VANCOUVER, April 29 — Fifa on Tuesday boosted overall World Cup cash distributions to nearly US$900 million (RM3.5 billion) following concerns over the spiraling costs for teams taking part in the tournament.

Football’s global governing body said in a statement that money shared between the 48 teams taking part in the finals in Mexico, Canada and the United States would now total US$871 million, up from an initial figure of US$727 million announced in December.

The cash injection was announced following a meeting of Fifa’s ruling council ahead of the body’s Congress taking place in Vancouver on Thursday.

The hefty increase comes after several Fifa members reportedly argued that the high cost of travel, tax and overall operations could result in them losing money from taking part in the tournament.

Fifa has now moved to alleviate those concerns, hiking an award of US$1.5 million for “preparation costs” to US$2.5 million for each of the qualified teams.

A payment of US$9 million for qualifying for the tournament has also been increased to US$10 million.

Further contributions for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations are also part of the overall increase.

“Fifa is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way,” Fifa President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“This is one more example of how Fifa’s resources are reinvested back into the game.”

Fifa is projected to earn around US$13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which concludes with this year’s tournament, the largest World Cup in history.

Fifa’s prize money for the 2026 tournament announced last year had already shattered the cash handed out at the 2022 World Cup, increasing by 50 percent.

The increase in cash payments comes with Fifa increasingly under fire for the high cost of tickets to the tournament, while some local authorities in the United States have dramatically raised transport costs during the event.

Mouth-covering crackdown 

Fifa, meanwhile, also confirmed law changes which will be rolled out at the World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City on June 11.

From now on, players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents will face a red card as part of a new initiative aimed at combating racism.

In a statement following a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver on Tuesday, Fifa confirmed that the rule was one of two law changes that would be introduced at the World Cup.

“At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” Fifa said.

The new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February.

Prestianni was accused of calling Vinicius a “monkey” repeatedly while covering his mouth. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius but was later banned for six matches — with three of those suspended — for “homophobic conduct”.

In a separate law change announced on Tuesday to be enforced at the World Cup, Fifa said that red cards would also be introduced for players leaving the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.

Fifa also said a team causing a game to be abandoned will forfeit the match.

The move follows the uproar at this year’s final of the Africa Cup of Nations, when Senegal’s players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded a penalty in added time, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.

Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 in extra time, but were sensationally stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a bombshell decision issued last month.

Fifa has also approved a change to the way sanctions are enforced during the World Cup.

From this year’s tournament, single yellow cards issued to players in the group stage will be cancelled after the first round, and then again after the quarter-finals.

The move is aimed at ensuring that star players do not find themselves suspended for crucial games in the tournament after collecting two separate yellow cards. — AFP 

NILAI, April 26 — National track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang proved that age is not a barrier to continuing his success after winning the men’s keirin gold medal at the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup at the National Velodrome, Nilai here, yesterday.

The success became a symbol of the extraordinary endurance of the 38-year-old Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist who continues to compete at the highest level in the world, thus breaking the perception that age limits the ability of elite athletes.

Even more proud, the success came in front of his own supporters with Azizulhasni, nicknamed “The Pocket Rocketman”, displaying energetic cycling to defeat younger challengers including world champion Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands in the high-intensity race.

When met after the race, Azizulhasni hoped that the success could be a catalyst for local athletes, especially junior track cyclists, to continue to believe in their own abilities and dare to challenge their own limits.

“I am proving to our national athletes that no matter what sport, age is just a number. It is about mentality and determination. If we really want it, we can achieve anything.

“I hope all cycling athletes in Malaysia, regardless of the event, can take this spirit. They know I am not at my best yet, but I have high confidence and a winning mentality. I proved that I can still win,” said the 2017 keirin world champion.

In yesterday’s race, Azizulhasni was in last place for most of the race before sprinting on the final lap to be the first to cross the finish line, beating Lavreysen in second place and Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Paul in third.

The victory was Azizulhasni’s second win in the World Cup series this season after also winning the same event in Perth, Australia in March.

Meanwhile, he said his focus is now on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July and the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in September.

“I have no thoughts of going past the Asian Games. Right now it’s the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games first and after that we’ll see how it goes,” said the cyclist who hailed from Dungun, Terengganu.

Azizulhasni is scheduled to compete in the men’s individual sprint event today. — Bernama 

• US special envoy Zampolli hopes for Italy involvement

• Doubts remain over Iran’s participation

An envoy to Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.