FIFA says stats from 48 games point to success of the Video Assistant Referee system debuting at the World Cup. At a briefing in Moscow on Friday, FIFA Referees' Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina underscored the importance of VAR in guiding refereeing decisions at the Russia World Cup; it’s the first time the technology has been used at the quadrennial tournament.
Ex president Lula da Silva is serving a 12-year sentence for corruption in Curitiba, but as all Brazilians loves football, the national sport, and has been contracted as a commentator for the World's Cup in Russia.
The Russian economy is expecting to get a significant financial boost from an increased tourist flow during the FIFA World Cup, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said. “According to our estimates, foreigners will spend over 100 billion rubles (US$1.6 billion) during the World Cup in Russia,” Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin told Sovetsky Sport newspaper.
In the spirit of Russia and the 2018 World Cup, US President Donald Trump reportedly penned three letters to FIFA to assuage travel concerns related to the 2026 World Cup bid. The letters, first reported by the New York Times, are meant to clear up concerns about entry to the U.S. for players and officials.
Argentina's national team have cancelled an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the Holy See has announced. The Albiceleste are preparing for the World Cup and have been training in Barcelona since May 31.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has been criticized for including a chapter about how to stand a chance with a Russian girl in a manual it handed to journalists travelling to the World Cup in Russia. It recommended that journalists look clean, smell nice and dress well in order to impress Russian girls.
Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay formally launched South America’s three-nation bid to host the 2030 World Cup on Wednesday and said Argentina would likely host the majority of the tournament’s stadiums. The presidents of the three nations, who announced in August that they were teaming up to bid for the tournament, kicked off the campaign at the Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires’ government palace.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez will not be attending the Brazil World Cup final in Maracana stadium on Sunday when Argentina clashes with Germany, but will be present for the BRICS-Unasur-Mercosur summit scheduled for next week.
An executive from the World Cup’s hospitality services firm escaped out the back door of his plush Rio de Janeiro hotel Thursday to avoid arrest on charges of illegally selling tickets, police said.
Brazil forward Neymar has done the unpredictable once again by revealing he will support Brazil's biggest rivals Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final against Germany.