Sports
UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC Slam FIFA and Infantino Again in Joint Statement
UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC have come together to release an extraordinary joint statement, just days after FIFA held a crisis meeting in Morocco.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come under fire in recent weeks after attempting to sell stakes in their major cup competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. He did a U-turn on those plans after serious backlash.
In the meeting, FIFA’s senior executives reaffirmed their support for Infantino. Infantino also reiterated his full support for the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Administration. They also said they would no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity and stressed that everything done was in compliance with FIFA rules.
UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC Hit Out at FIFA
UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC all condemned FIFA for their proposal and have now penned an open letter to ‘the football family’ criticising the organisation’s leadership. It started:
“The growth over the past decade has been real. But that progress was never the work of one individual. It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game.
“The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together.
“This is not about money. The Confederations have already called for the responsible distribution of FIFA’s vast existing reserves to further strengthen investment in the development of Member Associations.
“Nor is it about any Member Association losing the support it has earned, despite the fearmongering directed at our membership to suggest otherwise. Nor is it about revisiting the expansion of competitions, World Cup allocations, or any other decisions reached collectively. Those decisions were made together, and they must stand.
“This is about something more fundamental: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
While FIFA said they made mistakes in their plans to sell off stakes in their competitions, UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC have criticised them for not admitting that ‘the proposal itself was inherently wrong.’
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FIFA’s Crisis Meeting Comes Into Question
UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC have also hit out at FIFA for not allowing FIFA council members of Member Associations to participate in the crisis meeting. They added:
“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco. No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.
“This recent meeting, where a select number of members of the FIFA Management Committee—not the full Committee—were summoned abroad, rather than leadership going to Zurich to address the heart of FIFA, its staff, only reinforces these concerns and represents a continuation of the very pattern of conduct that brought us to this moment. It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him.
“There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.
“These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
Per GiveMeSport’s Senior Football Correspondent Ben Jacobs, the three federations want Gianni Infantino to resign, while a boycott of FIFA competitions is still possible. He added that the three confederations have begun preliminary discussions about the possibility of organising competitions among themselves to ensure players have opportunities to compete while a resolution is found.
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has shared his prediction for the upcoming 170lbs title fight between Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry.
Makhachev makes the first defence of his welterweight title against Garry, who challenges for UFC gold for the first time in his MMA career.
The UFC 330 main event pits a Dagestani fighter against an Irish star reminiscent of the blockbuster grudge match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018.
Ahead of this weekend’s huge title clash in Philadelphia, Woodley gave a fascinating insight and backed a clear winner while talking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT.
Tyron Woodley Previews Islam Makhachev vs Ian Garry
Woodley, who beat Robbie Lawler to claim the UFC welterweight title, shared his honest thoughts on Makhachev vs Garry and, in doing so, bemoaned the current landscape of the sport before hailing the Russian star’s ‘biggest flex.’
“I feel like when my era of MMA was the most lit era, you know, I mean, us champions, we were the champions the way we wanted to be. You know, Makhachev is a champion the way Khabib was a champion, and everybody was trying to mimic Conor,” he told GIVEMESPORT.
“Like, I was in a phase where people were building their own image and their own brand. And we was doing it because we felt it was our authentic self. Now everybody’s doing what they see everybody else doing. And it’s just kind of leaving no real, no real individuals in a sport. And it’s a lot of people that are just doing what they think they need to do to make money.”
Woodley, who made four successful title defences during his reign as UFC welterweight king, added: “So, with that said, Garry and Makhachev hasn’t really just made me have to get out of my comfortable room and go and turn the TV on.
“And I feel like I’m not the only one that’s gonna say that. I think Makhachev is dominant. I think the biggest flex of most Dagestanian and Russian fighters is their discipline, the way they stay focused. Their flex has been undefeated.
“I think I looked at a graphic, and it was all Khabib and his relatives and Makhachev. I think it was like 107 wins amongst those guys with like single-digit defeats. There, that’s what we should really be looking at.
“We should be looking at their ability to be disciplined to the point where they win so many fights and everybody’s trying to be undefeated and undefeated, like Khabib, that they’re going to have to win four or five more fights to get the paydays and to get the exposure that somebody that goes on a press conference and talks some c*** and then, you know what I mean, try to build it up. So they’re ready to do more fights.”
