Latest news with #FIFA
New Straits Times
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
CAFA fume as Harimau Malaya pull plug on Nations Cup plans
KUALA LUMPUR: The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) has hit out at Malaysia's last-minute withdrawal from the CAFA Nations Cup. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Wednesday that Harimau Malaya would not be taking part in the tournament, citing scheduling issues as the competition falls outside FIFA's official international window. The timing means clubs are not obliged to release players, posing a major headache for the national team. But CAFA weren't impressed. In a strongly worded statement, the regional body said Malaysia had confirmed their participation well in advance and had been fully aware of the tournament dates - from Aug 29-Sept 8 - which have remained unchanged. "Unfortunately, this late withdrawal disrupts several organisational processes, especially as planning and preparations are already in their final stages," CAFA said in a social media post. "FAM stated their reason for pulling out was due to the tournament not being fully within the FIFA calendar, and therefore, player availability could be limited. "However, under the competition rules, final squads - selected from a 35-man list - can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. "This offers maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining later in the tournament."
Morocco World
19 minutes ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
FIFA Confirms 2026 World Cup Ticketing Process
FIFA has confirmed that ticket applications for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will open on Wednesday, September 10. Fans will need to register and create a FIFA ID via to enter the ticket draw. The tournament, which will be hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, is expected to draw record demand following the success of the recent FIFA Club World Cup held in the US. 'We're looking forward to welcoming the world back to North America, as Canada, Mexico and the United States host what will be the biggest and greatest sporting event ever,' said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. 'We encourage fans everywhere to get ready to secure their place – these will be the most coveted seats in world sport.' FIFA announced that the ticketing process will be rolled out in distinct phases, each with different purchasing mechanisms, payment methods and ticket categories. Full details for each phase will be released monthly. The final draw for the tournament will take place in December 2025, after which teams will be assigned to specific fixtures, venues and kick-off times. The 2026 World Cup will begin on Thursday, June 11, in Mexico City, with the final scheduled for Sunday, July 19, in New York/New Jersey. Tags: 2026 FIFA World CupFIFA
20 minutes ago
- Health
2026 World Cup's contingency plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
TORONTO -- The 2026 World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States is less than a year away and FIFA's protocols for matches affected by wildfire smoke remain unclear. The 48-team World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada is hosting 13 matches — seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. The day after Toronto's air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air quality related contingencies with soccer's international governing body. No policies are posted publicly. The Air Quality Health Index rating for Toronto was over 10, or 'very high risk,' on Monday morning, dropping to a 'high risk' rating of 8 by late afternoon. This year's fire season, according to Canadian government data, is the second-largest on record. Canada's most destructive wildfire season was in 2023, with more than 6,000 fires burning 37 million acres (15 million hectares) of land, according to Natural Resources Canada. Dr. Howard Shapiro, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said in a statement that Toronto Public Health is actively reviewing the latest evidence and best practices for air-quality issues as the city prepares for the World Cup. 'TPH may provide guidance and recommendations on public health risks, including environmental health concerns such as extreme weather and wildfire smoke,' the statement read. 'This includes contingency planning to support the health and safety of residents, visitors, and participants during the tournament.' Outdoor activities on days when the Air Quality Health Index rises higher than 7 should be rescheduled, said Dr. Andrew Halayko, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, to protect the most vulnerable, including people who are 65 or older, pregnant, young children and those with existing health conditions. But others say it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the air quality reaches a threshold where sporting events should be canceled. 'I personally think that we can't, based on good evidence, have general statements about what AQHI is unacceptable for a given event. Everything is contextual,' said Dr. Christopher Carlsten, the head of the respiratory medicine division at the University of British Columbia. That context includes the age of the general audience and the forecast of the air quality, and events should be judged on a case-by-case basis, he said. The impact of poor air quality on athletes is a subject of debate. Some experts think athletes can better handle poor air conditions because they are generally young and healthy, making them less likely to sustain long-term health impacts. Michael Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, said that studies show that even low levels of pollution impact cognitive ability — which not only affects performance but also increases the risk of injuries. 'Imagine two players going up for a pass at really high speeds, and if you make one tiny error, that could be a career-threatening injury,' he said. The Canadian Football League doesn't play games when the AQHI surpasses a threshold of seven, according to an agreement with the players. Those games are postponed.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Sport
- Barnama
