Ballon d'Or: Messi Better Placed To Reclaim Award

Lionel Messi has been widely tipped to win the award for the 5th time despite Cristiano Ronaldo being ahead of the Argentine in goals scored in 2015.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is targeting an unprecedented fifth Ballon d'Or award in Zurich on Monday, with the Argentine heavily favoured to reclaim the prize from three-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Brazil striker Neymar, who plays alongside Messi at Barca, is also in the running to be crowned world player of the year after he was included on the three-man shortlist for the first time.

FIFA Presidency: Contestants To Hold Public Debate In London

FIFA Presidential contestants are set to hold a public debate which will reveal what each candidate has in stock for the troubled footballing body.

According to sportingintelligence.com,  American broadcaster ESPN wants to host the event in London on 29 January.

The election for the next head of world football's governing body is due to take place on 26 February in Zurich.

FIFA Scandal: Corruption Charges Against Me Will Be Dropped - Sepp Blatter

Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter believes that the charges against him will be dropped by the FIFA ethic committee.

Sepp Blatter expects all of his corruption charges to be dropped following his Fifa ethics committee hearing. The Fifa president has been suspended along with his Uefa counterpart Michel Platini over a payment made to the latter without a contract in 2011.

On Monday, Fifa will announce the extent of the Swiss over the corruption charges but he says he has already been told by the judge that they would be dropped.

Corruption: FIFA Officials Got £6.6m For 20101 World Cup Vote

The recent FIFA probe has hit several top personalities of the federation thereby revealing various corrupt deals in FIFA. Some have been suspended while some has been arrested has more allegations unfold.

A new indictment from the US Department of Justice refers to the official as 'co-conspirator 17'. He is not named. It states he made three payments to the now-disgraced former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.

The indictment emerged the day after 16 officials were charged by authorities investigating corruption at Fifa.

Issa Hayatou Hails FIFA Reforms

Acting FIFA boss and CAF President Issa Hayatou on Thursday has heaped praise on the reform proposals presented to the FIFA Executive Committee during a meeting in Zurich.

The meeting took place as the massive corruption scandal which has been hitting the world football’s governing body for months widened with the arrest of two more senior officials, interim CONCACAF President Alfredo Hawit and CONMEBOL President Juan Angel Napout.

“These reforms are moving FIFA towards improved governance, greater transparency and more accountability,” Hayatou said at a press conference.

FIFA Ethics Committee Wants Life Ban For Michel Platini

With days counting it look seems as if Platini will not be allowed to contest for the FIFA presidency as it looks like some powers in FIFA are set to deal with his errors. A life ban from football will certainly make Platini go weird. 

Fifa's ethics watchdog wants Michel Platini to be banned for life over a suspect payment, the European football chief's lawyer declared on Tuesday.

Platini is serving a 90-day suspension on corruption charges over a $2 million payment he received from Fifa president Sepp Blatter who is also suspended.

Platini, Blatter To Get FIFA Judgement In December

The judgement arm of Fifa's ethics committee on Monday opened a case against the body's suspended president Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, with a verdict in the corruption allegations surrounding both men due next month.

The panel of judges, known as the adjudicatory chamber, received the final report from the ethics committee's investigative branch on Saturday, which called for sanctions to be levelled against both men.

A guilty verdict would almost certainly crush Uefa president Platini's hopes of succeeding Blatter at the top of world football's governing body.

Michel Platini To Appeal FIFA Suspension At CAS

Michel Platini will appeal his suspension by FIFA at the court of arbitration for sport. The UEFA president has been ruled out from the FIFA presidency election due to his suspension.

Uefa president Michel Platini will appeal his 90-day suspension by world football's governing body Fifa at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), his lawyers said Wednesday.

The Frenchman's decision comes after a Fifa appeal committee on Wednesday rejected a bid by long-time president Sepp Blatter and Platini to overturn their 90-day suspensions while Swiss police pursue a criminal investigation.

UEFA Begins Talks Over Platini's Suspension

Europe's supreme football body, UEFA will sit today to discuss allegations surrounding the president of the body. Michel Platini was suspended for 90 days by FIFA and if UEFA should also find him guilty of the allegations he will certainly be suspended and that will signal the end of his quest to be the next FIFA president.

Uefa's crisis talks called to discuss the plight of its suspended president Michel Platini got underway on Thursday in Nyon.

The emergency meeting at the Swiss headquarters of European football's ruling body will give Platini a strong indication of the level of support he can count on in his bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as president of Fifa.

FIFA Investigating Mangala Transfer From Porto To Man City

Eliaquim Mangala's transfer to Manchester City from Porto last year is being investigated by FIFA amid suggestions the switch contravened third-party ownership rules.

Mangala moved to the Etihad Stadium from the Primeira Liga side in August last year - Porto receiving €30.5million for their 56.67 per cent of the player's rights.