Tyron Woodley’s Prediction For UFC 330
Other than his defeat to Adriano Martins in 2015, Makhachev has been extremely dominant inside the famed Octagon, collecting UFC titles in two divisions, beating the likes of Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski, and Dustin Poirier along the way.
He’s dominated his opponents with his superior grappling skills and has also shown off his stand-up, having knocked out Volkanovski in their 2023 rematch.
Garry, meanwhile, is a well-rounded MMA fighter, and while Woodley hailed the Irishman’s striking, he doesn’t know how he’ll stop Makhachev from closing the gap.
He said: “They’re ready to be more active, to earn their key that way. And you gotta, you gotta respect the old-school Bushido spirit that they’re letting their actions and their skills and their fighting style do their talking for them and less of the antics.
“I feel like Garry is a good striker, and I just don’t know how he’s going to stop Makhachev from closing a gap and putting paws on him to get him to the ground. I don’t see that really happening.”
Makhachev vs Garry for the UFC welterweight title tops this weekend’s UFC 330 from Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Much like the EFL Championship, League One is no stranger to shocks of its own, with promoted sides regularly punching above their weight and established names sometimes struggling to adapt to life in the third tier.
In recent years, Premier League teams Nottingham Forest and Sunderland have struggled to make it out of League One following relegation from the Championship, spending three and four consecutive seasons in the division respectively.
It’s something Leicester City fans will be hoping to avoid, especially having been relegated just a decade on from their Premier League title win, and they’ll be desperate to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
With the 2026/27 League One season now on the horizon, GiveMeSport asked GrokAI to predict the final table, and it believes it has a good idea of how things will play out across all 24 clubs.
The Relegation Fight (17th-24th)
Despite winning the League Two title last season, Bromley are predicted to finish bottom of the pile. Fellow promoted side Cambridge United are expected to have a difficult campaign and ultimately fall short of survival, while AFC Wimbledon are tipped to not be as lucky as last season, where they escaped relegation by four points.
Burton Albion and Leyton Orient are also forecast to be embroiled in a battle to beat the drop, with Orient expected to just make it to safety at the expense of Albion. 2024/25 League Two winners, Doncaster Rovers are predicted to endure similarly nervy campaigns, as are Stevenage, while former Premier League mainstays Wigan Athletic round out the predicted bottom eight as the side best placed to pull clear of serious trouble come the end of the season.
|
Final League One Table Predicted By AI (17th-24th) |
|||||||||
|
Position |
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
|
17 |
Wigan Athletic |
46 |
15 |
14 |
17 |
52 |
57 |
-5 |
59 |
|
18 |
Stevenage |
46 |
14 |
15 |
17 |
48 |
55 |
-7 |
57 |
|
19 |
Doncaster Rovers |
46 |
14 |
13 |
19 |
52 |
63 |
-11 |
55 |
|
20 |
Leyton Orient |
46 |
14 |
12 |
20 |
51 |
61 |
-10 |
54 |
|
21 |
Burton Albion |
46 |
13 |
13 |
20 |
47 |
62 |
-15 |
52 |
|
22 |
AFC Wimbledon |
46 |
12 |
13 |
21 |
48 |
65 |
-17 |
49 |
|
23 |
Cambridge United |
46 |
10 |
13 |
23 |
44 |
67 |
-23 |
43 |
|
24 |
Bromley |
46 |
9 |
12 |
25 |
42 |
71 |
-29 |
39 |
Mid-Table (9th-16th)
Local rivals Mansfield Town and League Two playoff winners Notts County are expected to be well clear of any relegation fears, as are Peterborough United. Barnsley looks set to finish in mid-table once again in 13th, after finishing 15th and 12th in their last two seasons.
