FIFA bans OneLove armband at 2023 World Cup, offers alternatives

Captains can’t wear the original, but FIFA has made some knockoffs

FIFA has once again dismissed the possibility of wearing “OneLove” armbands, but at least provided some alternatives for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Soccer’s governing body turned down a request from several European national teams to allow the “OneLove” design on captain’s armbands during the 2022 men’s World Cup. That decision extends to this summer’s women’s tournament, but FIFA has come up with eight options for teams “after consultation with 32 participating teams, players and United Nations agencies.”

The eight captain’s armbands available are all connected to a United Nations (UN) branch, save for one linked to the World Health Organization (WHO):

  • Unite for Inclusion (UN Human Rights)
  • Unite for Indigenous Peoples (UN Human Rights)
  • Unite for Gender Equality (UN Women)
  • Unite for Peace (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency)
  • Unite for Education for All (UNESCO)
  • Unite for Zero Hunger (UN World Food Program)
  • Unite for Ending Violence Against Women (UN Women)
  • Football is Joy, Peace, Love, Hope & Passion (WHO)

“It’s not just about what happens on the pitch,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura in a press release announcing the armband themes. “We are committed to using football’s power as a force for good and leveraging our partnerships with United Nations agencies to achieve our goals. We want to say thank you. Thank you to the players and the teams for sharing your support, for these causes. United, we can make a difference.”

It is also worth noting that FIFA’s “Unite for Inclusion” armband bears more than a passing resemblance to the actual OneLove armband, which several UEFA countries used in Euro 2020 on the men’s side of the coin.

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

England captain Leah Williamson had stated at a February press conference that she would like to wear the OneLove armband whenever possible.

“The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there,” said Williamson. “We’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it. It’s not even a question for us.”

This being FIFA, captains and teams can’t simply choose the armband they feel would be best on a given day. Instead, they have to choose between three options: wearing a “Football Unites the World” armband for the entire tournament; picking one of the eight themed armbands and wearing that in every game; or wearing the armband that corresponds with a specific matchday’s theme.

Captains who don’t follow that edict will be subject to being booked, as FIFA considers wearing an armband without approval a uniform violation.

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FIFA awards United States first expanded Club World Cup in 2025

Every major tournament seems to be on its way to the U.S.

FIFA has awarded the first ever expanded 32-team Club World Cup to the United States, with the tournament set to take place in 2025.

The governing body announced their decision on Friday, saying that the FIFA Council was unanimous in its vote.

“The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional men’s club football, and with the required infrastructure in place together with a massive local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new, global tournament,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a news release.

“With some of the world’s top clubs already qualified, fans from every continent will be bringing their passion and energy to the United States in two years’ time for this significant milestone in our mission to make football truly global.”

The U.S. is now set to host an incredible streak of major soccer events: the 2024 Copa America, the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 men’s World Cup are confirmed, along with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Should FIFA select a joint USA-Mexico bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, that would mark five straight summers with a marquee event in the United States.

FIFA said that the 2025 Club World Cup will serve as something of a dry run for the 48-team World Cup the following summer.

Awarding the 2025 event to the U.S. “would allow FIFA to maximize synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of football in the North American region,” the release said.

In December, Infantino announced that FIFA was moving forward with an expanded 32-team format for the Club World Cup, which has existed for several years with just seven teams participating.

Infantino said the tournament would be held in the summer and that the “best teams in the world” would be invited to participate.

There has been a backlash against the expanded tournament, however, with complaints about unnecessary competition with the UEFA Champions League, as well as adding more fixtures into an already crowded schedule.

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2023 Women’s World Cup prize distribution guarantees money to players for first time

FIFA is, at long last, paying women’s players directly

For the first time ever, players at the Women’s World Cup will be guaranteed prize money.

FIFA announced a new breakdown of prize allocations for the 2023 World Cup, set for Australia and New Zealand in July and August. This tournament’s method for distributing money will break up the prizes into two pools: one for the association of each national team participating, and one for the players themselves.

“Under this ground-breaking new model, Participating Member Associations (PMAs) will receive record distributions to support football development in their countries, while all participating players will receive guaranteed remuneration for their achievements at the tournament,” said FIFA in a statement announcing the new distribution model.

