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FIFA president, Infantino calls for ‘full equality’ in football

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino

FIFA president, Infantino calls for ‘full equality’ in football

FIFA president Gianni Infantino feels equal pay at the Men’s and Women’s World Cups would only be a “symbol” that would not “solve anything” ,if additional development targets for the women  game are not achieved.

England will play Spain in the final for an increased prize pot of $110 million for this tournament, more than three times than what was on offer for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.

This is still significantly less than the $440 million awarded at the 2022 men’s competition in Qatar.

Infantino had outlined ambitions for prize parity by the 2026 and 2027 World Cups,  but two days before the conclusion of the ninth edition of the women’s showpiece, challenged stakeholders to do more.

Infantino said, “let’s really go for a full equality. Not just equal pay in the World Cup, which is a slogan that comes up every now and then.

“Equal pay in the World Cup, we are going in that direction already.”

“But that would not solve anything. It might be a symbol but it would not solve anything, because it’s one month every four years and it’s a few players out of the thousands and thousands of players.

“We need to keep the momentum. We need to push it. We need to go for equality but we have to do it for real.”

Two months before the tournament, Infantino threatened that he may be “forced not to broadcast” the World Cup in Europe’s ‘big five’ countries.

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This followed what he felt were “very disappointing and simply not acceptable” offers from broadcasters, though deals were eventually done.

Viewing figures have broken records in Australia, where a peak 11.5 million people – about 46 per cent of the population – tuned in to watch the Matildas play England in their semi-final.

The match was the  country’s most-watched television programme of any kind since 2001 when the existing rating system was established.

In the UK, the 7.3 million people who viewed the same contest on BBC One comprised the country’s largest audience of the World Cup so far.

On Friday Infantino reiterated his view that broadcasters have a part to play in the prize parity target.

The 2023 tournament was expanded to 32 teams, and is also the first time the competition has been hosted by more than one country.

Infantino said, “some voices were raised, where it cost too much, we don’t make enough revenues, we will have to subsidise.”

“And our opinion was, well if we have to subsidise, we will subsidise, because we have to do that.”

“But actually, this World Cup generated over $570 million in revenues, and so we broke even.

“We didn’t lose any money and we generated the second highest income of any sport, besides the men’s World Cup, at a global stage.

The decision to include more teams initially drew skepticism that it would only highlight the disparity between lower-ranked teams, and heavily-resourced nations at the top of the table.

Instead, this has been one of the most competitive finals on record, guaranteed a new champion after 2011 champions Japan were eliminated at the quarter-final stage.

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One  round after double-defending title holders the United States were sent packing in the Round of 16.

World number four England managed just one goal against tournament debutants Haiti, 49 places below them in FIFA’s world rankings.

Debutants Morocco advanced alongside Jamaica, who were knocked out in the group stage in their only other appearance in a final.

Three top-10 sides in Germany, Canada and Brazil were eliminated in the group stage, while England’s quarter-final opponents Colombia advanced to the last eight for the first time.

Breakout performances at this World Cup could lead some players to more lucrative contracts in places like Europe and the United States.

FIFA’s most recent benchmarking report revealed the average league and club salaries for women worldwide was just $14,000.

Infantino demanded, “football in general, in all the leagues and all the competitions, pay a fair price.

“Show that you respect women and women’s sport. You will see the feedback that will be absolutely fantastic.”

“We need to have more local competitions, more continental competitions, more international competitions because when you see some of the beautiful, stories that were written at this World Cup.”

“We need to create the conditions in the next four years for them to able to play at professional level at home. This is the biggest challenge we have to take onboard.”

(NAN)

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Nigeria Flamingos Make History, Stun Brazil 3-1 to Reach U-17 Women’s World Cup Final

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Nigeria Flamingos Make History, Stun Brazil 3-1 to Reach U-17 Women’s World Cup Final

 

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have made history by becoming the first African country to reach the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Brazil 3-1 in a thrilling semi-final encounter on Wednesday night.

Inspired by a brilliant brace from Awawu Bashiru and an early strike from Queen Joseph, the Nigerian girls produced an impressive performance to overcome their South American opponents and book a historic place in Saturday’s final in Morocco.

Joseph opened the scoring with a close-range finish from four yards to give Akeem Busari’s side an early advantage.

Bashiru then doubled Nigeria’s lead with a moment of brilliance, sending a lofted cross over the Brazilian goalkeeper and into the net in the 71st minute.

The forward completed her brace 10 minutes later, calmly firing home a well-placed effort at the near post to extend Nigeria’s advantage and send the Nigerian bench, supporters and officials into wild celebrations.

 

Brazil managed to pull one back through Greise Kelly in the 89th minute, but it was too little, too late as the Flamingos held on for a memorable victory.

 

The triumph represents Nigeria’s first-ever victory over Brazil at this level and marks a significant milestone for African women’s football, with the Flamingos becoming the first team from the continent to qualify for the tournament’s final.

 

Nigeria will now have the opportunity to surpass their previous best achievement of winning the bronze medal in 2022 as they prepare for a showdown with Japan, who defeated tournament favourites Korea DPR in the other semi-final.

