Fortunebets

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar to be the catalyst for a “first step to peace” in Ukraine.

Infantino addressed world leaders at the G20 Summit in Bali.

Russian national teams and clubs have been banned from playing in FIFA competitions since the country invaded Ukraine in February.

Infantino accepted it was “naive” to believe that football can solve the world’s problems, but told the Summit: “Because football unites the world, this particular FIFA World Cup, with five billion people watching it, can be a trigger for a positive gesture, for a sign or a message of hope.

“Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018, and Ukraine is bidding to host the World Cup in 2030.

“Maybe the current World Cup, starting in five days, can really be that positive trigger. So my plea, to all of you, is to think on a temporary ceasefire, for one month, for the duration of the FIFA World Cup, or at least the implementation of humanitarian corridors, or anything that could lead to the resumption of dialogue as a first step to peace. You are the world leaders; you have the ability to influence the course of history.”

Infantino added: “You all know what football means to your people and to your countries; it is about passion, it is about inclusion, it is about tolerance, it is about non-discrimination, and it is about education.”

FIFA has come in for criticism over the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar, a country which criminalises same-sex relationships.

Cristiano Ronaldo could be sacked by Manchester United after criticising the club and manager Erik ten Hag in his interview with Piers Morgan, according to leading employment lawyers.

In excerpts from the interview – which will only be released in full on Wednesday and Thursday – five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo said he did not respect Ten Hag and claimed a number of individuals at United were trying to force him out of the club.

Released as club football went on hiatus for the World Cup, the interview appears carefully timed and could be the next step in Portugal star Ronaldo’s bid to leave United, having sought an exit in the summer.

But with United taking legal advice – and awaiting the full interview – before issuing a response, the player could find his desired departure is an abrupt one.

Mike Tremeer, employment partner at Fladgate, said: “It seems clear that many of Ronaldo’s comments made during the interview amounts to him ‘knowingly or recklessly … say[ing] something … which is likely to bring the club into disrepute … or cause damage to the club or its officers or employees’.

“That breaches an express clause of the template Premier League player contract and means that the club is entitled to terminate his contract.

“It is apparent that Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United and so this might be the exact outcome he is hoping to achieve.”

Simon Leaf, head of sport at the Mishcon de Reya law firm, agreed that United may now be entitled to terminate Ronaldo’s contract.

However, Leaf added it could be more complicated given Ronaldo’s complaints about how the club had responded to the issues he has faced in his personal life.

The 37-year-old and his partner revealed in April one of their twin babies had died, and Ronaldo told Morgan the club had not believed him when he missed pre-season training in the summer because his baby daughter Bella was ill.

Leaf said: “It would appear that Ronaldo is clearly in breach of his employment agreement, which under its terms, entitles the club to terminate the contract.

“However, the club are caught between a rock and a hard place, as this termination right is subject to Ronaldo’s right to appeal – especially as he seems to be suggesting that United are in breach of its own duties to take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of its employees, which may extend to allowing Ronaldo time off in such difficult circumstances.

“There is no easy answer to this particular legal wrangle, and, from experience, one suspects, that given the sums involved in terms of wages and a potential transfer fee that may be forgone, both Ronaldo and the club will now try to resolve the issues as amicably as possible in private with a view to both parties saving face.”

Danielle Parsons, employment law partner at Irwin Mitchell, said that even if Ronaldo has breached his contract, it would be unusual for a club to sack a player in such circumstances.

“Usually this is rare and most clubs will take care to first investigate and follow their disciplinary procedures to try to avoid any potential dispute around breach of contract, as well as the wider reputational damage this could cause,” Parsons said.

Alejandro Garnacho scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester United claimed all three points in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

In the final match before the curtain falls on the Premier League ahead of the World Cup break, the spoils looked set to be shared before teenager Garnacho’s dramatic late intervention.

United had gone ahead after 14 minutes when Christian Eriksen capitalised on a well-worked quick break from the visitors before slotting the ball into an empty net.

Despite that early lead, United were unable to fully take control of the game, with the gaps in their squad due to illness and injury evident as they had to resort to counter-attacks while inviting Fulham pressure as the home side pushed for an equaliser.

And Marco Silva’s men were rewarded for their efforts just after the hour mark when former United winger Daniel James also struck from close range for a deserved leveller – the on-loan Leeds player’s first goal of the season.

However, despite Fulham being the better team for large parts of the game, it was the visitors who claimed victory when Garnacho slotted past Bernd Leno just before the final whistle.

Having gone into the weekend in fifth place, Erik ten Hag’s side signed off for the extended World Cup break on a positive note despite being without a number of key players in London, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane among those missing.

Fulham, who themselves were without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic due to a foot problem, started positively and David De Gea was called into action to deny Carlos Vinicius.

United also tested Leno in the opening exchanges stages through Anthony Martial before the Red Devils took the lead when they caught Fulham out with a well-organised counter-attacking move.

Martial played in captain Bruno Fernandes who put the ball across the box where the unmarked Eriksen had the simple task of tapping the ball into the net.

The visitors got the better of the home side’s offside trap throughout the first half, with Martial being picked out by Fernandes and having another attempt saved by Leno.

And, despite Fulham’s possession and pressure, United remained dangerous on the break, with Martial heading a Luke Shaw cross just over the bar.

Eriksen had an ideal chance just before half-time to add to his side’s lead when he drove into the box to attack a cross from Fernandes, but despite being under no pressure from the Fulham defence, he fired wide.

At the start of the second half Leno had to make another save following a quick United counter-attack, with the Fulham goalkeeper denying Anthony Elanga in a one-on-one, before Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream combined to prevent Marcus Rashford scoring the follow up.

United were made to pay for not taking their chances when Fulham drew level in the 62nd minute after Willian caught out the visitors with a quick run down the left, supported by the overlapping Tom Cairney.

It was Cairney who then picked out James in the centre of the box and the substitute slotted home just minutes after replacing Harry Wilson.

Fulham pushed for the winner while United struggled to contain the momentum generated from the home side, with Joao Palhinha forcing a punched save from De Gea with an improvised overhead kick.

However, it proved to be United who would claim the deciding goal when, with the match in stoppage time, Garnacho played a clever one-two with Eriksen on the edge of the box before running into the area to slot home for winner.