wins World Cup Golden Ball as Kylian Mbappé wins second Golden Boot
The Golden Glove award went to Unai Simon, while Pau Cubarsi won the Fifa Young Player award
Fever dream World Cup half-time show the most entertaining part of a somewhat Super Sunday
Ferran Torres provides fitting finish to good but not great World Cup
World Cup 2026: The best goals, best players, best teams, best matches
The enduring brilliance of Lionel Messi, Donald Trump’s shocking intervention, and Ireland’s adoption of Cape Verde marked an engrossing World Cup
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