Latest news with #Fifa
Observer
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Observer
Oman set for WC 2026 playoff draw
MUSCAT, JULY 16 The Oman national football team will learn their fate in the decisive stage of the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers as the playoff round draw will take place on Thursday at 11:00 am (Oman time). The draw which will be held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Malaysia, will mark the beginning of Oman's last and most crucial push to achieve a historic maiden qualification to the Fifa World Cup. The forthcoming phase of Oman's football will be led by the veteran Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz, who was officially appointed as head coach on Tuesday by the Oman Football Association (OFA). The OFA confirmed the appointment via an official media statement on its social media platforms, expressing confidence in Queiroz's ability to take Red Warriors into new heights. Queiroz, whose illustrious coaching career includes spells with the national teams of Iran, Egypt, Colombia, and South Africa, as well as a tenure as assistant manager of Manchester United, will bring a wealth of tactical international experience. His leadership is expected to be a key factor as Oman prepares to navigate one of the toughest phases in Asian football qualification. He will assisted by the Omani experienced coach Hamed al Azzani who is also in charge of Oman U-19 head coach. The AFC playoff round will feature six teams including: Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as all of them finished third and fourth in their respective groups during the third round of qualification. These teams will be split into two groups of three, with only the group winners earning direct tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each group will play in a single round-robin format hosted at centralised venues. The Qatar Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation have been confirmed as the official hosts for the playoff stage. The draw pots will be based on Fifa Men's World Rankings as of June 13 as Qatar (53) and Saudi Arabia (58) in Pot one while Iraq (59) and United Arab Emirates (66) will be set at pot two. Oman (79) and Indonesia (118) are in pot three. The playoff set to be held during October 8 to 14 in Doha and Riyadh cities. Carlos Queiroz Oman's fans hopes are high with the new leadership of Carlos Queiroz and the experience of a battle-hardened squad. All the audience will aim that Oman can make a historic breakthrough and join the global elite at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in the history. The two teams which will end as runner-up in their group, they will still have a final opportunity to qualify through a Knockout Stage scheduled for November 13 and 18. The winner of that tie will progress to the Fifa intercontinental Play-Off tournament, offering one last chance at securing qualification.
Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Miguel Delaney: With Uefa seemingly wilting in the face of Fifa's unchecked power, where is Aleksander Ceferin?
It's also a question that works in a few ways. It could refer to the fact Ceferin has so far attended only one match at Uefa's own Women's Euro 2025. It could refer to how he attended matches at neither the Under-21 Euros or the Club World Cup. Or, perhaps most importantly, it could refer to Uefa's lack of response to the football land grab that Fifa's controversial new competition represented.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- The Guardian
Would-be football agents complain Fifa's faulty online exam causes one-year delay
Technical problems with Fifa's online football agent exam have prevented candidates from completing the test, with many told they will have to wait 12 months for their next opportunity. New regulations on agents introduced at the start of this year mean candidates must complete 20 multiple‑choice questions online rather than attend a test in person, usually at their national federation's headquarters. It is understood the change was made by Fifa to provide consistency over the cost, with candidates now paying $100 (or the equivalent in pounds or Euros) to sit the annual exam, which took place for the first time on 18 June. The Guardian has been contacted by applicants from several countries, including the United Kingdom, who have complained that they were unable to complete the one-hour test owing to the technical difficulties. It is understood candidates were asked before their test to download software, which was then checked by an online invigilator. But issues with the software meant they were often left with insufficient time to answer the questions or found some answers had not been recorded. 'I attempted several times to fix the issue by disconnecting and reconnecting, but it took over 25 minutes before the connection was restored,' wrote one candidate from Niger in a letter to Fifa seen by the Guardian. 'Once I was allowed to resume, there were only about 10 minutes remaining on the exam. On July 3, 2025, I received my results and was surprised to see that I had failed with a score of 11 out of 20. However, among the nine questions marked as incorrect, seven were shown as blank, even though I clearly remember answering them before submission, one displayed a choice that I am certain I never selected, and it does not match the answer I intended to choose.' Another candidate from the UK said he had been told by his invigilator that 'the issue was not related to my device or internet connection, but rather to the platform itself. After several unsuccessful attempts, the invigilator advised me to disconnect and assured me that she would submit a detailed report to Fifa, explicitly stating that I had been unable to participate due to a force majeure situation, as defined in article 12 of the Fifa football agent exam rules (March 2025 edition). It is particularly frustrating to now see my application rejected without any clarification, despite having fulfilled all requirements, acted diligently, and paid the full registration fee.' It is understood that some candidates were allowed to resit the exam on 30 June but that many have been informed, in an email that stated they had no right to appeal, they will have to wait until next year. 'This disparity raises serious concerns regarding consistency and equal treatment,' the UK candidate said. The Guardian has forwarded all the complaints to Fifa. World football's governing body declined to comment but it is understood to be aware of some complaints that are being handled on a case-by-case basis and it is satisfied that the majority of the candidates were able to take the exam with no technical problems. Fifa is believed to be monitoring the situation but is understood to have been reassured by providers that there is no issue with the exam platform. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion A candidate from Turkmenistan, who says he had 27 minutes to complete their exam owing to technical difficulties and the failure of the system's translation tool, described the experience as 'extremely upsetting'. 'The examiner promised to submit an official report and inform Fifa of the situation,' he wrote. 'She also told me that Fifa would contact me shortly regarding this incident. However, two weeks have now passed, and I have not received any response.' It is understood that a further fortnight later the situation has not changed. A source told the Guardian: 'The system hasn't been working properly and there have been so many complaints but they aren't really doing anything about it. Lots of people have put loads of time and effort into revising and to not be able to take the exam is really unfair. It's a shambles.'
