Good morning. Gianni Infantino makes a plea to smaller federations ahead of next year’s election, Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball doesn’t do well at auction, and everything else you need to know.
TOP TALKING POINTS
Infantino Rallies Support
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has tried to appeal to smaller federations as he campaigns for re-election next year, casting himself as their defender against the game’s wealthier nations. He argued that it’s Fifa’s job to close the gap between the wealthy and minnow federations, and suggested the former blocked his plan to sell a stake in future Fifa tournament revenues because they did not want that gap to narrow.
That narrative appears to have found support among some smaller federations. Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o, now president of the Cameroonian FA, told CNN: “I remain convinced that for us as Africans, this project was something that could have been incredible.”
Meanwhile, Europe’s Uefa, Asia’s AFC and Concacaf are reportedly still discussing whether to move a vote of no confidence in Infantino ahead of next year’s ballot. Plus, a group of current and retired footballers have called for change in Fifa’s leadership. Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, who sits on Fifa's Players' Voice Panel, called for new leadership in a social media post titled “Enough is Enough!”.
Maradona Ball Sale
The ball Diego Maradona scored his ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup was sold for $3.35m at Heritage Auctions. The Dallas-based auction house estimated the ball would fetch $10m, with an auctioneer describing it as “arguably the most significant soccer item that exists.” The opening bid was set at $2.5m.
Referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the World Cup quarter-final match, had kept the ball at full-time and stored it away for more than three decades before selling it at auction in 2022 for $2.37m. In 2023, he signed a letter to confirm that it was the only ball used during the match, while independent authentication later confirmed it was used during the second half, meaning that the ball was also used to score Maradona’s ‘Goal of the Century’.
The shirt Maradona wore in the same match sold for a world-record £7.1m at a London auction in 2022.
Academies Enter Pyramid
The FA has approved a controversial plan to allow four Women’s Super League academy teams to play in tier three of the pyramid from the 2027-28 season. The academy teams, though, will not be eligible for promotion.
The move is part of the FA’s plans to restructure the women’s pyramid and improve the development pathway for youth players. The FA said data showed that young English players were getting significantly fewer competitive minutes than their counterparts in Europe’s leading leagues.
When the plans were first discussed, 52 of the 72 Women's National League clubs signed a letter to the FA opposing the proposal. One coach accused the FA of “rehashing and repackaging” a scrapped plan to introduce WSL B teams, while the chair of Portsmouth’s supporters’ club accused the governing body of “pandering to the WSL teams.” Generally speaking, the opposition is mainly about protecting the integrity of the women’s football pyramid, and that WSL teams will gain an advantage by their academies playing at the senior level.
ON THE BALL
Europe
• English League Cup second round; see Tuesday’s results (More) and upcoming fixtures (More) | Tottenham sign Savinho from Manchester City for £75m (More); and Manchester United sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton for £65m (More)
• The Women’s Champions League third qualifying round first-legs continue on Wednesday (Aug 26) (More); see all the upcoming fixtures (More)
• Real Madrid play their second league game this season on Wednesday (Aug 26) with a home fixture against Real Sociedad; see the La Liga table (More)
• Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels, Yann Sommer and Lucas Hernandez, along with an investor group, have taken over Portuguese first division club Estrela Amadora (More)
• Fans suffered firework burns and eye injuries after Dutch side Feyenoord supporters threw fireworks in their league match against SC Cambuur (More) | Xavi, former Barcelona midfielder and manager, has said he is “here to win” as Netherlands’ new national team head coach (More)
Americas
• Two Leagues Cup quarter-finals — Leon vs Real Salt Lake & Monterrey vs Chicago - conclude shortly after publication (Live results); a full breakdown of the League Cup’s format (More) | Atlanta United sign Swiss striker Breel Embolo (More)
• FIFA has released the 2027 Women’s World Cup schedule, which will be hosted in Brazil (More)
Rest of the World
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Monday’s Poll: Do you think the Manchester City 115-charge case has damaged the Premier League’s credibility?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 Yes (72%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (27%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (1%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 W.T: “Yes. But the league's credibility will be further damaged if the pseudo-political threats from Man City's owners determine the outcome of the case. It would send a horrible message: with enough money and power, the rules simply don't apply.”
👍 J.L: “It’s definitely damaging to the Premier League as it highlights political influence. Any other club without direct ties to another country’s government would have already been sanctioned or vindicated.”
✍️ J.H: “If the result comes out in a transparent and commensurate way then, no the Prem has not been damaged, it has been strengthened. If, however, the rationale for the result is as opaque as the process has been to this point, then yes, the credibility of the league goes in the dumper.”
EXTRA TIME
A baby invades the pitch.
Ranking the best managers in Premier League history.
Why does Savinho want to be called Savio at Tottenham?
Carragher and Neville’s 2026-27 season predictions.
A look at Premier League shirt sponsors over the years.
One quiz master versus the Chelsea squad.
Perfect communication caught on Ref Cam.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Name the biggest stadium in the Championship this season.
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.
If we're being totally honest, Xabi Alonso lost his job because of Vinicius Jr.
Answer
London Stadium (West Ham).