ubamobile

27
Tue, Oct

There is the prospect of a genuine sports revolution in the air. There is a refreshing spirit across the land. There are glimpses of a new dawn for the entire sports sector through the developments in football.

Beyond sport, there are also emerging, the faint outlines of a new nation from 2027. Things are coming together. Things are falling into places and fitting in like a jig saw puzzle.


Even the Universe is involved in the evolving ‘conspiracy’. Otherwise, who can explain the spate of coincidences of developments in Nigerian sports?

Presidential support

It was all kick-started by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He directed that proper sports reforms take place. And he backed his directive with the money to get it done.

Such level of presidential interest has not been seen since the era of late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu.

The president means business, and everyone knows it.

The NSC – getting things done!

The National Sports Commission, NSC, bosses have been very busy, demonstrating proficiency in managing the crisis-situation in Nigerian football and maneuvering through the maze of difficult issues. They dealt with the disbandment of the board of the NFF masterfully. It went without any outcry, or resultant crisis.

They led a delegation to the headquarters of FIFA and came back with a bouquet of flowers (that I hope are not coated with hidden poisons)from the embattled president of FIFA. I hope they now have the clearance to carry out the needed reforms in Nigerian football without involving the Congress of the NFF. That organ should have been dismantled as well, and without the threat of any sanction for ‘Third-Party interference’ hanging on our necks.

The NSC, I hope, are now set to advance matters to the next level – setting up a body of credible, neutral, and knowledgeable persons to dismantle the old failed system and to create new instruments for genuine football development in the best interest of the country.

A few days before that, Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of AirPeace Airline, had approved that the ‘file’ of the Olympic Gold Medalists of 1996 be dusted, and that the names of the heroes be uplifted again and inscribed in Gold on the ‘NIIA Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame’ at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos.

The induction ceremony will be held in October/November, 2026, a year that marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Olympic Games Boycott led by Nigeria, as well as the 30th anniversary of Nigeria’s greatest moment in sport, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Two of Nigeria’s great sports ambassadors will also be decorated on the day – late captain and manager of the Super Eagles, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi; plus the only world record breaker in Nigeria’s athletics history, Tobi Amusan(even as her record has been broken by America’s Olympic champion Masai Russel).


Governor Uba Sani – a new titan

Then, last week, came the bombshell. In my humble reckoning, the best news of the year came from Kaduna.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, CON, has joined Allen Onyema to fan the embers of the ‘Dream Team’, Nigeria’s victorious Olympic football team of 1996. Following that success, the Governor of Kaduna State at the time rewarded the players and their officials with plots of land in Kaduna. For some reason, the deed was not completed. The parcels of land were not documented and handed over the players.

30 years after, Governor Uba Sani has awakened ‘dead bones’, dusted the long-buried files, completed the process and redeemed the State government’s promise.

There was more great development

The state government was handed back the ownership of Ahmadu Bello Stadium, a heritage site that was built and opened in 1964 by the government of Northern Nigeria under Sir Ahmadu Bello. The stadium has deep historical significance to Northern Nigeria . It was taken over by the federal government for renovation for the Nigeria ‘99 FIFA Under-17 championship.

To have taken over all the State stadia became the worst decision ever. Some administrators in charge at the time, not versed in sports matters, ignorantly destroyed all major sports infrastructure in the country. Nigeria has not recovered from that misadventure and financial brigandage since then.

The Ahmadu Bello stadium, Kaduna, the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, and the Township Stadium, Calabar, had some of the best football facilities in Africa. Their ‘renovation’ became their destruction by some Nigerian and Israeli contractors.

Governor Uba Sani has come to spearhead a redemption of those monuments. The Governors of Oyo and Cross Rivers States should follow Uba Sani’s lead, secure the release of the two other State stadia from the NSC and rebuild them for the sake of posterity and for the coming reformation of sports in Nigeria.

By Segun Odegbami

FIFA has accused UEFA of waging a “smear campaign” against president Gianni Infantino as the bitter row over a scrapped $4.2bn investment deal escalates into a legal battle.

UEFA has accused FIFA and Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” over the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a plan that would have sold a 20% stake in a new FIFA commercial subsidiary to US investment firm Thrive Capital.

But in court filings in the United States, FIFA has hit back, arguing UEFA is seeking documents to support a foreign criminal case that does not exist.

“Rather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release - the beginning of a weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” FIFA said.

The governing body also dismissed UEFA’s legal arguments as suffering from a “fundamental defect” and “legal deficiencies”.

