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    Caleb Williams' latest influence on the Bears? A furniture change in the QB room
    LAKE FOREST, Ill. Caleb Williams approached Ryan Poles during the offseason.The Chicago Bears' starting quarterback had noticed the furniture choice in offices for personnel and coaching staff members. The desks there, Williams saw, adjusted between seated and standing heights.Williams thought back to late in his first two seasons, when practice time had shortened and meeting time lengthened. Sitting for hours on end left him tight. But he still wanted a surface on which to take notes.So he asked his general manager: Is there any way the Bears quarterback room could get adjustable standing desks?Poles approached team president CEO Kevin Warren."I didn't even finish my sentence and Kevin's like, 'Yes, order them,'" Poles told Yahoo Sports during a sitdown interview Friday. "Whatever these guys need to be successful, we're going to do it. So that was an easy one."Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!The Bears quarterbacks had broke minicamp in June with standard-height tables. They returned for training camp to a room full of adjustable desks with standing options.Williams showed his quarterbacks the ropes."We first walked in, we saw the new tables, really didn't know what was kind of going on," Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent told Yahoo Sports. "And then he showed us the buttons and how it works and then said that he kind of was talking to Ryan about it "I mean, it's the most unbelievable desk I've ever seen in my life."Caleb Williams isn't a fan of sitting through the entirety of team meetings. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)AP Photo/Nam Y. HuhIt's also unusual for NFL meeting rooms. While adjustable desks have become increasingly common in corporate America, they have not traditionally made their way to player meeting rooms. Coaches and executives across five other NFL teams had not seen that in their current or previous teams' meeting rooms, they told Yahoo Sports via text message.Some joked about the length of Bears meetings. Others wondered why players would want more time on their feet after practices. But Williams' intent, Poles and Bagent said, was not necessarily to stand after a two-hour training camp practice."But you get late in the season, practice time gets cut down drastically and I could see where that could be a great addition late in the season," Bagent said. "He spent two years going through an NFL season. So he understands what it's like late in the season. And he talked about his low back tightening up maybe later on in the past two seasons."So it'll be something [to] take a little stress off his low back."Furniture requests are not Williams' only 2026 tweak.Bears on Williams in Johnson system: 'Superpowers are coming back to him'Entering Year 3 as a pro and Year 2 under head coach Ben Johnson, Williams has continuity for the first time in his career. Gone are the days of his three-play-caller rookie year.The Bears are settling in, with Williams at the helm.Already in the first year of Johnson and Williams partnership, the Bears improved from 5-12 in the 2024 first overall draft pick's rookie year to 11-6 in his second. Williams' completion percentage dipped from 62.5% to 58.1% in Year 2. But his touchdown-to-interception ratio jumped from 20:6 to 27:7. Williams also rushed for three touchdowns last season after rushing for none his rookie year.And the most important change in Year 2: The Bears made the playoffs and won a playoff game. Williams' postseason performance featured a roller-coaster ride with high peaks. He completed 52.2% of passes for 618 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. But his playmaking helped the Bears edge the Green Bay Packers, 31-27, in the wild-card round before taking the Los Angeles Rams to overtime in the divisional round."The first year, I didn't see it as much," Poles said of Williams' playmaking theatrics. "It was like the pocket awareness, escapability, I'm like, 'Damn, where did that go?' And then you saw it this year."You see all those superpowers are coming back to him as he gets more comfortable, as he understands what he's looking at."Williams' understanding of what he's looking at begins at the line of scrimmage.Teammates, coaches and Poles all cite the Bears' offense vastly improved operation compared to last year's training camp that was "very choppy and borderline bad early on," Poles said.Now: Williams and his fellow quarterbacks are breaking the huddle more smoothly and spitting out play calls earlier. Quarterback room meetings are spending far less time on Ben Johnson's Scheme 101. Playbook wrinkles are emphasized, to ensure the scheme stays fresh as Johnson did during his tenure as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, but terminology and cadence are coming more naturally. Williams is helping teammates with corrections.The quarterback's progress flashes in more obvious ways, like Williams' post route this week to offseason acquisition Kalif Raymond, who played for Johnson in Detroit. Williams diagnosed quarters coverage (four defensive backs splitting the deep field) and threw off one hitch to find Raymond in stride.And that has come through more subtly at the line of scrimmage, from Williams waving a receiver off and guiding his teammates into