 

The eagerly anticipated final is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, in Morocco, with the Flamingos aiming to crown their historic campaign with Nigeria’s first-ever U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

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Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

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Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision
Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel has died at the age of 30 after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a league match involving his club, CD Tenerife.

The striker died on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at a hospital in Tenerife, Spain, a day after he collapsed during his team’s encounter against FC Andorra in the Spanish second division.

The incident occurred in the closing stages of Monday’s match at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium, with both teams level at 2-2.

De Miguel was chasing a long ball towards the middle of the pitch when FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono rushed out of his penalty area to intercept it. The goalkeeper collided with the forward, striking him in the chest with his knee.

De Miguel immediately fell to the ground, prompting players from both teams to call for urgent medical assistance. Owono was shown a straight red card following the collision.

Medical personnel rushed onto the pitch and administered emergency treatment to the injured footballer before he was transported to hospital by ambulance.

During the journey, De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest, but medical personnel reportedly managed to restore his pulse through emergency resuscitation.

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He was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit of Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

CD Tenerife initially described his condition as stable despite the seriousness of his injuries. However, a subsequent medical update indicated that his neurological condition had deteriorated.

He died at approximately 8:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

Announcing his death, CD Tenerife expressed profound sorrow over the loss of the striker and extended condolences to his family, friends, teammates and supporters.

The club also appealed for respect for the privacy of his family during the difficult period.

The tragedy has prompted a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the footballer’s death, including possible involuntary manslaughter under Spanish law.

Authorities explained that such proceedings are routinely initiated when a death is considered non-natural. The investigation does not, in itself, establish criminal responsibility on the part of anyone involved in the collision.

Meanwhile, the incident has triggered an outpouring of condolences across the football community.

Spanish football giants, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, expressed sympathy to Tenerife and De Miguel’s family.

FC Andorra also paid tribute to the deceased player, while the club’s president and former Barcelona defender, Gerard Piqué, expressed his condolences.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) postponed matches scheduled for Tuesday in the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Reina as a mark of respect.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) also announced that matches across its competitions would observe a minute of silence in memory of the late footballer.

De Miguel joined Tenerife from Castellón ahead of the 2025–2026 season.

Born in Madrid in 1996, he built his career across several Spanish clubs, including Leganés B, Fuenlabrada, Unionistas de Salamanca and Castellón.

He scored 11 goals during the previous season and helped Castellón secure promotion to Spain’s second division.

His death has left teammates, supporters and members of the Spanish football community mourning the loss of a player whose career was cut short by the tragic incident.

Tragedy: Spanish Footballer Jesús de Miguel Dies at 30 After On-Field Collision

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Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

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Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge
Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled his financial reward promise to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, with each player receiving the naira equivalent of $100,000 following the team’s historic triumph at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Members of the coaching crew and other team officials have also received the naira equivalent of $50,000 each, completing the cash component of the presidential reward package announced after Nigeria won its record-extending 10th continental title.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed the payments on Monday, November 2, 2026, describing the development as the fulfilment of the President’s financial commitment to the national women’s football team.

The payment brings an end to the outstanding cash component of the reward package, which Tinubu announced during a presidential reception held in honour of the team on July 28, 2025.

Following their historic achievement, the President had promised each of the 24 players the naira equivalent of $100,000, while members of the 11-person technical team were to receive $50,000 each.

He also conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on the players and technical crew and approved the allocation of three-bedroom apartments in Abuja to members of the team.

The housing documents and national honours certificates had earlier been presented to the beneficiaries, leaving the cash payments as the outstanding component of the presidential pledge.

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Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, commended Tinubu for honouring his commitment, describing the fulfilment of the reward package as an important development for Nigerian sports.

Dikko said the Super Falcons had made the country proud and deserved recognition for their achievement, adding that the timely delivery of the promised rewards would strengthen confidence among Nigerian athletes.

He also acknowledged the cooperation between the NSC and the Ministries of Finance, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development in ensuring the delivery of the presidential commitments.

According to him, the development represents a departure from previous experiences in which Nigerian athletes sometimes waited several years for government promises made after major international competitions to be fulfilled.

Dikko urged Nigerian athletes to draw encouragement from the development and remain committed to representing the country, assuring them that their sacrifices and achievements deserved recognition.

The Super Falcons earned the historic reward after producing a remarkable comeback against hosts Morocco in the final of the 2025 WAFCON.

Nigeria had fallen two goals behind but fought back to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory in Rabat in July 2025, reclaiming the continental crown and extending its record as the most successful country in the history of the women’s African football championship.

The victory marked Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title and further cemented the Super Falcons’ dominance in African women’s football.

Tinubu’s fulfilment of the promise follows a similar development involving Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, whose players received the naira equivalent of $100,000 each in September 2026 after winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket championship.

The basketball players also received three-bedroom apartment allocation documents and OON national honours as part of their presidential reward package.

The latest development reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to recognising sporting achievements and rewarding Nigerian athletes who bring international honours to the country.

Editorial note: The reports give different estimates of the naira equivalent of the $100,000 reward. The article therefore retains the officially stated dollar-equivalent amount without presenting an unconfirmed naira figure as the exact payment.

Super Falcons Receive $100,000 Each as Tinubu Finally Fulfils WAFCON Pledge

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