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Donald Trump spotted pocketing Club World Cup winners medal as president walks off stage
DONALD TRUMP was seen pocketing a winner's medal from the Club World Cup on Sunday. The President watched on at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to be named world champions of club football. Advertisement 2 Donald Trump was seen pocketing a winner's medal at the Club World Cup Credit: Reuters 2 Trump kept one of the trophies awarded to winning side Chelsea Credit: Reuters After the match, Trump was on medal-presenting duties alongside Fifa chief Gianni Infantino. However, when all the medals had been handed out, the 79-year-old was still seen holding a medal. Following a glance from Infantino, he then placed the medal into his inside suit pocket. He then walked over to the large trophy to present it to the Blues. Advertisement Trump and Infantino walked it over together before handing it to Chelsea captain Reece James. But there was confusion in their ranks as Trump then refused to leave the podium and was Trump has since revealed that the original Club World Cup trophy is currently being held in the White House's Oval Office. He revealed that he had asked about when they would take it, but he was told they can keep it "forever". Advertisement Most read in Soccer The Republican told Dazn: "I said, When are you going to pick up the trophy? "[They said] 'We're never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We're making a new one.' Hilarious moment Trump gets caught inside Chelsea's trophy celebrations as Cole Palmer dances next to beaming Don "And they actually made a new one [for Chelsea]. So that was quite exciting, but right now [the original] is in the Oval.' Trump's presence at the game itself was a mixed bag. Advertisement He was met by both applause and boos from the 80,000-strong crowd. Trump later told reporters: "We had a great time." He also labelled the crowd as "tremendous". Regardless, following the game POTUS joked he would sign an executive order to rename soccer, as it is known in the States, to its European name, football. Advertisement The Club World Cup is the preamble for the US joint-hosting the World Cup proper next summer. Read more on the Irish Sun Fifa have estimated as many as 6.5 million fans will be welcomed to stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the US for the tournament, with possibly more set to pack into fan parks. The 2026 World Cup will feature a record 48 teams playing across 16 cities.
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Donald Trump spotted pocketing Club World Cup winners medal as president walks off stage
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD TRUMP was seen pocketing a winner's medal from the Club World Cup on Sunday. The President watched on at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to be named world champions of club football. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Donald Trump was seen pocketing a winner's medal at the Club World Cup Credit: Reuters 2 Trump kept one of the trophies awarded to winning side Chelsea Credit: Reuters After the match, Trump was on medal-presenting duties alongside Fifa chief Gianni Infantino. However, when all the medals had been handed out, the 79-year-old was still seen holding a medal. Following a glance from Infantino, he then placed the medal into his inside suit pocket. He then walked over to the large trophy to present it to the Blues. Trump and Infantino walked it over together before handing it to Chelsea captain Reece James. But there was confusion in their ranks as Trump then refused to leave the podium and was caught up in the eager Chelsea celebrations. Trump has since revealed that the original Club World Cup trophy is currently being held in the White House's Oval Office. He revealed that he had asked about when they would take it, but he was told they can keep it "forever". The Republican told Dazn: "I said, When are you going to pick up the trophy? "[They said] 'We're never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We're making a new one.' Hilarious moment Trump gets caught inside Chelsea's trophy celebrations as Cole Palmer dances next to beaming Don "And they actually made a new one [for Chelsea]. So that was quite exciting, but right now [the original] is in the Oval.' Trump's presence at the game itself was a mixed bag. He was met by both applause and boos from the 80,000-strong crowd. Trump later told reporters: "We had a great time." He also labelled the crowd as "tremendous". Regardless, following the game POTUS joked he would sign an executive order to rename soccer, as it is known in the States, to its European name, football. The Club World Cup is the preamble for the US joint-hosting the World Cup proper next summer. Fifa have estimated as many as 6.5 million fans will be welcomed to stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the US for the tournament, with possibly more set to pack into fan parks. The 2026 World Cup will feature a record 48 teams playing across 16 cities.