the correct run play on one wide-zone call, Bagent said, to Williams baiting the Bears defense into biting on a dummy identification, according to offensive coordinator Press Taylor."It's like, 'Man we could never operate at that level [a year ago],'" Taylor told Yahoo Sports. "Towards the end of last year, probably the last four or five games, we had a couple free plays that was starting to show his grasp of the cadence. And then now it's like, all right, let's mix these in practice a lot more. Let's get everybody on board with this."That felt like his growth."With growth and comfort has come a return of joy, Poles believes. The general manager sees "infectious" smiles and laughter mixed into the necessary serious, locked-in periods."There's so much strain in Year 1 with a new setup," Poles said. "Now you see more of that joy that he had when you watched him play college football. He's having fun. He's still straining to be great and detailed and do the little things right. But you see the joy on his face."Also on track for reduced strain: Williams' back, thanks to his position group's new standing desks.Bagent said he may not get to use them given his next-to-the-board meeting room spot would leave him blocking his teammates' view. But Williams, who sits in the back center of the room, won't need to worry about taking yet another possible edge."If 18 likes it," Bagent said of Williams, "then we're all good."
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    Brewers score vs Angels tonight, live game updates, highlights, starting lineups
    ANAHEIM, CALIF. With the trade deadline looming, the Milwaukee Brewers begin the second half of their West Coast road swing with the first of three games against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.Left-hander Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51) starts for the Brewers with a few extra days' rest while right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-5, 7.34) counters for the Angels.There were a couple transactions prior to the game, with left-hander DL Hall being reinstated from the injured list and left-hander Thomas Pannone being designated for assignment in the corresponding move two days after making a spot start for Milwaukee in San Francisco.What is the Brewers' record?67-41, first place in NL Central.Brewers lineupBrice Turang 2BJackson Chourio LFChristian Yelich DHWilliam Contreras CJake Bauers 1BGarrett Mitchell CFLuis Lara RFDavid Hamilton 3BCooper Pratt SSAngels lineupZach Neto SSMike Trout CFNolan Schanuel 1BJorge Soler DHVaughn Grissom 2BJo Adell RFDenzer Guzman 3BTravis d'Arnaud CJose Siri LFBrewers probable pitchers and scheduleBrewers at Angels, Aug. 1, 8:38 p.m.:Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.71) vs. Los Angeles RHP Jos Soriano (9-6, 3.29). TV Brewers.TV. Radio AM-620 WTMJ.Brewers at Angels, Aug, 2, 2:15 p.m.:Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-4, 1.58) vs. Los Angeles RHP Walbert Urea (6-7, 2.70). TV Peacock. Radio AM-620 WTMJ.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers score vs Angels tonight, live game updates, highlights, starting lineups
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    Brewers score vs Angels tonight, live game updates, highlights, starting lineups
    ANAHEIM, CALIF. With the trade deadline looming, the Milwaukee Brewers begin the second half of their West Coast road swing with the first of three games against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.Left-hander Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51) starts for the Brewers with a few extra days' rest while right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-5, 7.34) counters for the Angels.There were a couple transactions prior to the game, with left-hander DL Hall being reinstated from the injured list and left-hander Thomas Pannone being designated for assignment in the corresponding move two days after making a spot start for Milwaukee in San Francisco.What is the Brewers' record?67-41, first place in NL Central.Brewers lineupBrice Turang 2BJackson Chourio LFChristian Yelich DHWilliam Contreras CJake Bauers 1BGarrett Mitchell CFLuis Lara RFDavid Hamilton 3BCooper Pratt SSAngels lineupZach Neto SSMike Trout CFNolan Schanuel 1BJorge Soler DHVaughn Grissom 2BJo Adell RFDenzer Guzman 3BTravis d'Arnaud CJose Siri LFBrewers probable pitchers and scheduleBrewers at Angels, Aug. 1, 8:38 p.m.:Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.71) vs. Los Angeles RHP Jos Soriano (9-6, 3.29). TV Brewers.TV. Radio AM-620 WTMJ.Brewers at Angels, Aug, 2, 2:15 p.m.:Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-4, 1.58) vs. Los Angeles RHP Walbert Urea (6-7, 2.70). TV Peacock. Radio AM-620 WTMJ.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers score vs Angels tonight, live game updates, highlights, starting lineups
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    Travis Etienne Jr. eager to show Jaguars 'what they're missing out on'
