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Every Rules & refereeing story we publish, newest first.
Italy has become the latest federation to withdraw its backing for Gianni Infantino after his failed attempt to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. The decision deepens a growing crisis around the FIFA president and leaves him increasingly isolated in Europe with the 2027 election approaching.
Matt
·8 min read
UEFA's Executive Committee has signed off on the promotion and relegation system for the 2026-2027 Nations League, the transitional edition that will pave the way for the three-league format set to debut in 2028-2029. The decision determines which national teams will compete in each tier next season and effectively removes League D, with all its teams moving up to League C.
Javi·5 min read
Erling Haaland's winner in Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Manchester United should not have been awarded. VAR Matt Donohue failed to spot that Enzo Fernández was in an offside position and challenged for the ball before the goal, as the refereeing body has now confirmed. The same weekend also saw debate over Phil Foden's red card and Sunderland's penalty against Arsenal.
Javi·5 min read
The global players' union Fifpro has backed calls for an independent governance review of FIFA following the collapse of Gianni Infantino's controversial World Cup private investment plan. The project, valued at $20 billion, was scrapped after UEFA and other confederations threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments. Pressure on the FIFA president continues to mount ahead of next year's election.
Matt·6 min read
The Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Pro League released a joint statement on Sunday condemning the chants aimed at Rúben Neves during Al Hilal's 6-0 win over Al Taawoun. The insults referenced Diogo Jota, Neves' close friend and former teammate, who died in a road accident in Zamora on 3 July 2025.
InfoBlaugrana·5 min read
Phil Foden was sent off at Old Trafford for lashing out at Bruno Fernandes and now faces up to a month without playing when his three-match ban is combined with the international break. For a forward stuck in a 35-game scoring drought, the suspension arrives at the worst possible moment and threatens his place in Enzo Maresca's side.
Natilla·6 min read
Pro Ref has admitted the VAR team failed to spot Enzo Fernández interfering from an offside position before Erling Haaland scored the winning goal at Old Trafford. The goal gave Manchester City a 1-0 derby victory despite playing most of the match with ten men. The refereeing body has already contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake.
Natilla·5 min read
Pro Ref has acknowledged that Erling Haaland's winning goal in Sunday's Manchester derby should have been ruled out. The VAR judged that Enzo Fernández was not interfering with play, a call the officiating body now describes as an error of judgement. Michael Carrick called the decision obvious and hard to understand.
Matt·6 min read
The Romanian Football Federation has introduced a black card to punish abusive behavior from spectators at youth matches. The measure targets fans who insult or verbally attack players, coaches, or referees in games involving children from 7 to 16 years old. Referees can stop the match, order a ten-minute cooling-off break, and ultimately suspend the game if the misconduct continues.
Matt·4 min read
More than four months after the espionage scandal that shook Southampton, manager Tonda Eckert's future remains unresolved. The FA has yet to decide his punishment while fans at St Mary's have moved from anger to frustration, and the team fights for promotion despite starting the season with a four-point deduction.
Natilla·7 min read