While third-party ownership was banned by FIFA in May, private equity fund Doyen Sports had invested in Mangala prior to his departure for England.

Isa Hayatou Emerges Has New Acting President Of FIFA

Blatter, Platini and Valcke's suspension from FIFA will not only pave way for CAF president Isa Hayatou but it might help him lunch back a campaign to football's highest office after failed attempts. Hayatou is now the acting president of FIFA and with corruption scandals nailing Platini the Cameroonian might fancy is chance of wining the election if Platini is unable to contest due to a ban. Is this the time for Africa?

Sepp Blatter has been relieved of his duties as Fifa president after he was banned from all footballing activity for 90 days and replaced by CAF head Issa Hayatou.

Fifa announced on Thursday that Blatter, alongside presidential candidate Michel Platini and general secretary Jerome Valcke, had been suspended for 90 days, following approval by the governing body's adjudicatory chamber of a recommendation made the organisation's ethics committee.

FIFA Scandal: FIFA Suspends Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini & Others

After various critics and FIFA sponsors have urged the body to suspend Blatter and his allies the body has risen to the occasion by  suspending the FIFA president and his most likely successor Michel Platini.

Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jerome Valcke have officially been handed 90-day bans by the Fifa Ethics Committee.

Along with the powerful trio, Chung Mong-joon, a South Korean official who has served as vice president of Fifa, has been banned for six years and fined £67,924.

FIFA Scandal: Blatter Convinced The Truth Will Be Revealed Soon

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has labelled the furore over a criminal investigation into his activities as "outrageous" and insists he will only leave his role on the day of the election to find his successor.

Blatter announced in July that he will step down from his position following the indictment of 14 officials by the US Department of Justice under charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering.

Swiss authorities have opened criminal proceedings against the 79-year-old "on suspicion of criminal mismanagement" and "misappropriation", yet Blatter feels he is the subject of public condemnation.

Ballon d'Or: FIFA Releases 59-Man List

The 59 players shortlisted for this year's Ballon d'Or have been named. The two top spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona have seven players each while Bayern follows with five players. Manchester City and Chelsea are also tied with four players each while the surprise inclusion is David Ospina from Arsenal.... what a surpise....

FIFA Scandal: Sponsors Join Calls For Blatter's Resignation

Three of Fifa's longest-serving sponsors Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Visa have called for Sepp Blatter to immediately step down from his role as president.

Swiss authorities have begun criminal proceedings against the 79-year-old over allegations of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation, though Blatter has refused to do so after he maintained that he has "done nothing illegal".

"Every day that passes, the image and reputation of Fifa continues to tarnish,” Coca-Cola said in a statement.

FIFA Scandal: FIFA Bans Jack Warner For Life

Former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has been banned for life from all football-related activity, the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of the sport's world governing body said on Tuesday.

The former Caribbean federation president "was found to have committed many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at Fifa and CONCACAF" said the Ethics Committee statement.

The 72-year-old's ban covers all football activity at both a national and international level and is effective from September 25.

FIFA: Swiss Prosecutors Open Criminal Proceedings Against Sepp Blatter

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter, the head of world soccer body Fifa, on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation, the Swiss attorney general's office said on Friday.

It said Blatter was interrogated after a meeting of Fifa's executive committee in Zurich, and authorities carried out a search at Fifa headquarters on Friday.

"The office of the Fifa President has been searched and data seized," the office of the attorney general (OAG) said.

Probe: FIFA Set To Handover Jerome Valcke Emails

Swiss prosecutors said Thursday that Fifa have agreed to hand over the emails of suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Access to the emails had been demanded by Switzerland's Attorney General Michael Lauber as part of his probe into corruption allegations surrounding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Valcke was Fifa president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man until his suspension last week over accusations that he agreed to let World Cup tickets be sold at vastly inflated prices.

Segun Odegbami Shows Interest To Contest FIFA President

In the race for the next FIFA president some incredible Nigerians have shown interest. I think this Nigerians have much believe in themselves despite the fact that most of us know that if they eventually contest some of this candidates will not get up to 2 votes.

Take for example if Orji Ujor Kalu finally contests and Segun Odegbami does too then Amaju Pinnick's vote will probably be shared. If Nigeria is allowed to present two candidates then someone will end up without a vote.

So if Segun wins the FIFA presidency then an ex-footballer and a football writer will become the new FIFA president. Dreams they say - it comes true....Read the story after the cut....

FIFA Suggests Appeal Over Failed Real Madrid Move For De Gea

Confusion reigns over David de Gea's future after his move to Real Madrid failed to go through on Monday.

FIFA has stated information regarding David de Gea's seemingly failed transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid is "confidential" amid suggestions of an appeal.

The Spain goalkeeper looked set to complete his long-mooted switch to the Santiago Bernabeu on Monday, but De Gea was left in limbo after the deadline passed in his home country without a move being finalised.