    Travis Etienne Jr. isn't hiding the extra motivation he will carry into the New Orleans Saints' upcoming joint practices with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 27-year-old veteran running back, who spent his first four seasons in Jacksonville, is eager to reunite with the organization that drafted him, but he also wants to remind his former team that they let a star walk in free agency.Etienne had 1,399 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns in 17 games with the Jaguars last season. It was his third season in his first four of 1,000-plus rushing yards and his second of 10-plus touchdowns. Ultimately, the Saints swooped in to pry Etienne away from the Jaguars this offseason, signing the 2021 first-round pick to a four-year contract worth $48 million.Im fired up, Etienne said on Friday of the upcoming joint practices. Im just excited to go out there and put my skills on showcaseand just kind of see the training staff, the coaches and people who helped me get to this position.In his first four seasons, Etienne and the Jaguars reached the playoffs twice, but only moved past the Wild Card round in one of those appearances. His time with the franchise came to an end, but Etienne remains appreciative of the role that the organization played in his development. Etienne added: I feel like my time in Jacksonville was very pivotal to my career. They helped me develop into the player that I am.Still, Jacksonville either didn't offer a lucrative enough contract or didn't offer one at all. That's something that'll stick with him as he enters the joint practices with a feeling that there's something to prove.Im also excited just to go out there and show them what theyre missing out on, Etienne said. Its kind of a two-way sword. Im excited for that moment.Joint practices are known to carry more intensity than ordinary training camp practices, especially when there is history between the teams. Etienne's return should only add to that competitive spirit when the two teams meet on Aug. 13 in Metairie. It'll be an early test and an opportunity for Etienne to show what he can bring to New Orleans against the team that knows him better than almost anyone.This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Travis Etienne Jr. eager to show Jaguars 'what they're missing out on'
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    FIFA scraps controversial World Cup plan: Gianni Infantino no longer seeking $20 billion investment
    Amid intense pressure from all corners of the world and sport, the FIFA chief has called an end to a plan that seemed destined to alter the game in ways never seen before
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    2026 Rocket Classic leaderboard: Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay on top with Rickie Fowler in pursuit
    Young fired a course-record-tying 61 to share the second-round lead in Detroit
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    Big Ten voices support for Congressional college sports bill while SEC inches closer
    The Big Ten and SEC may be on the brink of striking a deal with federal lawmakers over legislation to regulate the college sports industry.Days of negotiations between U.S. senators and conference executives over the Protect College Sports Act reached a crescendo on Friday, as league executives hurriedly scheduled meetings with their respective presidents and chancellors in a stunning 11th-hour move.The Big Ten held a call with its presidents and chancellors where executives aremoving toward supporting the legislation, sources tell Yahoo Sports. A vote was imminent.The SEC held a call Friday morning to review the latest revisions and is expected to hold an evening call to possibly vote to lend their support, too.The scramble comes a day after the conferences missed, for a second time in as many days, a deadline set by lawmakers to determine their position on a revised bill and follows aggressive involvement from the White House. U.S. president Donald Trump engaged with stakeholders through intermediaries on Thursday evening, stating his intent to publicly condemn Big Ten and SEC leaders for opposing the bill, presumably through a social media account followed by millions.Thursday night and Fridays negotiations between lawmakers and the power leagues, plus Notre Dame resulted in the addition of language to the bill intended to strengthen a provision that prohibits schools from circumventing the athlete revenue-share cap. The language, shared with Yahoo Sports, requires school-affiliated sponsors and apparel brands to enter into an attestation process to certify that their NIL agreements are kosher, not directed by the school and that the compensation doesnt originate from the school. Similar language is in the bill already related to NIL deals from multimedia rights partners, like Learfield and Playfly.The goal is to establish a more strict cap by including into the cap all affiliated NIL deals, aside from those authentic deals that are ratified through the attestation process. This is a key point for university presidents and conference commissioners in all four power leagues, especially considering that the legislation raises the player cap from $21.3 million to $48.8 million.The SEC and Big Tens support is central to the bills passage.There remains a path for the bill to reach the Senate floor for a vote next week before lawmakers leave for a month-long recess. Majority Leader John Thune likely needs to file Monday for whats called cloture, a formal procedural step that starts the process for a floor vote later in the week.Many predict that the bipartisan legislation has enough support to easily surpass the 60-vote threshold necessary in the Senate if the leagues throw their weight behind the measure. While the bill would still need to pass the House of Representatives, Senate ratification would stand as one of the most historic moves in college sports history and a victorious moment for the NCAAs seven-year lobbying effort for a congressional bill.The key components of the bill would grant the NCAA and conferences a limited antitrust exception to re-implement the one-time transfer exception, standardize a five-year eligibility policy, ban professional athletes from returning to college, establish an agent registry and minimum fee (5%) and, as noted above, create a more strict athlete revenue-share cap.The revenue-share cap, for weeks now, has been at the center of the negotiations between conference officials and co-authors of the bill itself, Sens. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell and Eric Schmitt, and their staffs.NCAA president Charlie Baker (left) has voiced strong support for the Protect College Sports Act, co-authored by Sen. Ted Cruz (right) and two other senators. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty ImagesOpposed to collective bargaining and employment, college sports leaders are working to establish a harder cap like the NFL as opposed to the current state of affairs, where schools are exceeding the $21.3 million cap, in some cases, by triple that figure, by redirecting sponsorship and apparel cash from the athletic department to their roster. According to the bill, all athlete deals with university-contracted businesses (associated entities), such as multimedia rights partners, corporate sponsors and apparel brands, would be included in a schools revenue-share payments and count against the cap.However, the legislation keeps open a lane for authentic deals by creating the attestation process.The cap itself is on the move.In revisions obtained by Yahoo Sports on Thursday, the legislation now creates a $22.5 million retention pool for schools to use on retaining athletes in addition to the $21.3 million original cap, plus $5 million to be spent only on women and non-revenue sports. Thats a $48.8 million cap, putting the figure more in line with the current market.But a question still lingers: Will schools skirt the certification process and still exceed the cap with disguised third-party deals?While the cap circumvention provision remains the top issue, there are others, such as a new, mysterious third section of the bill added just this week. Title III, called the "Ignite HBCUs Sports and Media Act, is a competitive federal grant program to assist historically black colleges and universities, though details of the act are unclear.In general, the bill is the opposite of the narrow version that college leaders wanted. It is incredibly specific, touching on several concepts, including conference expansion and coaching movement. The legislation caps power conference membership at 19 schools and requires those programs moving from one power league to another to operate as an independent for five years.The expansion provision may impact decisions from schools that are in position to move from the ACC to the SEC or Big Ten. Officials at Clemson, Miami, Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and others have expressed, some privately and other publicly in meetings, their opposition to the concept.The legislation also prohibits coaches from leaving their team before a season ends, something that lawmakers refer to as the Lane Kiffin Rule.As for dissension over the bill, the senators and their staff members believe theyve made major concessions to appease the SEC and Big Ten, a staff member said this week in a statement.However, conference executives want more language prohibiting cap circumvention.Senators themselves pushed back against the notion that the cap circumvention provision isnt strong enough. In fact, Cruz claimed that commissioners want to bar third-party companies associated with schools from striking any and all NIL deals with athletes, even kosher endorsement contracts. He contends language in the latest bill creates the hardest cap possible beyond violating a persons NIL rights.The cap is a hard cap. Full stop. That loophole is closed, Cruz wrote in a post on X.Later in the day, a Senate staff member sent a memo to conference commissioners outlining the ways that the bill closes the loophole, writing that the NCAA and College Sports Commission has clear authority to establish and enforce rules ensuring that associated entity compensation is counted against the cap.The two leagues stand mostly alone.Most other NCAA Division I conferences supported the act, including the NCAA itself, whose president, Charlie Baker, released a statement on Thursday imploring college leaders to support the bill now.Timing of a vote may be an issue.Next weeks Senate agenda is busy. Even if Thune believes the bill has the votes to file cloture on Monday evening, a plethora of issues clog floor time, including a spending bill, budget resolution, Russia sanctions and administrative nominations.Without reaching the floor next week, the legislation faces long odds once the Senate returns in September as the mid-term election cycle cranks up.In fact, a Senate staff member quipped to Yahoo Sports on Thursday that if the SEC and Big Ten did not support the bill and wish to punt to September, that the leagues will have to find new senators. It is an indication that Cruz, Cantwell and Schmitt are on their last gasp with the legislation.