The proposed deal would have seen Thrive Capital, led by venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, invest $4.2bn in the new FIFA entity. The plan was abandoned within days of being publicly revealed in July after triggering fierce opposition across world football.

FIFA had argued that the deal would dramatically increase funding for its 211 member associations, raising payments for the 2027-30 cycle from £5.9m to £14.7m per association.

UEFA claims the deal was struck at an artificially low valuation and alleges FIFA’s World Cup commercial assets were priced at around £15bn without an open auction or independent valuation.

It also alleges that Infantino discussed the concept with Kushner for almost a year before the final terms were agreed and claims the FIFA president failed to properly consult the organisation’s governing bodies.

UEFA has asked a New York court to order the disclosure of documents and testimony from Kushner and his company Thrive, as well as American financier Greg Maffei, a key adviser to the proposed deal.

Neither Kushner nor Maffei is expected to be a defendant, UEFA says, but their evidence could shed light on how the controversial proposal was developed and valued.

FIFA, however, claims UEFA has an ulterior economic motive for opposing the scheme, arguing that giving smaller football nations greater financial resources would strengthen global competition and potentially weaken UEFA’s market dominance.

UEFA has declined to comment, although sources have indicated that its position is simple: if FIFA has nothing to hide, it should release the documents and allow the legal process to move forward.

The row marks a dramatic escalation in UEFA’s opposition to Infantino, who is facing calls to resign from three continental confederations.

Kushner has also expressed regret over becoming involved in the deal, saying the group “failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football” and would not have participated had it known how the controversy would unfold.

What began as a failed investment proposal has now become a high-stakes battle over FIFA’s finances, governance and Infantino’s leadership.

The Premier League has gone transfer-mad.

English clubs have smashed the summer spending record for the second year running, pouring a staggering £3.410bn into the transfer market.

And the message to the rest of Europe is clear: the Premier League has money — and plenty of it.

Last summer’s record of £3.14bn has already been blown away.

Then came deadline day.

Manchester City paid an initial £60m for Iliman Ndiaye, pushing the total beyond the previous record.

And that still wasn’t the end.

Soon after the window slammed shut, City confirmed another blockbuster: £125m for Enzo Fernández from Chelsea, matching the British transfer record.

Three of the 10 most expensive transfers in football history have now been completed this summer — and every one involved a Premier League club.

Chelsea paid £117m for Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

Manchester City spent £116m on Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool committed an initial £106m for Bradley Barcola, with the deal potentially rising to £123m.

The numbers are staggering.

Just five years ago, Premier League clubs spent £1.13bn in an entire summer.

Now they are spending almost three times that amount.

England is buying England

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the spending spree is where the money is going.

Increasingly, Premier League clubs are buying from each other.

Around 35% of transfer-fee deals this summer have been completed between Premier League clubs, up from 30% last year.

Add deals involving clubs lower down the English pyramid and that figure rises to 44%.

Tottenham paid up to £100m for Sandro Tonali.

They also spent £85m on Mateus Fernandes and potentially £85m on Savio.

Arsenal paid £75m for Bruno Guimarães.

Manchester United spent £70m on Carlos Baleba.

The Premier League is becoming its own transfer marketplace.

Europe struggles to keep up

The financial gap is becoming impossible to ignore.

Premier League clubs have maintained a net spend of more than £1bn, comfortably ahead of Europe's other major leagues.

And even when English clubs sell, much of the money simply stays in England.

Newly promoted Ipswich Town have spent more on players than European heavyweights such as Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

That tells you everything about the scale of the Premier League's financial muscle.

Why leave England to shop abroad?

There is a simple reason many clubs are increasingly looking closer to home:

certainty.

A player who has already succeeded in the Premier League is a safer bet than an expensive import who still has to adapt to English football.

Recent big-money signings from abroad have not always delivered, giving clubs another reason to target proven Premier League performers.

There is also a darker side to the boom.

Foreign clubs know exactly how much money Premier League sides have — and that can push asking prices higher.

So English clubs are often choosing to spend huge sums on players they already know, rather than gamble on talent from overseas.

The result?

Record spending. Record fees. Record power.

The Premier League isn't just dominating English football.

It is reshaping the global transfer market — one £100m deal at a time.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president, adding further pressure on the under-fire leader ahead of next year’s election.

The Northern Ireland governing body said it was time for change after expressing serious concerns over Infantino’s approach to FIFA’s governance and financial affairs.

The decision follows controversy surrounding a proposal to sell a 21% stake in FIFA’s commercial operations to a private investment company. The plan was eventually abandoned after strong opposition, particularly from UEFA, which had warned it could consider boycotting FIFA competitions.