“The initiative marks another concrete step taken by FIFA to develop women’s football and ensure players receive a fair deal, a commitment FIFA hopes sets a standard across the industry, from broadcasters to governments and beyond.”

For players with the U.S. women’s national team and other favorites like England, Australia, and Germany, professional wages and sponsorship opportunities mean these bonuses are welcome, but may not represent more money than they were already set to make this year.

However, for the majority of players on the majority of teams, even the smallest prize package ($30,000 to each player on a team eliminated in the group stage) will likely be the biggest windfall they’ve ever received from playing soccer. Even for someone making the NWSL minimum salary for 2023, which is $36,400, the smallest World Cup bonus would nearly double their wages for the year.

“FIFPRO is very pleased with the steps taken by FIFA in establishing this guaranteed player payment mechanism,” said David Aganzo, president of international players’ union FIFPRO. “The key behind the success of this model is that it is universally applied, and it is fair, which is what female footballers tell us they want above all else. We see this is as only the beginning of what will be a transformational journey for the women’s professional football landscape together with FIFA.”

Per-player prize money

Final Position Prize money
Group Stage $30,000
Round of 16 $60,000
Quarterfinal $90,000
Fourth place $165,000
Third place $180,000
Second place $195,000
Champion $270,000

Meanwhile, FIFA has raised the total prize pool given to the associations running the 32 national teams that qualified to a hair over $61 million, more than double the $30 million pool that was carved up between the 24 teams that played in the 2019 World Cup.

While that still leaves a gargantuan gap between what FIFA provides for the women’s World Cup as compared to the men’s (which got a $440 million pool in 2022) it does represent a substantial boost to the women’s game.

Participating Member Association prize money

Final Position Prize money
Group Stage $1,560,000
Round of 16 $1,870,000
Quarterfinal $2,180,000
Fourth place $2,455,000
Third place $2,610,000
Second place $3,015,000
Champion $4,290,000

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Budweiser is back at the World Cup after FIFA, AB InBev confirm partnership

Cheers!

When it comes to getting a beer at the World Cup, normal service has resumed.

FIFA on Thursday confirmed that AB InBev has renewed its contract with soccer’s governing body to be the official beer provider for this summer’s women’s World Cup as well as the 2026 men’s World Cup.

At last year’s World Cup in Qatar — a country that generally speaking doesn’t allow alcohol consumption at all — local organizers said they would allow for beer sales in limited time windows and only in specific spaces in stadiums, only to renege just days before the tournament began.

Despite knowing Qatar’s customs and laws, that outcome seemed to catch FIFA and AB InBev, who were all set to make sure everyone enjoyed as much Budweiser at games as they could get their hands on, totally off-guard. In the end, outside of specially licensed hotels, fans had to content themselves with a FIFA fan zone, and only during certain hours.

FIFA, AB InBev friendship back on

Nonetheless, it appears that there aren’t any hard feelings between the two multi-billion-dollar entities, which is nice for them.

“We are proud to renew this successful partnership, which will undoubtedly reach new heights in 2023 and 2026,” said FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai in a press release. “As one of our longest-standing sponsors, AB InBev’s investment will benefit the game, as well as football development all over the world, while bringing creativity and excitement to the experience that football fans will have during our most iconic tournaments.”

“FIFA World Cup tournaments are the most popular sporting events in the world,” added AB InBev chief marketing officer Marcel Marcondes. “We are deeply connected to the fans and to football all over the world, which is why we’re excited about extending the relationship with FIFA.”

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World Cup 2023: Alex Morgan finds balance returning to USWNT as a first-time mom

Alex Morgan is back with the USWNT like never before

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is rapidly approaching, and for superstar Alex Morgan, it’s the fourth time she will don the red, white and blue for soccer’s biggest event. While Morgan burst onto the stage in 2011 as the US Women’s National Team’s youngest player, she is now 33 and is playing in the World Cup for the first time as a mother. 

Morgan –  who is partnering with protein powder company Orgain this time around to fuel her journey to Australia and New Zealand this summer – gave birth to her daughter Charlie in 2020 after helping the U.S.A. win the 2019 World Cup. With two World Cup titles under her belt (Morgan also was a major part of the 2015 champion team) Morgan is trying to add to the collection. 