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    Utah Championship: Korn Ferry Tour rookie Chris Francoeur shoots a course-record 59 in second round
    Chris Francoeur from Louisville during an NCAA golf tournament on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods). | Michael Woods Chris Francoeur says he was so nervous on his 18th hole Friday in the second round of the Korn Ferry Tours Utah Championship at Ogden Golf & Country Club that he could barely feel his hands.Why?The tour rookie from Massachusetts needed a par on the par-3 9th hole, having started on the back nine, to join an elite group of golfers who have shot a sub-60 round in a professional golf tournament.Consider it mission accomplished.Francouer, a 27-year-old mini-tour traveler who graduated from the University of Rhode Island, made a tricky 3-footer on that hole for par and carded a an 11-under 59 to zoom up the leaderboard in Ogden. He was in the lead at 17-under after the phenomenal round.I couldnt feel my hands on the last hole, he told the Golf Channel, adding that word had gotten out that he was on the verge of greatness and a crowd of about 50 people had gathered around the No. 9 green to watch history get made.Francoeurs round, a competitive-round course-record at Ogden G&CC, included nine birdies and an eagle 2 on the short par-4 4th hole. He chipped in on that hole, then made a birdie on the par-4 5th hole, his 14th. He had good looks for birdie on each of the next two holes, a 17-footer and a 10-footer, but couldnt get them to drop.He said he first thought about shooting 59 or better after chipping in on No. 4, which got him to 10-under. I knew I had a couple short holes coming in. I was trying not to think about it, but it was still creeping in, he said. I just tried to stay in the moment and just hit the shots, and luckily, I did.It was the first 59 on the Korn Ferry Tour this year, and third in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in the last eight days. Last week, Michael Kim shot a 59 at the PGA Tours 3M Open in Minnesota, a day before Scott Stevens shot 59 at a PGA Tour Americas tournament in Canada.It was the 16th sub-60 round in KFT history.It was really cool, said Francoeur, who was No. 120 on the KFT points list coming into this week. It is not often on a Friday, unless youre trying to make the cut, that you feel those nerves. Thankfully, Ive had a lot of weeks this season where Ive had to make a par on the last hole to make the cut.Francoeur turned pro in 2022 and has struggled in his first year on the PGA Tours developmental circuit. His best finish this year has been a tie for 29th two months ago in Tennessee.Tough tournament for Utah tiesWhile the 5-foot-10 Francoeur, affectionately known as Frenchie on tour, was bringing the course to its knees, the contingent of golfers with Utah ties mostly struggled at the tournament, which is in its second year in Utahs ninth-most populated city.Midway through Fridays second round, it appeared that only Farmingtons Daniel Summerhays would make the cut. Last year, six of eight Utahns made played the weekend. Those six all finished in the top 54, led by Preston Summerhays at T7.Last years tournament was won by former Duke golfer Julian Suri, who shot a four-round total of 18-under 262 last year. That is just one shot better than where Francoeur stands entering this weekend.