Former Premier League pair Blackpool and Reading aren’t fancied to push for the promotion places. Last season’s fourth-placed side, Bradford, who were beaten in the semi-finals by eventual winners Bolton Wanderers, aren’t predicted to put up another challenge for promotion either. Wycombe Wanderers are expected to get the closest to the playoffs of this mid-table bunch, missing out by seven points.
|
Final League One Table Predicted By AI (16th-9th) |
|||||||||
|
Position |
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
|
9 |
Wycombe Wanderers |
46 |
19 |
14 |
13 |
61 |
53 |
+8 |
71 |
|
10 |
Bradford City |
46 |
19 |
12 |
15 |
60 |
55 |
+5 |
69 |
|
11 |
Reading |
46 |
18 |
14 |
14 |
62 |
58 |
+4 |
68 |
|
12 |
Blackpool |
46 |
18 |
13 |
15 |
59 |
55 |
+4 |
67 |
|
13 |
Barnsley |
46 |
17 |
14 |
15 |
61 |
58 |
+3 |
65 |
|
14 |
Peterborough United |
46 |
17 |
12 |
17 |
65 |
63 |
+2 |
63 |
|
15 |
Notts County |
46 |
16 |
14 |
16 |
58 |
59 |
-1 |
62 |
|
16 |
Mansfield Town |
46 |
16 |
12 |
18 |
54 |
59 |
-5 |
60 |
Unlike the Championship, League One’s playoff format stays the same, and will not include the sides that finish seventh and eighth in the division. Leicester City are favoured to win the title outright, with Grok pointing to the fact that their squad remains simply too strong for this level. With new owners and no further point deductions confirmed in May, Sheffield Wednesday are tipped to join them in going up automatically, alongside Luton Town, while Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle and Stockport County round out the predicted play-off places.
Oxford United are tipped for a solid first season back in the division, narrowly missing out on the play-offs. MK Dons complete the top eight in the prediction, with Grok suggesting they should end up as the highest-placed side to have come up from League Two.
|
Final League One Table Predicted By AI (8th-1st) |
|||||||||
|
Position |
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
|
1 |
Leicester City |
46 |
28 |
10 |
8 |
84 |
45 |
+39 |
94 |
|
2 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
46 |
25 |
12 |
9 |
75 |
48 |
+27 |
87 |
|
3 |
Luton Town |
46 |
24 |
13 |
9 |
73 |
49 |
+24 |
85 |
|
4 |
Huddersfield Town |
46 |
23 |
13 |
10 |
70 |
50 |
+20 |
82 |
|
5 |
Plymouth Argyle |
46 |
23 |
12 |
11 |
72 |
55 |
+17 |
81 |
|
6 |
Stockport County |
46 |
21 |
15 |
10 |
67 |
51 |
+16 |
78 |
|
7 |
Oxford United |
46 |
21 |
12 |
13 |
66 |
55 |
+11 |
75 |
|
8 |
MK Dons |
46 |
20 |
13 |
13 |
65 |
56 |
+9 |
73 |
The 2026-27 Premier League season is close to getting underway and the race for the Golden Boot award promises to be as competitive as ever.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland secured his third Premier League Golden Boot last season after netting 27 goals. The prolific Norwegian striker fended off competition from Brentford’s Igor Thiago (22 goals) to win the coveted individual accolade for the third time.
Now Pep Guardiola has left Man City, can Haaland win the Golden Boot for the fourth time, or will someone else finish top the charts instead?
Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, a four-time Golden Boot winner, has now departed the Premier League, meaning Haaland’s run could even more straightforward this term.
ChatGPT has crunched the numbers and revealed how the Premier League top scorer charts may look at the end of the upcoming season. Let’s take a closer look…
20. Callum Wilson (Brentford). Predicted Goals: 10
Callum Wilson has signed a one-year deal with Brentford after leaving relegated West Ham and will provide competition for Igor Thiago upfront. The former England international turns 35 in February and 10 goals would be a very solid return.
19. Florian Wirtz (Liverpool). Predicted Goals: 10
Far more was expected of Florian Wirtz during his debut campaign at Liverpool, but the German playmaker will be determined to justify his enormous £116 million transfer fee during his second season at Anfield.
18. Jeremy Doku (Manchester City). Predicted Goals: 10
One of the world’s best wingers on his day, Jeremy Doku scored five Premier League goals for Manchester City last term. ChatGPT has backed the Belgian to double his tally this season.
