FIFA Crisis Deepens as Football Mourns Baresi and a New Era Begins

The most consequential story in football on Sunday had nothing to do with a match result. Pressure on Gianni Infantino intensified as FIFA Council members moved to force an extraordinary general meeting that could amount to an unprecedented leadership challenge against a sitting president. The catalyst was the decision to lift Folarin Balogun's suspension during the World Cup — a move reportedly influenced by phone calls from Donald Trump — and the accompanying reports of Infantino's plans to sell stakes in the tournament itself. The combination of alleged political interference and financial overreach appears to have pushed enough council members toward open confrontation.

The day carried a different kind of weight with the death of Franco Baresi. The AC Milan and Italy legend is widely considered one of the finest defenders the game has produced, and tributes arriving from across the football world reflected the scale of his influence on the sport. Milan supporters were already calling for part of San Siro to carry his name.

Off the pitch, a broader shift was noted as the Premier League prepares for a season without Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho, Klopp, or Guardiola for the first time since 1992. On it, Robert Lewandowski scored twice on his Chicago Fire home debut, and Mohamed Salah's reported move to Trabzonspor drew a quieter close to one of English football's great careers.