So much of the 2026 World Cup story so far has unfortunately been about Gianni Infantino. The FIFA president has spent the entire build-up playing sycophant to United States President Donald Trump, even though Canada and Mexico are also co-hosts for the tournament.

Despite that, he’s been unable or unwilling to get Trump to soften his intensive border control restrictions and open up the door for all those – players, fans, staff, and officials – connected to World Cup nations to enter the US. One of many examples saw Somali referee Omar Artan turned away upon arriving in Miami, despite having a visa to come into the country.

In response to the criticism, the ever-unpopular Infantino did not help his cause when he told the journalist to ‘chill, relax.’ The Swiss-born 56-year-old has been FIFA president since 2016 and has long had his detractors, with one of those being football legend Diego Maradona.

Diego Maradona Quit FIFA Legends Role After Dispute With Gianni Infantino

Maradona is best remembered for his iconic performances at the 1986 World Cup, as he led Argentina to glory in Mexico. His two league titles in Italy with Napoli, as well as trophy-winning spells with Barcelona and Boca Juniors, helped cement his place as one of the greatest players in football history.

Having such a high status within the sport, Maradona was part of the FIFA Legends team. However, in 2019, the Argentine great quit his role on the programme, blaming mistreatment from Infantino.

Indeed, the former Napoli man – who passed away in 2020 at the age of 60 – spoke with great anger about the FIFA president. He claimed he was treated like a ‘dog’ and consequently resigned on the spot:

Maradona then took aim at FIFA’s deputy general secretary Zvonimir Boban (who resigned later that year for unrelated reasons), challenging him to a fight. The Argentine was unhappy after an alleged misunderstanding between himself and Boban at the hotel where members of the FIFA Legends programme were staying.

Maradona slammed Infantino for sending Boban to deal with the issue, saying: “I would like to say to Boban that if he wants to look good, let’s go to a (boxing) ring. He shouldn’t have come to the hotel and got angry.

“The worst part is that Boban was sent by someone. And this someone is Infantino. I am not a 20-year-old kid, I am 58. It hurts me because I believed in these people. Now I don’t believe them anymore.”

Maradona Felt Infantino Was Just as Bad For FIFA as Sepp Blatter

At the time, 2019, Infantino had been in charge of FIFA for three years. The administrator had taken over from former president Sepp Blatter in 2016, who departed amid controversy. Indeed, Blatter had been banned from football for six years in 2015 by the world governing body’s own ethics committee for approving a £1.3m payment to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011.

The ruling also meant that Platini withdrew from the race to become FIFA president, allowing Infantino to take the crown. Fast-forward to 2026, and a recent criminal complaint has now been made against the currrent FIFA boss, in which it’s claimed that Infantino and others “worked to exclude [Platini] from the race for the presidency of FIFA”.

Amid these allegations of shady behaviour, it’s eye-opening to see Maradona’s remarks about

Infantino at the time. Perhaps most notably, in 2019, he claimed that FIFA had not ‘changed a bit’ since the departure of Blatter and the arrival of Infantino:

A decade into Infantino’s presidency, some would argue not only have things not got better since the days of Blatter, but they’ve got even worse. World Cup games, for example, have become essentially unaffordable for the average fan. Indeed, a category one ticket for the final cost about $1000 in Qatar 2022, but will now set supporters back over $6000 in 2026.

All seven fights on the landmark UFC Freedom 250 card that will be staged on the grounds of the White House on Sunday night are now official.

Each of the 14 fighters on the card made their contracted weights at Saturday afternoon’s official weigh-ins, but one man stole the show in bizarre fashion before he stepped on to the scales.

UFC Freedom 250 was commissioned by the UFC to celebrate both the 250th anniversary of the USA and the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump. In a company first, the Octagon will be set up outdoors, as all the action will take place in a makeshift 4,300-seater arena on the South Lawn of the White House.

UFC Freedom 250 Main Events Explored

The card will be headlined by a pair of title contests. In the evening’s main event, Ilia Topuria will clash with Justin Gaethje for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship. At Saturday’s weigh-in, both men came in at the 155lbs required to make the bout official.

The co-main event sees the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship on the line as Brazilian legend Alex Pereira steps up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane.

Despite his move from light heavyweight, Pereira (251lbs) came in heavier than Gane (248lbs). The winner will meet full heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, in a unification bout in their next bout.

Both championship contests were made official without much in the way of drama. The same can’t be said for Josh Hokit’s weigh-in for his White House showdown with Derrick Lewis.

The undefeated Hokit has quickly made a reputation for his antics outside of the Octagon. The 9-0 American stayed true to form as he made his way to the scales on Saturday.

Hokit turned up to the weigh-in almost naked as he swayed back and forth, while claiming to be scared of Lewis, who holds the record for the most knockouts in UFC history.

UFC Fighter Weighs In ‘Drunk’ For White House Bout

Appearing to be ‘drunk’, the former American football player told media members in attendance:

In the middle of his statement, Hokit even seemed to throw up on himself. The 28-year-old had to be urged to stand still as he climbed on to the scales.

Eventually he did so, weighing in at 231lbs, making Sunday’s contest against Lewis (265 lbs) official.

In his three fights to date as a UFC fighter, Hokit has become known for his outlandish behaviour and there’s every chance that his newly-adopted downtrodden persona is simply a mind game heading into the biggest bout of his career.

Despite delivering one of the more unusual weigh-ins in UFC history, the fight is now official and Hokit will be intent on producing an eye-catching performance on Sunday night.

Tottenham are now set to make a big offer to sign a Liverpool star in the upcoming summer transfer window.

It looks set to be a busy market for Spurs as they look to improve on a dismal few years in the Premier League.

Liverpool have already seen a host of players head through the exit door, with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all departing.

Robertson left Liverpool at the end of his contract and has now joined Spurs, but he might not be the only player to make the switch between the two clubs.

Tottenham fans might have been worried that they were unable to attract players due to the lack of European football, but it’s been a strong start to the window so far, bringing in Robertson and Marcos Senesi.

Tottenham Preparing Big Offer

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are now preparing a big offer to sign Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo ahead of the summer transfer window.

Spurs are expected to make a formal approach soon, with an offer in the region of £60m being readied.

Gakpo’s future at Anfield is in doubt after a dip in form, and he has plenty of admirers in the Premier League and around Europe.

Tottenham are not the only club showing an interest in securing his signature, but it appears they are now in pole position to sign him this summer.

It remains to be seen whether Gakpo, described as ‘elite’, would be keen on a move to Tottenham, especially after they failed to qualify for any European football.

Tottenham Could Struggle to Attract Gakpo

Attracting a player like Gakpo could be difficult for Tottenham, considering he’s been so used to playing European football over the last few years.

The Dutch international might not be a regular for Liverpool heading into next season, so a departure wouldn’t be a surprise. Despite that, Spurs could still struggle in the race.

A strong World Cup could bring other clubs into the race to secure his signature, so there’s a chance Tottenham could look to get ahead in the coming days to beat the competition.

It’s still unclear whether Gakpo would be willing to make the move to Tottenham this summer, but his versatility could make him a smart option for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.