Harimau Malaya's Late Withdrawal Cause Distruptions To CAFA Nations Cup 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- Harimau Malaya's late withdrawal from the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 due to kick off Aug 29-Sept 8 has caused certain disruptions to the ongoing organisational processes, particularly given the advanced stage of planning and preparations. As CAFA are aware the reason from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) that the tournament does not fully fall within the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) window (Sept 1-9) which caused the restrictions of players availability, it said the final registration of players can actually be submitted on a match-by-match basis. 'As per the tournament regulations, the final registration of players - selected from a preliminary list of 35 - can be submitted on a match-by-match basis. bootstrap slideshow 'This allows for maximum flexibility, including the possibility of key players joining the team for subsequent matches,' it said in a statement today. CAFA also said that previously Malaysia's participation had been confirmed well in advance, with full awareness of the tournament dates as well as schedule and those dates had never been changed from the beginning. Earlier today, FAM in a statement announced that the decision was made following the change in match dates falling outside the FIFA international window, posing challenges in terms of logistics, player availability and overall squad preparation. Despite Malaysia's withdrawal, CAFA remained committed to delivering a high-quality and competitive tournament for the people of Central Asia and beyond. 'We thank all participating nations for their continued support and cooperation,' it said. World number 125 Malaysia are supposed to play in Group B with the hosts, Tajikistan, reigning champion Iran and Afghanistan.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
How climate change could force FIFA to rethink the World Cup calendar
GENEVA — Soccer had a fierce reckoning with heat at the recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States — a sweltering preview of what players and fans may face when the U.S. co-hosts the World Cup with Mexico and Canada next summer. With temperatures rising worldwide, scientists warn that staging the World Cup and other soccer tournaments in the Northern Hemisphere summer is getting increasingly dangerous for both players and spectators. Some suggest that FIFA may have to consider adjusting the soccer calendar to reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses. 'The deeper we go in the decade, the greater the risk without considering more dramatic measures, such as playing in the winter months and/or cooler latitudes,' said Prof. Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures in Leeds, England. 'I'm getting increasingly worried that we are only one heatwave away from a sporting tragedy and I would like to see governing bodies lean into the climate and health science.' Tournament soccer in June and July is a tradition going back to the first World Cup in 1930. Since then, the three-month period of June, July and August globally has warmed by 1.05 degrees Celsius (1.89 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Meanwhile, European summer temperatures have increased by 1.81 degrees C. The rate of warming has accelerated since the 1990's. Climate scientists say that's a factor that needs to be considered when playing high-intensity outdoor sports like soccer. 'If you want to play football for 10 hours a day, they'll have to be the hours of the early morning and late evening,' climatologist Friederike Otto from Imperial College, London, told The Associated Press in an email, 'if you don't want to have players and fans die from heatstroke or get severely ill with heat exhaustion.' Extreme heat and thunderstorms made an impact on FIFA's newly expanded tournament for club teams. The Club World Cup was held in 11 American cities from June 14 to July 13. FIFA adapted by tweaking its extreme heat protocol to include extra breaks in play, more field-side water, and cooling the team benches with air fans and more shade. Still, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández said the heat made him dizzy and urged FIFA to avoid afternoon kickoffs at the World Cup next year. The global soccer players union, FIFPRO, has warned that six of the 16 World Cup cities next year are at 'extremely high risk' for heat stress. FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the heat concerns on Saturday, saying the handful of World Cup stadiums that are covered would be used for day-time games next year. Extreme heat could become an even bigger challenge at the following World Cup in 2030, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Games are scheduled to be played in afternoons and early evenings from mid-June to mid-July. All three countries have already seen temperatures rise above 40 degrees C (well above 100 Fahrenheit) this summer. FIFA downplayed the heat risk in its in-house evaluation of the 2030 World Cup bid, saying 'weather conditions are difficult to predict with the current development in global and local climate, but are unlikely to affect the health of players or other participants.' The physical effects of playing 90 minutes of soccer in direct sunshine during the hottest part of the day can be severe and potentially result in hyperthermia – abnormally high body temperatures. 'When players experience hyperthermia, they also experience an increase in cardiovascular strain,' said Julien Périard of the University of Canberra. 'If core temperature increases excessively, exertional heat illness can occur,' leading to muscle cramping, heat exhaustion, and even life-threatening heat stroke, he said. Many sports events held in the summer adjust their start times to early morning or late night to minimize the risk heat-related illness, including marathons at the Olympics or track world championships. Morning kickoffs, however, are rare in soccer, where World Cup match schedules are often set with European TV audiences in mind. It would be hard for FIFA to avoid day-time World Cup kickoffs given the packed match schedule as the number of participating teams increases from 32 to 48 in 2026. Heat mainly becomes an issue when the World Cup is held in the Northern Hemisphere, because June and July are winter months in the Southern Hemisphere. FIFA has stuck to its traditional June-July schedule for the men's World Cup except in 2022 when it moved the tournament to November-December to avoid the summer heat in Qatar. Something similar is expected when neighboring Saudi Arabia hosts the tournament in 2034. However, moving the World Cup to another part of the year is complicated because it means Europe's powerful soccer leagues must interrupt their season, affecting both domestic leagues and the Champions League. FIFA didn't respond to questions from AP about whether alternate dates for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups were being considered. When and where to schedule the World Cup and other outdoor sports events is likely to become more pressing as the world continues to warm. Athletes and even everyday people doing basic physical activities are now exposed to 28% more of moderate or higher heat risk in 2023 than they were in the 1990s, said Ollie Jay, a professor at the University of Sydney who has helped shape policy for the Australian Open in tennis. 'This is symbolic of something bigger,' said Michael Mann, a University of Pennsylvania climate scientist. 'Not just the danger and inconvenience to fans and players, but the fundamentally disruptive nature of climate change when it comes our current way of life.'
