UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) are studying the possibility of creating their own international tournaments should FIFA President Gianni Infantino decide to remain in power and run for a fourth term, according to The Times newspaper.
According to the publication, the three confederations intend to push for Infantino's departure and have prepared a series of action plans in case he again enters the FIFA presidential race scheduled for March.
Possible steps include establishing alternative competitions under the auspices of the confederations themselves. Furthermore, Infantino's opponents may boycott FIFA council meetings and refuse to approve the organization's decisions.
The Times noted that the reason for increased criticism of the FIFA president was his proposal to sell part of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors. Infantino later withdrew this initiative.
Loose-forward Elrai Louw shared that the dream of the Springboks team helped him overcome a difficult 10-month recovery period after an injury. This comes as the team prepares for a tough physical confrontation with Argentina on Saturday.
Louw sustained ligament damage to his left knee and broke his leg during the Bulls' triumph in the United Rugby Championship over the Lions at the end of January 2025. Initially, there were serious concerns that the injury could be career-ending, but after successful surgery and rehabilitation, Louw was able to return to play earlier than planned, in December of last year.
This strong forward returned to the Springboks starting lineup for the match at Estadio José Amalfitani, aiming to make the most of his chance. His previous match this season was coming on as a substitute against Scotland in the World Cup.
Recalling the severe injury that kept him out of play for almost a year, the 26-year-old athlete noted that his recovery was driven by the support of those around him and the desire to return to the international arena. "It was a pretty serious and destructive injury for me at the time," Louw stated from the Springbok camp in Buenos Aires.
He emphasized that his entire family, medical staff, and rehabilitation team provided assistance, allowing him to return to the field within the set timeframe. "Simply the motivation to return to the Springbok squad was enough stimulation to keep working hard and playing rugby to the best of my ability."
Louw was previously part of the Springboks squad that suffered a narrow defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina in 2024. He is confident that the world champions took lessons from that match before the rematch on Saturday. "I like knowing these guys when they do amazing things!" he remarked.
Louw added that, knowing Argentina is a high-level team, they learned from the previous game. He acknowledged that the Argentinians are very physically fit and are a quality team, but assured that the team is well-prepared for the upcoming match.
Due to recent rule changes concerning the maul, which has become a tactically important element in international rugby, Louw reported that this week the main focus of training was on preparing attacks through the forwards in the line. The maul has turned into a powerful weapon because referees tend to be strict if players try to bypass it sideways or pull it back.
"We are starting to see a lot of mauls in various competitions," Louw explained. "It is definitely an area we continue to focus on, and we are certainly working hard on it."
Returning to the starting XV, Louw is focused simply: he aims to secure his place in Rassie Erasmus's plans, saying, "When you get the opportunity, you use it to the fullest."
The head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, Fabio Cannavaro, announced that Jaloliddin Masharipov could not participate in the World Cup due to serious health issues, despite all efforts by the coaching and medical staff to prepare the player for the tournament.
During a press conference after the tournament concluded, the Italian coach specified that the reason for the midfielder's absence was not a knee injury, but a herniated intervertebral disc that developed after the match against Canada.
Cannavaro admitted that he might be the only short-sighted coach in the world to have brought Masharipov to the World Cup, considering his past achievements and current level. He noted that the team made enormous efforts for his participation in the tournament.
The coach stated that he personally met with the player in Dubai and Rome, consulting with various specialists to prepare for the competitions. He emphasized that Masharipov's main problem was not his knee, but his spinal hernia, which appeared after the game against Canada. A significant deterioration in the player's leg condition was observed after the friendly match in Tashkent.
"We sent him to Dubai for a medical examination. However, it was the back problem that prevented him from playing in the World Cup," said Cannavaro.
Cannavaro added that Masharipov had not played in official or friendly matches for eight or nine months. He also mentioned that the national team suffered injuries to several other players, including Aziz Ganiev, Hojiakbar Alizhonov, Odiljon Hamrobekov, and Behruz Karimov.
"Masharipov had difficulty even walking, but we involved all possible specialists so that he could make it to the World Cup. Perhaps the fact that I did everything possible for this to happen was my biggest mistake. I understand perfectly what he feels because I experienced something similar myself when I had to miss the European Championship due to injury. He deserved to play in the World Cup. He is a wonderful person and an outstanding footballer," said the head coach.
Cannavaro also noted that Husniddin Alikulov missed the tournament due to injury, but this issue received much less attention.
Commenting on the public reaction, the Italian coach suggested that it might be related to his status as a foreign coach or to the stance of people close to Masharipov. "Honestly, I don't fully understand what the problem is. Maybe it's because I am a foreigner. Or maybe people close to Masharipov actively defended him and expressed their dissatisfaction. I thought about that too. But I work in a wonderful country and know the Uzbek people very well. They are very hospitable people," added Cannavaro.
Furthermore, the head coach explained why Turgunboev and Erkinov were not included in the final squad for the World Cup. "I have no issues with Turgunboev or Erkinov. I left them out of the final squad based on their recent league matches. Since they have not been in the same form lately, and considering their physical condition, I decided not to call them up to the national team," concluded Cannavaro.
The head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team, Fabio Cannavaro, reported that there was an individual within the squad who was spreading false information about the coaching staff.
Speaking at a press conference, the Italian coach noted that a large amount of unreliable data circulated regarding the team, which, in his opinion, resulted from leaks from inside the team.
Cannavaro commented on the spread of rumors, stating: 'Someone was spreading too much false information. Perhaps because I am a foreign coach. The rules we followed were not invented by me—they are European standards. I still do not understand why so much unreliable information was circulating.'
Furthermore, the head coach emphasized his respect for his predecessor Timur Kapadze and called the constant criticism directed at him unfounded.
He added: 'The previous head coach is an excellent local specialist who achieved good results. But this should not be a reason for constant criticism towards me. I felt the need to clarify this issue.'
According to Cannavaro, a significant amount of false information could have arisen due to the presence of his own 'spy' in the national team.