17. Danny Welbeck (Chelsea). Predicted Goals: 10
Danny Welbeck secured an unexpected move to Chelsea this summer and has been tipped to deliver 10 Premier League goals in his first season at Stamford Bridge. The 35-year-old netted 13 league goals for Brighton last term.
16. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United). Predicted Goals: 11
Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed an impressive first season with Leeds United, scoring 14 goals in 35 appearances. The England international has been backed to hit double figures again in 2026-27.
15. Rayan Cherki (Manchester City). Predicted Goals: 12
AI believes Rayan Cherki could finish the season with 18 Premier League goals this term if the French forward starts every week for Manchester City. However, the final figure stands at 12 predicted goals, due to the fact he’ll continue to face stiff competition for a starting berth.
14. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool). Predicted Goals: 12
Dominik Szoboszlai hasn’t come close to registering double figures for Premier League goals in a single season to date. The Hungarian scored three in his first season, six in his second, and six in his third. The free-kick maestro is backed to double that tally this year.
13. Morgan Rogers (Chelsea). Predicted Goals: 13
Morgan Rogers will be under pressure to hit the ground running at Chelsea following his £117 million transfer from Aston Villa, which made him the most expensive British player ever. The England international bagged 10 Premier League goals last time out.
12. Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United). Predicted Goals: 14
Manchester United fans saw glimpses of Benjamin Sesko at his best last season but more will be expected from the 23-year-old striker during the 2026-27 campaign. The Slovenian, who registered 11 league goals in 2025-26, has all the attributes required to become an elite Premier League centre-forward.
11. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool). Predicted Goals: 14
Considering Hugo Ekitike won’t be back in action until November at the earliest, a 14-goal return feels very optimistic. The France international impressed during his debut campaign in England, scoring 11 goals in 28 games.
10. Cole Palmer (Chelsea). Predicted Goals: 14
Cole Palmer’s performance levels dipped last season but new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso will be desperate to get the most out of the gifted England international. Palmer netted 22 Premier League goals in 2023-24 but has been tipped to register 14 this season.
9. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United). Predicted Goals: 15
Bruno Fernandes has only ever scored 15 or more goals in one of his seven seasons at Manchester United. That was during the 2020-21 campaign, when he hit the net 18 times. The 31-year-old was more focused on setting up his teammates last term, breaking the record for most assists in a single Premier League season (21).
8. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal). Predicted Goals: 16
The Premier League goals have dried up a little for Bukayo Saka in the past two seasons, but ChatGPT believes the Arsenal winger can net 16 this year – which would equal his best return, set during the 2023-24 campaign.
7. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa). Predicted Goals: 16
Ollie Watkins has scored 16 Premier League goals in his last two season with Aston Villa and is backed to make it three years on the bounce with the same tally.
6. Joao Pedro (Chelsea). Predicted Goals: 17
Joao Pedro was unfortunate to miss out on a place in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad after scoring 15 Premier League goals for Chelsea. The South American is on course to end his second season with the Blues on 17 goals, according to ChatGPT.
5. Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal). Predicted Goals: 18
Viktor Gyokeres scored 14 goals in 36 Premier League appearances during his first season at Arsenal – a solid enough return, but many fans thought he’d be cracking the 20-mark. ChatGPT reckons the Sweden international will get closer to that tally this season.
4. Igor Thiago (Brentford). Predicted Goals: 19
Scoring 22 goals for Brentford last season was a stunning achievement. Nineteen goals would still be an excellent return for Brazil international Igor Thiago.
3. Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City). Predicted Goals: 20
Antoine Semenyo scored a combined 17 Premier League goals for Bournemouth and Manchester City last season. He’s looked impressive in pre-season and is tipped to hit 20 goals in his first full campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
2. Alexander Isak (Liverpool). Predicted Goals: 24
A combination of injuries and poor form meant Alexander Isak only managed to score three goals in 14 Premier League appearances last term following his £125 million move from Newcastle United. The Sweden international will be determined to prove he *was* worth the money as he begins his second term at Anfield.
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City). Predicted Goals: 28
It’s that man again. It would be a huge shock if Haaland isn’t in serious contention for the 2026-27 Premier League Golden Boot award come the final months of the season. He’s arguably the best in the business right now and is clearly the safe bet for anyone tempted to have a flutter.
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