In a statement, the IFA said the proposal had gone beyond a simple communication failure and raised serious concerns about FIFA’s strategy, governance and management of its assets.

The association had previously supported UEFA’s opposition to the plan but had stopped short of formally withdrawing its backing for Infantino. It has now joined a growing number of football associations calling for new leadership.

Football associations in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have already withdrawn their support for Infantino, who is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president at the election in March 2027.

Former Players unite against FIFA
Former Manchester United and France defender Mikaël Silvestre, a member of FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel, published a statement calling for significant changes within the organisation. The statement was subsequently shared by prominent players and former internationals, including England defender Lucy Bronze, France World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit and former England goalkeeper David James.

The players criticised FIFA for making major decisions without sufficient consultation with footballers or supporters. They argued that the sport had moved away from its traditional values under Infantino’s leadership and called for players and fans to have a greater say in how football is governed.

“Change is necessary,” the statement said, arguing that recent developments had made it impossible for players to remain silent.

Infantino is facing increasing pressure from several parts of the football world. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has suggested that the FIFA president should either step aside or face a serious challenge at next year’s election.

However, Infantino still retains influential support. Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Association and a former Barcelona striker, has defended the FIFA president and said he does not believe Infantino has done anything wrong.

Eto’o credited Infantino with expanding opportunities for smaller nations and increasing Africa’s influence within international football.

With more national associations and prominent players now calling for change, the pressure on Infantino is growing. The crucial question will be whether his opponents can unite behind a credible alternative before the FIFA presidential election next March.

The transfer window has slammed shut. The big-money deals are done. The deadline-day chaos is over. Clubs can no longer splash millions on new signings.

But there’s still plenty of talent sitting on the sidelines. A remarkable group of household names are now free agents, meaning clubs can potentially snap them up without paying a transfer fee.

And the list is loaded with former Premier League champions, Champions League winners, Ballon d’Or winners and some of the biggest names of the past decade.

Pogba, Benzema and Ramos headline the free-agent market
At the very top of the list is Paul Pogba.

The 33-year-old former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder is searching for his next chapter after Monaco terminated his contract following a difficult spell blighted by injuries.

Pogba's career has been interrupted repeatedly in recent years, but there is no doubt about the pedigree. At his best, he was one of the most exciting midfielders in world football.

Then there is Karim Benzema.

The former Real Madrid superstar and Ballon d’Or winner has also suddenly become available after his contract with Al-Hilal was terminated.

At 38, Benzema is no longer the unstoppable striker who terrorised European defences at Madrid — but his experience, finishing and enormous trophy haul make him one of the most intriguing free agents on the market.

And then there is Sergio Ramos.

Forty years old. Four Champions League titles. World Cup winner. One of the most decorated defenders of his generation.

Ramos has been without a club since leaving Monterrey in December 2025, yet he has still not called time on his extraordinary career.

Could one more adventure be waiting?

⚡ Sancho is still looking for his next move
Few names on this list carry more intrigue than Jadon Sancho.

The 26-year-old's Manchester United career never reached the heights expected after his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

Loan spells followed at Chelsea and Aston Villa, and now Sancho is searching for another opportunity.

A move to Brazilian giants Palmeiras has reportedly been agreed — but until everything is officially completed, Sancho remains one of the biggest names on the free-agent market.

At just 26, he could still have plenty of football left to offer.

⯑ Champions League pedigree is everywhere
Sancho isn't the only player whose CV jumps off the page.

Dani Carvajal spent 13 years at Real Madrid, making an astonishing 451 appearances and winning virtually everything there is to win.

David Alaba, meanwhile, left Madrid after five years and arrives on the market with a résumé that includes 12 league titles and four Champions League triumphs.

Then there's Riyad Mahrez.

The Algerian winger won the Premier League five times and lifted the Champions League with Manchester City. He scored 37 goals in 122 appearances for Al Ahli before his contract was terminated.

He may not be available for long, however, with reports linking him with a move to Al-Shabab.

⯑ And the list goes on...
There are plenty of other familiar faces waiting for their next opportunity.

Raheem Sterling, 31, is available after leaving Feyenoord following just eight games.

Philippe Coutinho, 34, has been without a club since leaving Vasco da Gama and has previously been linked with a move to MLS.

Jamie Vardy, 39, is also searching for his next destination after leaving Cremonese following their relegation to Serie B.

