One week after FIFA president Gianni Infantino decided to abort his plan to privatize part of the World Cup rights amid a flood of criticism against the project, the football leadership board remains just as unsettled. If Infantino intended to calm everything with his reversal, he has not succeeded. The expert leader is not alone despite the deafening noise generated around him, but he has lost much support. The federative chancelleries have divided and different positions remain with the horizon of the FIFA presidential elections, scheduled for next March. There are federations openly critical of Infantino, those that explicitly support him, and those that remain silent or hold more lukewarm positions one way or another. What follows is a kind of world map around the FIFA crisis.

Lightning operation by Ronald Araújo. The Uruguayan central defender of FC Barcelona will play one season on loan at Liverpool after an agreement reached between both clubs on Friday night. The pact has been approved by the Barcelona sporting director, Deco, and was revealed by the market specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano. Pending official confirmation, the Anfield team has reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona and the player and will take on the entirety of the Uruguayan central defender’s salary and reserves a purchase option for the end of the season.