Balancing her family life with daughter Charlie and husband – professional soccer player Servando Carrasco – and keeping up the same level on the pitch has been key, and she’s heading into this summer’s event with drive and clarity.

“I take pride in like the balance of my life and just really appreciating my support system, my husband, my family, my friends, those who really uplift me in my most vulnerable times,” Morgan told GOAL in a recent interview.

When she’s not playing, Morgan told For the Win that cooking with Charlie is her happy place and way to unwind. That makes her collaboration with Orgain make even more sense. “Orgain is my go-to for high-quality, clean plant protein powder, helping fuel my body so I can embrace my days to the fullest, whether it’s enduring hard training sessions for the upcoming big game or spending quality time off the field with my family,” she says in the press release announcing their partnership. 

The Women’s World Cup begins July 20, 2023. 

Some fans call foul over Ivan Toney’s FIFA 23 ban

Ivan Toney is banned from FIFA 23, though EA’s reason has some fans accusing the sports game publisher of double standards

Ivan Toney is banned from FIFA 23, though EA’s rationale for the decision has some fans accusing the publisher of double standards. EA removed Toney from the sports game after the Brentford player after it came to light that he had bet on his own team to lose multiple times, violating the Football Association’s betting rules 232 times since 2017.

Toney received a six-month suspension from the real-life game. Whether EA plans on this being a permanent ban is uncertain, though some fans think it’s ironic that EA would ban someone for breaking betting rules, when, they say, FIFA 23’s FUT mode encourages a form of gambling (thanks, TheGamer). 

You build your teams with player cards, which you get at random from card packs. You can sometimes find a specific card for sale on the in-game market – if you’re willing to pay a few hundred dollars for it. Buying packs until you get a player you want or even a quality rating you need, however, can often cost even more money.

“FIFA literally promotes gambling to children,” one user wrote on Twitter.

“The cheek of EA to take a moral high ground on gambling,” another said.

Granted, Toney broke the association’s rules, while EA’s practices don’t violate any laws or regulations – unless you live in Belgium. EA previously banned other players from FIFA games after they broke laws or faced serious criminal accusations, so Toney’s ban is in keeping with their usual practices – sort of. Other players, such as Joey Barton, who assaulted a teammate in 2007 and has the shadow of other violent controversies looming over him, are still in the game.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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The World Cup 2026 logo will tell you what year the tournament is in

There is a 26 and a trophy — and not much else

FIFA has unveiled the official logo for the 2026 World Cup which contains, well, a 26 and the World Cup.

Breaking from past tradition of colorful logos that contain plenty of pertinent information, FIFA has gone with an understated look for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Absent from the logo are the name of the tournament, the names of the host countries, and any identifiable characteristics of the host countries. It does, however, have the trophy.

The 2026 logo and brand identity were revealed at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Simplicity and customization were the operative words for the logo, which each of the 16 host cities will be able to modify with their own colors and wording.

The “We Are 26” campaign was launched alongside the logo.

“We are 26 is a rallying cry,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a release. “It’s a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: ‘We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.’ The tournament will enable each host country and participating team to write their own page in the history books of FIFA World Cups, and this unique brand is a major step on that road to 2026.”

The majority of opinions on the logo seemed to be underwhelmed, though some did appreciate the simplicity and customizable nature. In any case, we at Pro Soccer Wire have designed an alternative that anybody disillusioned by the logo is welcome to use.

We’ve helpfully put that logo at the bottom of these reactions. Please use it at your leisure.

FBS players eligible for NIL compensation in new EA Sports college football game

College football players across the country will get the chance to be represented in the relaunch of EA Sports’ ‘NCAA Football.’

In the early 2010s, NCAA Football by EA Sports became a video game staple for many gamers because it combined simulation video game football with everyone’s desire to control college programs and the iconic legends of the sport.

The series was wildly successful, and its last iteration came with NCAA Football 14It’s been almost a decade since we last saw one made, but that drought will end soon.

When EA Sports announced the return of its college football series in 2021, everyone wondered how they would address the elephant in the room: Name, image, and likeness. The series ended because of the increasing dialogue about NCAA athletes’ ability, or lack thereof, to profit off their name, image, and likeness. EA scrapped the series, and the decade since has seen the debate rage on until the beginning of the NIL era.