And there are plenty more experienced players available:

Jordan Ayew, 34
Dele Alli, 30
Joselu, 36
Anthony Martial, 30
Conor Coady, 33
Wilfried Zaha, 33
James Rodríguez, 35
Tyrell Malacia, 27
Oleksandr Zinchenko, 29
Solly March, 32
Georginio Wijnaldum, 35
Yves Bissouma, 30
The window may be closed — the market isn't For these players, deadline day didn't bring an ending. It simply brought another question: Who will take the gamble?

Some are veterans chasing one final chapter. Others, such as Sancho, Malacia and Zinchenko, are still young enough to rebuild their careers at the highest level.

And with no transfer fee required, clubs could be looking at some potentially huge bargains.

The transfer window may have slammed shut. But the free-agent market is still wide open.

UEFA is continuing its campaign to find a single candidate capable of challenging Gianni Infantino in next year’s FIFA presidential election, even as it prepares to abandon its threatened boycott of FIFA competitions.

The decision to drop the boycott follows assurances from FIFA that the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal will not be brought back. The plan, which involved opening FIFA’s commercial interests to private investment, triggered strong opposition across European football and led UEFA’s 55 member associations to consider withdrawing from FIFA tournaments.

UEFA is expected to formally communicate the decision to its member associations and FIFA Council representatives following its executive committee meeting in Monaco. The move will allow European teams to take part in the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, where England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and hosts Poland are scheduled to compete.

However, ending the boycott does not mean UEFA has ended its opposition to Infantino. European football officials remain determined to find a unity candidate to contest the FIFA presidency when the election takes place in March 2027. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has ruled himself out of the race but has indicated that a challenger is likely to emerge.

The election could be significantly closer than Infantino might have expected only a few months ago. A candidate needs 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations to secure victory, meaning an opposition campaign would need to build support well beyond Europe.

One of the strongest potential challengers is CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who is reportedly considering a bid. Other names have also emerged, including AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, although neither has formally entered the race.


UEFA has also stepped away from the idea of pursuing a formal vote of no confidence against Infantino. Such an initiative would require the backing of three-quarters of FIFA’s membership, making it considerably more difficult than simply building a coalition around an alternative candidate.

For UEFA, the objective now appears to be political as much as electoral. Even if Infantino manages to win another term, European officials believe that a narrow victory could weaken his authority and raise questions about the level of support for his leadership.

The dispute began after Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative sparked widespread concern over the potential commercialization and private ownership of major FIFA competitions. FIFA subsequently abandoned the proposal, but the controversy continued to fuel criticism of Infantino’s leadership and governance.


Infantino, meanwhile, continues to seek re-election and retains significant support, particularly among some African and South American associations. With the nomination deadline set for November 18, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether UEFA and its allies can agree on a single candidate capable of mounting a serious challenge.

The withdrawal of the boycott may ease the immediate confrontation between UEFA and FIFA, but it does not resolve the deeper political conflict. With several confederations increasingly questioning Infantino’s leadership, the 2027 FIFA presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most contested in recent years.

FIFA has imposed lengthy suspensions on Argentina internationals Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina following incidents that occurred after Argentina’s 1–0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

Paredes has been suspended for 10 matches for his involvement in confrontations with Spain players after the final whistle. Molina has received a seven-match ban after being found to have played a role in the post-match altercations, including an alleged incident involving Spain captain Rodri.

FIFA’s disciplinary proceedings examined multiple allegations against both players. Paredes faced three assault charges, while Molina was investigated for two alleged assaults as well as an additional charge of unsporting behaviour.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has also been punished. FIFA has issued the federation a $321,000 (£243,000) fine for a number of disciplinary violations, including discriminatory chants and gestures by supporters, misconduct by members of the team and the use of a sporting event for political or other non-sporting demonstrations.

Argentina will additionally face restrictions on spectators at its next two home matches. However, one of those matches will be subject to a suspended sanction.

The AFA was also penalised over a political banner displayed by Argentina players following their 2–1 semi-final victory over England. The banner expressed Argentina’s claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina refers to as the Islas Malvinas. FIFA determined that the display could violate its regulations prohibiting the use of football events for non-sporting demonstrations.

The disciplinary measures bring an end to FIFA’s investigation into the controversial scenes surrounding Argentina’s World Cup campaign. Spain ultimately claimed the title after defeating Argentina 1–0 following extra time in the final.

More Articles ...

  1. Premier League 2026-27: Full Season Predictions
  2. FIFA COO Kevin Lamour Sacked After Criticising Infantino
  3. Why Cristiano Ronaldo and Wife Chose a Private Wedding at Home
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