All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday, even though tickets are still available ahead of the tournament’s June 11 kickoff.
“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino told CNBC.
Infantino, in an interview from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, said that there had been 508 million ticket requests in four weeks for some seven million available tickets.
He said requests during the main sales phase in January came from more than 200 countries.
“(We’ve) never see anything like that — incredible,” said Infantino, adding that football’s global governing body has kept “some tickets back” for the last-minute sales phase that will begin in April and run until the end of the World Cup on July 19.
Infantino addressed the issue of ticket prices, described as “exorbitant” by supporters associations and which have already reached record levels on resale sites.
“I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico,” he said. “Everybody wants to be part of something special.
“Ticket prices have been fixed but you have, in the US in particular, something called dynamic prices, meaning the prices will go up or down.
“You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up.
“That’s part of the market we are in.”
Infantino estimated that the first 48-team World Cup would bring FIFA some $11 billion or more in revenue, adding that “every dollar” will be reinvested in football in FIFA’s 211 member countries.
He put the World Cup’s impact on the US economy at around $30 billion “in terms of tourism, catering, security investments and so on.”
Infantino estimated that in addition to seven million spectators, the World cup would also attract 20 to 30 million tourists and create “185,000 full-time jobs”.
“It’s a big impact,” he said. “I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well.” (Punch)
Eleven suspects, including a parliamentary aide to France’s hard-left party, have been arrested in connection with the killing last week of a far-right activist in an incident that has shocked the country and laid bare its deep political divisions.
Quentin Deranque, 23, died on Saturday after sustaining a severe brain injury. The Lyon prosecutor, Thierry Dran, said he had been “thrown to the ground and beaten by at least six individuals” during an incident last week.
The attack took place as Deranque, a mathematics student, was on the sidelines of a protest against a university conference attended by Rima Hassan, a European member of parliament for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s leftwing party, La France Insoumise (LFI).
The anti-immigration Némésis collective, which was protesting against the conference, said at the weekend that Deranque had been there to protect its members and was assaulted by anti-fascist activists. Hassan and other members of LFI have condemned the killing.
The incident has inflamed political tensions in France in the run-up to next month’s municipal elections as well as the 2027 presidential race, in which polls suggest the far-right National Rally (RN) could achieve its best result to date.
The first wave of arrests was announced late on Tuesday, as Dran said nine suspects had been arrested. Those detained included people who were suspected of having participated in the violence and others who had provided support to them, sources told Agence France-Presse.
Hours later, two more suspects were arrested: a man who the prosecutor said was suspected of being directly linked to the violence as well as his partner, who was suspected of trying to help him evade justice.
The LFI politician Raphaël Arnault confirmed that his parliamentary assistant was among those detained, adding the aide had “ceased all parliamentary work”.
On Wednesday, as news of the arrests spread, the LFI said it had been forced to evacuate its national headquarters. “The national headquarters of LFI have just been evacuated following a bomb threat,” the party’s coordinator, Manuel Bompard, said on social media. “Police services are on site. All employees and activists are safe.”
As videos of last week’s deadly confrontation continued to circulate on social media, Mélenchon called for calm. “Let’s not fuel the incitement to take the law into one’s own hands,” the LFI leader said on social media.
Images broadcast by TF1 of the alleged attack showed several people hitting three others who were lying on the ground, two of whom managed to escape. One witness told AFP: “People were hitting each other with iron bars.”
Némésis, the anti-immigration collective linked to Deranque, has blamed the killing on La Jeune Garde (Young Guard), an anti-fascist youth group co-founded by Arnault before he was elected to parliament. La Jeune Garde – which was dissolved in June – has denied any links to the “tragic events” and Arnault has called the killing “horrific”.
While the government has singled out LFI and La Jeune Garde, the Lyon prosecutor on Monday declined to comment on those claims, instead telling reporters that the investigation was looking into suspected “intentional homicide” and aggravated assault.
Politicians held a minute of silence on Tuesday afternoon at France’s national assembly in memory of Deranque, while a march is expected to be held in Lyon next Saturday in his honour.
In a post this weekend, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, addressed the incident and called for calm. “It is essential that the perpetrators of this ignominy be prosecuted, brought to justice and convicted. Hatred that kills has no place among us,” he wrote on social media. “I call for calm, restraint and respect.” (Guardian)
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has stated that “racists are, above all, cowards” after alleging he was subjected to racial abuse during a Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The group-stage tie in the UEFA Champions League was halted for approximately 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the alleged incident to French referee Francois Letexier.
The Brazil international and several of his team-mates briefly left the field during the stoppage.
As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has opened an investigation into the allegations.