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    UFC Belgrade Final Face-Offs
    The 28 fighters competing on SaturdaysUFC Belgrade fight card faced off with their opponents a final time on Friday in Belgrade, Serbia. The event marks the first time the fight promotion has held an event in Serbia.The fight card is headlined by a welterweight bout between No. 13 rankedDaniel Rodriguezand No. 14 rankedUros Medic.UFC Belgrade Final Face-Offs Video:
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    FIFA World Cup sale falls through: UEFA, Concacaf, AFC and Sepp Blatter all blasted Gianni Infantino's plan
    FIFA president Gianni Infantino had to be aware there would be opposition to the organizations bid to sell off minority stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors. He still might not have been expecting what happened, though.Three days after word broke of FIFAs plan, all six of the continental confederations had weighed in on the plan, as have a number of notable observers. Three confederations were hard against the idea. The other three didnt exactly voice support either.The outrage was strong enough that FIFA announced Friday it was no longer proceeding with the plan, saying it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.Lets go through what some of what was said.UEFANo organization came out firing like UEFA, which includes five of the past six World Cup winners among its members and carries the largest weight when it comes to the sports finances.The Europeans not only criticized the idea, they quickly announced a unanimous vote to boycott all FIFA competitions until the plan is permanently tabled. From their statement:This model has no place in world football. Footballs future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.Europes position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.ConcacafThe North American confederation also expressed major reservations around the idea, and also questioned the process as presented by FIFA.Infantino had set a Sept. 19 deadline for its member associations to make a decision on the plan, giving each country less than eight weeks to deliberate over what would have been the largest financial move in modern soccer history. To be fair, several countries clearly needed a lot less time than thatDuring the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance.CONMEBOLCONMEBOL, representing South America, also pulls considerable weight. However, the organization diverged from UEFA and Concacaf with a statement that basically said nothing beyond that it cares about soccer and had requested additional information from FIFA before discussing the idea with its membership.A partial machine translation of the Spanish-language statement:CONMEBOL will continue to act with prudence, responsibility and a spirit of collaboration, contributing to the strengthening of world football exclusively through institutional channels and the principles of good governance.CONMEBOL calls for unity within the entire football family and to always put football above any other interest.AFCThe Asian Football Confederation, which will be hosting the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, said it stands with UEFA and Concacaf against the proposal and said the situation warranted institutional reform.The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFAs proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA's flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE. The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position.CAFLike CONMEBOL, the African confederation declined to voice any support or opposition to Infantinos plan. Instead, CAF president Patrice Motsepe promised to host a meeting of the CAF executive committee to evaluate the poroposal. CAF is committed to continue consulting and working together with its Member Associations, FIFA, other Football Confederations and stakeholders in support of increasing financial and other resources for the development and growth of football in Africa and worldwide.OFCThe Oceanic Football Confederation closely resembled the CAFs. They have seen the proposal. They will convene a meeting. They will talk about it.OFC remains committed to engaging constructively with its Member Associations, FIFA, fellow Confederations and other football stakeholders throughout the consultation process and in support of the continued development of football across Oceania and globally.Sepp BlatterInfantinos predecessor as FIFA president made pretty clear that this is not something that would have happened under his watch, and even threw in an Infantino hashtag.The FIFA is not a private equity fund. It is an association with statutes, regulations, and a fiduciary responsibility to protect the global game. If you sell football's crown jewels to private investors, you also sell part of the game especially its soul. Money matters, but it must never become everything. #FIFA#Football#GianniInfantinoCarlos CordeiroThere wasnt even unanimous support inside the walls of FIFA, as senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned and fully distanced himself in a scathing statement earlier Friday:"As a Senior Advisor to the FIFA President, a former banker, and a lifelong football fan, I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup."Let me be clear: I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally. It is a bad deal for FIFA's Member Associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game."FIFAIn a Solomon Grundy-esque progression, FIFA announced its plan on Tuesday, issued a clarification statement on Thursday and killed the plan on Friday. Now we see how far the repercussions go for Infantino, who staked his legacy on this plan going through and could now face opposition for re-election in 2027.
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