Good morning football fans. It’s Thursday, August 6 - UEFA has updated two regulations ahead of the upcoming season, the incoming MLS commissioner has ruled out promotion and relegation, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
FIFA Apologises, Backs Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised over plans to sell stakes in the World Cup. In a letter co-signed by Fifa secretary general Mattias Grofstrom, who on Tuesday described the situation as a “sad and reproachable series of events”, Infantino said they "sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again". The pair, who together attended a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match shortly after the apology, also promised to review the scandal.
The letter, written to Fifa’s 211 member associations on Wednesday evening, followed a meeting of senior executives in Rabat, Morocco, where the management board reaffirmed its “full support” for Infantino, despite mounting calls for him to resign. The letter added: “With the project withdrawn, Fifa will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.”
Just hours before the statement, Fifa denied a report (not original source) in The Times — which had broken the original story — that claimed Infantino had offered Morocco the chance to host the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for helping him secure support to remain Fifa president. Fifa said it was a "false and misleading" claim and that a decision on where to hold the final, with the tournament also hosted by Spain and Portugal, will be made "in due course".
Editor’s note: Over the past week, we’ve covered the story around Fifa and Gianni Infantino extensively. While the developments are fascinating, we know it can also be fatiguing. Going forward, we will only include this topic in the main story section if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it can be found in our On The Ball section.
UEFA Rule Changes
UEFA has made two regulation changes ahead of this season’s European competitions, raising the yellow-card suspension threshold in its club competitions and modernising the rules governing stadium clocks.
Specifically, the European governing body has increased the yellow card threshold from the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, meaning that a player will now need four yellow cards, rather than three, to pick up the first one-game ban. The change comes as the governing body recognises that the new league phase system has increased the number of matches at this stage from six to eight, raising the likelihood of players accumulating yellow cards. Every subsequent suspension will kick in after two more yellows.
Secondly, Uefa has removed its long-standing regulation that prevented stadium clocks from displaying added time after 45 and 90 minutes, a change that the Premier League has adopted for the past two years. The logic of the rule was that the stadium clock was not the official match clock, but spectators might treat it as such. But, with the advent of new technology and fans’ ability to check live updates on their mobile phones, it is now seen as an outdated, rudimentary regulation.
Pro/Rel Sidelined
Major League Soccer’s incoming commissioner, Larry Berg, says that promotion and relegation will not be coming to the league anytime soon. Outgoing commissioner Don Garber previously said “never say never” about the system, but Berg has firmly rejected it for the foreseeable future, stating that he doesn’t think “it’s a great way to build a league.”
Berg’s comments come despite plans by rival organisation the United Soccer League (USL) to introduce a European-style promotion and relegation structure. The USL's new Division One men’s professional league, a direct competitor to MLS, enables it to introduce merit-based promotion and relegation between leagues. It’s targeting an inaugural season by 2028. However, Berg believes there are “other ways to create jeopardy during the regular season,” which do not require promotion and relegation.
Instead, Berg said his focus will be on improving the league’s quality of play and deepening its youth development pipeline. Central to this plan is improving MLS NEXT Pro, a professional development league aimed at developing young players and creating a pathway into MLS first teams.
Dive deeper into how the American youth football system can improve with Dan Wetzel’s op-ed in ESPN here.
POLL
Should youth development be the core focus for MLS?
THE BALL
Europe
> Luis Figo has urged Infantino to resign, saying his actions were the “lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed” (More)
> Bruno Guimaraes is set to join Arsenal from Newcastle United in a deal thought to be worth £75m (More) | Real Madrid have raised their contract offer for Vinicius Jr, amid formal interest from Arsenal for the winger (More) | Mohamed Salah is on the verge of signing for Turkish side Trabzonspor after being met by fans on his arrival (More)
> Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Matthias Jaissle as their new head coach (More)
> Barcelona Femeni have signed Brazil forward Kerolin from Manchester City in a deal thought to be worth £1.25m, which is the largest sum a Women’s Super League team has received for a sale (More); see every deal from the women’s top six leagues (More) | Manchester United Women have hired Eva Olid as their new manager on a two-year deal with an option for a further 12 months (More)
> Manchester United are planning their first-ever permanent matchday fan zone at Old Trafford, a place for fans to meet other fans with pre-match build-up (More) | Man United announced a record £20m per season deal with a betting company to be the club’s training kit sponsor (More)
Americas
> The NWSL will begin its 2027 schedule a month earlier than ever before, beginning February 11, with the earliest game in the league’s history having been the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 7, 2025 (More)
> Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney says that he does not have confidence in Fifa president Gianni Infantino following his recent controversial plans (More)
> Evander scored a stunning goal for FC Cincinnati in their 3-1 win over Pachuca in the Leagues Cup 2026 (Watch); see every Leagues Cup result (More)
> The Chilean FA has allowed Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to wear his nickname on his Colo Colo shirt (More)
Rest of the World
> Gaming giant EA, which developed the leading football video game EA FC (formerly FIFA), has been sold to a Saudi-led group for $55bn (More)
> Herve Renard has been named Ivory Coast manager, 11 years after his first spell with the African nation (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: With so many managerial changes, do you think we're entering a new era of the Premier League?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (57%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (40%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 D.L: “Yes, this is a new era because managers have a big impact on how their teams perform and by extension how the league performs. Now, for better or worse, the big names are gone, and they have no chance of returning any time soon. I hope this gives the new cohort time to put their own stamp on their teams and become a ‘big name’ manager themselves that we all enjoy for years to come.”
👍 L.J: “I guess we must be. But I'm still not convinced that Arteta is a top top coach and so there's no real powerhouse any more, which could mean a more competitive season.”
🙅♂️ P.J: “Managers come and go all the time in professional football. This isn't some new era.”
EXTRA TIME
The 10 best home shirt designs of the 2026-27 season.
Which confederations could support Infantino or turn against him?
Ferran Torres throws the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
Why are two goals called a brace in football?
Explaining the Premier League’s new financial rules.
Can AI make EA FC27 from scratch?
GAME FACE ON
Question: What do the following players have in common: Ryan Giggs, Neymar Jr, Mohamed Salah, Gareth Bale, and Rivaldo?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
It’s very clear that we’re a soccer nation.
Answer
They all wore/wear the number 11 shirt.