Vinicius, who has previously been the target of racist abuse during his career in Spain, addressed the incident in a post on social media shortly after the match. “Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote.
Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty, has denied directing any racist abuse at Vinicius.
In a statement posted on Wednesday, Benfica said they “fully support” Prestianni and described the situation as a “defamation campaign” against the player. The club also released video footage of the alleged incident, arguing that, given the distance involved, Real Madrid players “could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
“[Prestianni’s] conduct in the service of the club has always been guided by respect for opponents, institutions, and the principles that define Benfica’s identity,” the club said.
Fabrizio Romano on his X handle on Wednesday said TNT Sports, quoted Kylian Mbappe as saying, “I believe Gianluca Prestianni shouldn’t come to the Bernabéu, the best stadium in the world. “He doesn’t deserve it; he shouldn’t play.”
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said in his post-match interview that he had been told different things by Vinicius and Prestianni regarding the incident.
Mourinho, who managed Real for 178 games between 2010 and 2013, said Vinicius had been disrespectful in his goal celebration and pointed to their legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica is not a racist club.
“The club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historical and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which are in line with the core values of its foundation and have Eusebio as their greatest symbol,” Benfica said.
Mourinho’s and Benfica’s comments have been criticised by several people, including anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.
Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said both the club and manager had “failed”.
“It’s a natural inclination to want to believe your player, but the reality is they didn’t hear it,” Bhandari told BBC Sport.
“There are only two people who are in that conversation, and two people who could have heard what was said.
“I think the better reaction from a club with Benfica’s fantastic stature would be to say we’re going to cooperate with the investigation.
“This is quite typical after these kinds of discriminatory events. The discrimination is one thing, the gaslighting is another.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and commended Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol.
“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account,” he added.
“I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism, no to any form of discrimination!” (Punch)
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have eliminated five suspected kidnappers and rescued an abducted woman during a coordinated raid on a criminal hideout in Angwan Boka, Sopp District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The operation, carried out last Tuesday evening, followed an actionable intelligence obtained from two suspects arrested a day earlier on February 16. The suspects, identified as members of a kidnapping syndicate terrorising the area, reportedly provided details that led the troops to the gang’s hideout.
According to the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the troops stormed the location and immediately came under fire from the kidnappers. A fierce gun battle ensued, during which four of the suspects were neutralised.
In a dramatic turn during the firefight, the two suspects, earlier arrested, attempted to overpower the soldiers and escape custody, but were subdued and neutralised as well.
Recovered items from the scene included three mobile phones, N17,600 in cash, and substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
The abducted victim, identified as Hauwa Suleiman, was found unharmed. She was debriefed by security operatives before being reunited with her family.
Captain Oteh noted that the troops have intensified offensive operations in the area to track down fleeing members of the syndicate and dismantle the remaining criminal network.
The Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, commended the troops for their swift response and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies in the ongoing fight against banditry and insurgency. (ThisDay)
Arsenal enjoyed a 4-0 rout of Wigan as five Premier League teams avoided upsets to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Third-tier struggler Wigan was overwhelmed against the Premier League leader in front of a 60,000 crowd at Emirates Stadium, with all the goals coming in the first half.
Forwards Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were on the scoresheet along with Jack Hunt’s own-goal as he tried to cut out a cross from Bukayo Saka.
Big-money summer signing Eberechi Eze set up two goals for Arsenal, which won the last of its record 14 FA Cups in 2020. Wigan won the FA Cup for the first and only time in 2013, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final, but was relegated from the Premier League in the same season.
Premier League teams Fulham, Leeds, Sunderland and Wolverhampton joined the Gunners in the last 16.
Fulham rallied to win 2-1 at second-tier Stoke, with Harrison Reed slotting in a late winner after intercepting Stoke goalkeeper Tommy Simkin’s misjudged pass. Brazilian winger Kevin equalized for Fulham early in the second half after South Korean midfielder Bae Jun-ho’s early goal for Stoke.
Midfielder Habib Diarra’s penalty earned Sunderland a 1-0 win at second-tier struggler Oxford, and midfielder Santiago Bueno’s goal gave Wolves a 1-0 victory at fourth-tier Grimsby at a soggy and rain-soaked Blundell Park.
Leeds needed penalty kicks to win at second-tier Birmingham after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and extra time.
German forward Lukas Nmecha put Leeds ahead early in the second half after being set up by Noah Okafor, but Patrick Roberts equalized in the 89th minute with a powerful shot. (JapanToday)
The former Prince Andrew was arrested and held for hours by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment.
It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.
