Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), informed a number of senior officials in the federation that he will not move forward with plans to expand the World Cup for teams or the Club World Cup, if he is re-elected as president of the federation, in a move believed to be aimed at alleviating the increasing pressure on him and attracting hesitant votes before the presidential elections scheduled for next March.
According to the British newspaper The Times, in a report published by Martin Ziegler, chief sports correspondent, on Friday, Infantino informed members of the office of the FIFA Council, which includes the presidents of the six continental federations, of his readiness to abandon any plans to expand the two tournaments if he wins a new presidential term.
This step comes at a time when the South American federations are pushing towards increasing the number of teams participating in the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, in celebration of the centenary of the start of the tournament, while Infantino has not previously hidden his desire to hold the Club World Cup at a pace more closely than the current system, which stipulates that it be organized every four years, in addition to increasing the number of participating clubs from 32 clubs.
Those familiar with the scenes of the International Federation believe that Infantino’s retreat from expansion plans aims to contain the criticism he faced after abandoning the project to sell a share of the commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors, as well as an attempt to persuade those who are hesitant to support him in the upcoming elections.
FIFA refused to comment on the information, saying only that “discussions within the Council and the Council office are confidential, in accordance with our regulations.” These developments coincided with the confirmation of Japanese Kozo Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council, entering the presidential election race as a competitor to Infantino, while information is circulating about the approaching announcement of another candidate who enjoys the support of the European Football Association (UEFA).
Regarding the Club World Cup file, it has not yet been decided which country will host the 2029 edition, after the inaugural edition with the new system was held in the United States. Expectations indicate that Morocco appears to be a strong candidate to host the tournament, especially since it will participate in organizing the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, with three matches being held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to celebrate the tournament’s centenary.
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis said Friday that he will step away from basketball to prioritize his health.
The Warriors previously said that the Latvian player (31 years old) would be absent from the field for an indefinite period; Due to an undisclosed health problem, before he announced on October 21 that he would not be with the team in the “near future.”
Porzingis, who helped the Boston Celtics win the NBA title in 2024, discovered last year that he had a problem that causes the heart rate to increase excessively when standing.
In a statement posted on social media on Friday, Porzingis said his body did not respond the way he expected this season.
He said: “I am fine, but I know what it takes, and I am not in the position I want to perform to perform as I expect from myself. “At this point I made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love.”
Porzingis, who joined Golden State in a trade last February, was absent from the team during training camp and the beginning of the preseason, and did not participate in any games this season.
The 7-foot-2-inch (2.19-meter) player this summer extended his contract with the Warriors for two years, worth $40 million. ESPN reported that Golden State stopped paying Porzingis’ dues throughout his absence from the team.
The Latvian player said that he would work with the team to “find a logical solution.”
Porzingis played three seasons with the New York Knicks before playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and then the Warriors.
Last season, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Kimi Antonelli, who recently clinched the Formula 1 World Championship title, recorded the best time on Friday in the second free practice of the Brazilian Grand Prix scheduled in Sao Paulo on Sunday, after McLaren driver Lando Norris topped the first practice at the Interlagos circuit.
Mercedes driver Antonelli scored one minute and 10.763 seconds, followed by Norris in second place, 0.253 seconds behind, while Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, came in third, 0.259 seconds behind the lead.
The Italian driver said in reference to the qualifying trials that will be held later on Saturday: “There is still some work to be done, but I feel good in general and excited about today.” “I think we have a good chance.”
On Friday, Antonelli returned to the track where last year he scored what was then his best result in Formula 1, which was second place.
Mercedes driver George Russell finished fourth, knowing that he would be subject to a penalty for dropping in the starting order due to changes in the components of the power unit, followed by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli (20 years old), who won the world championship title by finishing third in the Mexico race last Sunday, finished the first free trials in second place behind Norris.
Norris said: “The first test session was a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant surprise. In the second session I think we had a little more difficulty compared to the Mercedes, as we were about 20 seconds behind each lap. But compared to some other teams, our situation seems pretty good.”
Mercedes can win the teams' title in the Brazilian race if it beats Ferrari by three points during the race.
Leclerc, who returned to the Ferrari car after young Dino Pejanovic drove it in the first test, reported a problem with the brakes early in the second test, while Hamilton complained about the performance of the tires, at a time when Ferrari seeks to reduce the gap with Mercedes.
Leclerc, who became a father this week, almost collided with Brazilian Rafael Camara, the rookie Haas driver who replaced Esteban Ocon.
Kamara, who is competing in his first race at the Interlagos Circuit, finished the second session in 16th place after finishing 17th in the first session.
The support of the local fans also went to another Brazilian driver, Audi driver Gabriel Bortoletto, who finished the second session in eighth place.
This is the first time since 2016 that two Brazilian drivers have participated in a Formula 1 event, and the Audi driver finished the first tests in eighth place.
“It was amazing and very special,” Kamara said. Getting the opportunity to participate in the first free trials was touching. You see the crowd in front of you cheering. “It was a special feeling to drive my car here at Interlagos.”
A number of young and reserve drivers participated in the first trials before the main drivers returned to participate in the second round.
Freddie Slater's stop in the first free practice, as a result of a gearbox malfunction, caused the red flag to be raised, which prevented Nico Hulkenberg, the Audi driver, from participating in the second practice. The German was the only driver who did not record any lap time.
“The car just stopped... lost gears,” the Briton told his team over the intercom. Slater, who spent limited driving time in Mexico last week, completed only seven laps and finished last.
Hamilton reported, via the intercom, a slippery surface during the first trials despite the dry weather, with rain expected during the remaining two days of the race on a track known for exciting races in wet conditions.
A number of drivers, including Hamilton, Antonelli and Kamara, deviated briefly from the track at the first turn during the first round, while Verstappen complained of a problem with the speed reduction process, describing it as “unacceptable.”
Alpine driver Gabriel Mini impressed everyone by finishing seventh in the first tests, ahead of Bortoletto and his Argentine colleague Franco Colapinto.