With a new game on the way, we have the answer.

Players can opt-in and profit from their likeness in the upcoming iteration of a new EA Sports NCAA football game. The partnership between EA Sports and OneTeam Partners to “facilitate collegiate athletes’ names and likenesses” will include the chance for all eligible FBS players to opt-in to have their likenesses in EA Sports College Football, a representative told ESPN’s, Michael Rothstein. Those players will receive compensation for being placed in the game.

If a player doesn’t want to be included in the game, a generic avatar would be used in that player’s place, previously the standard. Per Rothstein’s report, “more than 120 FBS schools have committed to being in the game — along with all 10 FBS conferences and the College Football Playoff — with the goal remaining to have every FBS school in the game.”

For franchise fans, this partnership with OneTeam seems like the best-case scenario. EA Sports has a long-standing relationship with them. The two have collaborated on other EA games, such as Madden and FIFA, through a partnership with player unions like the NFLPA, MLSPA, and USWNT Players Association.

Oklahoma has never publicly opposed the idea, unlike a school like Notre Dame, which was outspoken about it in the past. Former Sooners in recent years, like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and CeeDee Lamb, would have been candidates for the game’s cover. It remains to be seen how many Sooners join and opt-in for their likeness to be used, but it’s an exciting time for any FBS player to have the option to do so and be compensated for it.

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Infantino threatens to not broadcast women’s World Cup in Europe

The FIFA president is not happy with offers from European broadcasters

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has threatened to not broadcast the 2023 women’s World Cup in some European countries due to offers he called “simply not acceptable.”

With just three months to go until the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, none of the so-called “big five” European countries — Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and France — have broadcast agreements in place.

According to Infantino, that is because broadcasters in those countries have been attempting to lowball FIFA.

“The offers from broadcasters, mainly in the ‘big five’ European countries, are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable,” he said at a World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva.

Infantino said that while viewing figures for the women’s World Cup are 50-60 percent of the men’s World Cup, broadcasters’ offers from the big five European countries have been 20 to 100 times lower than for the men’s World Cup.

“To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” he added. “Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair (towards women and women’s football), we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries. I call, therefore, on all players (women and men), fans, football officials, Presidents, Prime Ministers, politicians and journalists all over the world to join us and support this call for a fair remuneration of women’s football. Women deserve it! As simple as that!”

For the first time, FIFA is selling the broadcast rights to the women’s World Cup separately from the men’s World Cup.

That, plus suboptimal broadcast times due to the tournament’s location, have seemingly combined to force the price down.

Moya Dodd, a former Australia international and FIFA Council member, told the Sydney Morning Herald that she wasn’t surprised over FIFA’s struggles to find suitable offers — and that it wasn’t because the women’s game is less marketable.

“Now that FIFA has decided to sell the rights separately, it’s no surprise that the buyers don’t want to pay the same big numbers twice,” Dodd said.

“Effectively, the industry was trained to pay big money for the men’s World Cup and to treat the women’s equivalent as worthless. At the same time, the women were told they didn’t deserve prize money or equal pay because they didn’t bring the revenues.

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USA-Mexico among four bids to host 2027 women’s World Cup

The North American bid will be competing against bids from Europe, South America and Africa

FIFA announced on Monday that it had received expressions of interest from four bids looking to host the 2027 women’s World Cup, including the joint USA-Mexico bid announced last week.

In addition to the USA-Mexico bid, three others will compete to be selected as the host of the tournament:

  • A joint bid between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands
  • South Africa
  • Brazil

Of the seven countries bidding, only two have hosted a women’s World Cup before: Germany, which did so in 2011 and the USA, which hosted in 1999 and 2003.

Should South Africa or Brazil be selected, it would mark the first time the women’s World Cup is held in either Africa or South America.

“We are thrilled by the expressions of interest received, not least because they come from member associations with a strong football tradition representing four confederations, thus confirming the consistent popularity of women’s football across the world,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura in a statement.

“All member associations can rely on the most robust and comprehensive bidding process in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

The host of the 2027 World Cup will be announced after a public vote at the FIFA Congress on May 17, 2024.

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