King Charles III, whose late mother lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,” took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the arrest of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’
The Thames Valley Police force said Mountbatten-Windsor was released Thursday evening, about 11 hours after he was detained at his home in eastern England. He was photographed in a car leaving the station near his home on the royal Sandringham Estate.
Police said he was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated. Police said they had finished searching Mountbatten-Windsor’s home, but officers were still searching his former residence near Windsor Castle.
The police force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said Thursday that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England, had been arrested and was in custody. Police did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, moved to the king’s private estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near the castle earlier this month.
Police previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department late last month along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” he added.
Police also said they were searching two properties.
Earlier in the day, pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein.
The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Still, Giuffre’s family praised the arrest, saying that their “broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
The family added: “He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
“This is the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who compared it in severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
“And it may not be over yet,’’ Prescott added.
Thursday’s arrest came a day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said it had created a coordination group to assist forces across the UK that are assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain. In addition to the concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor ’s correspondence, documents released by the U.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jet to traffic women to and from Britain.
The documents also rocked British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to fight off questions about his judgment after the papers revealed that Peter Mandelson, the man he appointed ambassador to the U.S., had a longer and closer relationship with Epstein than was previously disclosed.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said it is investigating allegations of misconduct in public office related to Mandelson’s own correspondence with Epstein. Mandelson was fired as ambassador to the U.S. in September. (JapanToday)
Warner Bros. has joined a parade of studios in blasting ByteDance for “blatant infringement” on its new AI video service, accusing the Chinese company of facilitating user-generated knockoffs of its iconic characters.
The studio’s legal counsel fired off a letter on Tuesday to John Rogovin, the general counsel of ByteDance who happens to have previously worked as general counsel at Warner Bros. The letter takes note of Rogovin’s prior service in defense of the copyrights of Superman and Batman.
“These characters are the lifeblood of the company,” wrote Wayne Smith, the executive VP of legal at Warner Bros. Studios. “ByteDance is now engaged in blatant infringement of the very same properties you spent many years protecting.”
Warner Bros. demanded that ByteDance cease training on its characters and implement guardrails to prevent further infringement.
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, released Seedance 2.0 last week, announcing it represents a “substantial leap in generation quality” over the prior versions. Within days, social media sites were flooded with cinematic-looking clips of Tom Cruise fighting Brad Pitt, Batman fighting Spider-Man, Superman fighting Thanos, and other permutations.
Users also posted “alternate endings” to films and TV shows, including one of the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
The Motion Picture Association and SAG-AFTRA quickly denounced the new platform, while Disney and Paramount sent cease and desist letters last week. On Monday, ByteDance pledged to implement additional safeguards “as we work to prevent the unauthorised use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”
That promise did not satisfy Warner Bros., which said in its letter that the focus on users is misplaced.
“[T]he users are not the ones at the root cause of the infringement,” Smith wrote. “They are merely building on the foundation of infringement already laid by ByteDance as Seedance comes pre-loaded with Warner Bros. Discovery’s copyrighted characters. That was a deliberate design choice by ByteDance.”
The letter cites posts on X, formerly Twitter, that include Seedance videos of characters from “The Matrix,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” “Rick and Morty,” and “Game of Thrones.” It also cites fight scenes involving Batman, Catwoman, and Superman.
Warner Bros. acknowledges that ByteDance appears to be taking steps to block text prompts involving its characters.
“While this is a promising indication that we may resolve this dispute business to business, it nonetheless begs the question why guardrails that can so quickly and easily be implemented were not present upon Seedance’s release,” the letter states. (Variety)
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti Chapter, has lauded the Federal Government for the expansion of Ado-Ijan-Ikare Road in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, which is the road leading to the institution.
The lecturers, in a statement by the ASUP-FPA Chairman, Caleb Adeosun, and the Publicity Secretary, Oyewale Oyelola, made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, also appreciated the efforts of the senators, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), Yemi Adaramodu (South) and Cyril Fasuyi (North), “for facilitating the expansion of the major access road to the polytechnic, which havre been in a deplorable state for many years”.
“ASUP-FPA appreciates the efforts of the three senators representing Ekiti State at the National Assembly who amplified our concerns over the deplorable state of the polytechnic road.
“Particularly, we appreciate the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who invited union leaders to a meeting at his constituency office in March 2024 and gave the polytechnic community assurance after we staged a protest over the deplorable state of Ado–Ijan-Ikare Road,” the lecturers stated.
They, however, urged the senators “to continue to perform their oversight functions and ensure the delivery of quality work by the contractor handling the project”.
The union, while appreciating the senators representing the state for the ongoing expansion work, said, “We know their efforts led to the development and steady progress on the road.
