Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, has moved closer to withdrawing from the race for the presidency of FIFA, after the chances of him challenging the current president Gianni Infantino in the upcoming elections have receded.
Rafael Louzán, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, has placed hosting the final of the 2030 World Cup at the top of the organising bid's priorities, affirming Spain's commitment to its right to host the closing match, and that this demand is non-negotiable, in conjunction with the ongoing rounds of evaluating the stadiums nominated to host the tournament's matches.
The Spotify Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, and the Hassan II stadium in Casablanca: three stadiums, three cities and two countries competing to host the most important and most spotlight-grabbing football matches in the world.
Morocco received two valuable gifts from Brazil and Portugal, after the former's surprise defeat to Japan in a friendly, and the latter's loss to Denmark in the UEFA Nations League, helped change the shape of the race for the top places in the world rankings, handing the Atlas Lions a guaranteed seat among the top five.
Mehdi Benatia, the Moroccan former sporting director of Olympique de Marseille, has commented on the controversial crisis that followed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, which witnessed a series of developments that ended with the decision of the appeals committee of the Confederation of African Football to declare Morocco the winner of the title.
Morocco produced a striking attacking display against Niger, one that was not merely a comfortable 5-1 victory but carried clear tactical messages about the identity of the Atlas Lions under the leadership of Mohamed Ouahbi, who appeared keen to establish a style built on high pressing, rapid ball recovery and intensive attacking, in an attempt to impose the side's character from the opening minutes and unsettle opponents before they could organise their ranks.
Lege Cap Ferret
