Football - players.bio

Japan Says 'Very Disappointing' As 2031 Women's World Cup Hopes Torpedoed

Japan's football chief said Thursday it was "very disappointing" after FIFA torpedoed his country's hopes of hosting the 2031 Women's World Cup. Football's world governing body said Wednesday that bids for the 2031 tournament would be limited to countries from North America and Africa, with the 2035 event going to either Europe or Africa. Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto told AFP in an interview last year that Japan wanted to host the 2031 event to "raise the value of women's football here".

2026 FIFA World Cup Final To Have Super Bowl-Style Show: Gianni Infantino

The 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey will make history by having a Super Bowl-style half-time show, world football chief Gianni Infantino said Wednesday. Coldplay band members Chris Martin and Phil Harvey will determine the artists who will perform, FIFA president Infantino said. "I can confirm the first-ever half-time show at a FIFA World Cup final in New York/New Jersey," Infantino wrote on Instagram. "This will be a historic moment for the FIFA World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world."

FIFA To Pay $1 Billion Prize Money For Club World Cup

FIFA on Wednesday announced it will pay total prize money of one billion dollars to participants in the Club World Cup taking place in the United States this year. The figure is significantly more than the prize money offered for either the last men's or women's World Cups. World football's governing body has given few details about the funding of the first edition of the 32-team tournament that will take place every four years but it has signed up a broadcaster and major sponsors in recent weeks. In a statement confirming the prize money on offer, FIFA said it expected to generate $2 billion in revenues from the expanded Club World Cup. It also confirmed that a women's edition will take place from 2028.