FIFA's governing council is set to decide on Tuesday whether to expand the World Cup, a controversial idea that has created deep divisions among global football's most powerful camps.

FIFA has proposed merging the CONCACAF and South American qualifiers as part of its plans to expand the 2026 World Cup, a leading official from the region said in a newspaper interview.

Increasing the World Cup from 32 teams to 48, as proposed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, would generate an additional $640 million (605 million euros), according to a confidential FIFA report seen by AFP on Friday.

The Bangladesh football team dropped down two places in the latest FIFA rankings, published Thursday.

Lionel Messi's beaten Copa America finalists Argentina end the year top of FIFA's world rankings while France were named 'mover of the year'.

Barcelona have agreed to withdraw an appeal against fines imposed by UEFA last year after their supporters waved pro-Catalan independence flags at two matches, European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino hopes to see video referees used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia -- if its teething problems have been fixed in time.

The powerful body representing Europe's top clubs on Thursday said it opposed the proposed enlargement of the World Cup, saying leading players were already under too much strain.

Argentine sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias S.A. agreed Tuesday to pay $112.8 million to settle charges in the United States stemming from a massive FIFA corruption scandal, authorities said.

Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says successor Gianni Infantino has showed him no respect by failing to return his phone calls.

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino on Thursday said Asian countries backed his plan to expand the World Cup to 48 teams -- and added that up to three countries should be allowed to co-host the tournament.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for "zero tolerance" of child abuse in football and promised to look into ways the global governing body can do more to prevent it in the wake of the scandal sweeping the game in England.

The man who was leading FIFA's fight against match-fixing has left his post, soccer's world governing body said on Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Monday that Sepp Blatter breached FIFA's ethics codes as it firmly rejected his appeal against a six year ban for making a $2 million payment to ousted UEFA chief Michel Platini.

A goal scored with a scorpion kick in the Swedish league was included on the shortlist for FIFA's goal of the year award on Monday along with efforts from Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Argentine coach Edgardo Bauza was unbowed after a 3-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Brazil and a fourth game without a win on Thursday..

A resurgent Brazil return to the scene of the most humiliating defeat in their history on Thursday when they face Argentina in a titanic 2018 World Cup qualifier.

Malaysian football authorities on Wednesday called on a former FIFA official to provide evidence after he claimed the country had become the hub for match-fixing in Southeast Asia.

The former president of Venezuela's football federation is expected to plead guilty to U.S. charges stemming from a bribery investigation involving FIFA, the sport's world governing body, according to court records filed on Tuesday.

Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Friday warned his players against Saudi Arabia's "specialists in provocation" in a home World Cup qualifier this month that could potentially decide his own future.