Moscow - players.bio

Mandela, Gandhi … Infantino? Yes, it’s Fifa Congress time again

When Russia played Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the last World Cup, Gianni Infantino wasn’t the only dignitary in the crowd. As Russia opened the scoring, the cameras cut to the corporate seats, where the Fifa president could be seen sharing a funny joke with the matchday buddies sitting either side of him, Vladimir Putin and Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman. Of course, this was back in the days before the Saudi crown prince was discovered to have ordered his hit squad to play fast and loose with a bonesaw, or the Russian president had declared outright war on Ukraine. On that particular summer’s evening in Moscow, they were just a pair of common-or-garden tyrants kicking back and enjoying the craic, brought together by their good pal Gianni.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino sends message to Vladimir Putin amid Russia ban

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to engage in dialogue and stop the war in Ukraine.

Who wins the information war? Russia's Ukraine invasion sparks global airwaves battle

While outlets like Russian broadcaster RT may now be blocked in places like France, Germany and the US, years of eroded trust in the so-called mainstream media mean that receptive audiences have long since defected to alternative news sources. That spin machine stunned the likes of France when, for instance, an under-embargo junta in Mali managed to turn public opinion against the French – despite them fighting jihadists – and in favour of the Russian mercenaries of Wagner. Those mercenaries are now reportedly headed to Ukraine.