“Our union does not only agitate or criticise. As a progressive-minded union, we also applaud the government when we deem it fit”, the lecturers stated.
The union also praised Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for the construction of the Ring Road linking the Ado Ekiti – Ijan Road to Afao – Iworoko – Ado Ekiti Road.
They said, “The Ring Road is a great relief to staff members of the polytechnic because it has reduced traffic on the institution’s road and travel time.
“The union also appreciated the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, for “consistently using his resources to carry out palliative rehabilitation on the Ado – Ijan – Ikare Road over the years”.
Recall that recently, contractors began rehabilitation work on the Ado – Ijan axis of the Ado – Ijan – Ikare Road, a federal road linking Ekiti State with states including Ondo and Kogi, which has been in deplorable condition over the years.
Establishments including Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, ABUAD, Ekiti Knowledge Zone and Ekiti Cargo International Airport are situated along the Ado – Ijan axis of the federal road. (Punch)
Arsenal saw a two-goal lead slip away in a dramatic 2‑2 draw at Molineux Stadium after dominating much of the match.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring early — ending a personal 15‑game goal drought — and Piero Hincapié doubled Arsenal’s lead, but Wolves fought back through a superb Hugo Bueno strike and a late own goal resulting from a mix‑up in the Arsenal defence to level the score.
The result means Arsenal drop crucial points in the title race and hand Manchester City a possible lifeline for the Premier League lead.
The night also brought a worry for Arsenal fans, as Saka had to be substituted due to a hip injury after his early goal — adding to fitness concerns during this pivotal part of the season.
The end of the game saw heated moments, including post‑match tensions between players from both sides.
Wolves, bottom of the league, will be buoyed by the fightback and the draw against the league leaders.
PUNCH Online reports that the Gunners will play Tottenham on Sunday, February 22, 2026 in a North London derby.
As obtained in a post-match report on the Arsenal website, four players have scored their first-ever Premier League goal against us this season, three of whom have done so for Wolves: Tolu Arokodare in December, and both Hugo Bueno and Tom Edozie tonight (also Brian Brobbey for Sunderland in November).
Edozie was the seventh player to score on his Premier League debut against the side starting the day top of the table, and first since Antony for Manchester United against Arsenal in September 2022.
This was the first time in Premier League history that a side starting the day bottom of the table avoided defeat to the side starting the day top despite trailing by 2+ goals.
Wolves avoided defeat in a Premier League home game in which they trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since beating Manchester City 3-2 in December 2019, ending a 31-game losing run on home soil from two down.
Bukayo Saka scored his first goal in all competitions since December against Brentford – ending a run of 15 appearances for Arsenal without scoring, his longest goal drought for the club. (Punch)
The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, CP Naziru Kankarofi, has deployed enhanced patrols to places of worship and other public spaces.
This is as he called on all residents to support ongoing efforts aimed at maintaining peace, security and public order throughout the state during the Ramadan and Lent period.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lokoja by the public relations officer, ASP Saliu Afusat.
The statement reads, “The Commissioner of Police assures the public that the Command has put in place comprehensive security measures across the State, including enhanced visibility patrols, strategic deployments to places of worship and other public spaces, as well as intelligence-led operations to prevent crime and respond swiftly to any security concerns.”
In Christianity, Lent is a solemn 40-day season marked by fasting, self-denial, and repentance, inspired by the period Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness preparing for His crucifixion.
In Islam, Ramadan is a holy month devoted to fasting, increased prayers, and deep spiritual reflection, observed as one of the five pillars of Islam and a time that emphasises complete submission to God.
He reiterates that the Command remains committed to protecting lives and property and ensuring that all residents go about their lawful activities without fear.
Kankarofi urges residents to remain vigilant and security conscious, particularly during early morning and late evening activities.
He advises members of the public to promptly report suspicious persons or movements to the nearest Police Station or through the Command’s emergency numbers: 0703 832 9084, 0815 219 9999.
He further cautions against reckless driving, unlawful gatherings, and any conduct capable of disturbing public peace and order.
The CP also calls on parents, guardians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, youth groups and community stakeholders to use the period to promote peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and respect for the rule of law.
He emphasised that security is a shared responsibility and encourages sustained cooperation with the Police and other security agencies through timely and credible information sharing.
“The Commissioner reassures the good people of Kogi State that under his leadership, the Command will continue to uphold professionalism, discipline and respect for human rights while strengthening strategies to address emerging security challenges.
He appreciates the continued support of the Government and people of Kogi State and urges all residents to remain law-abiding to ensure a peaceful and secure Ramadan period for everyone.” The PPRO added. (Punch)
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