Sepp Blatter can no longer bring himself to say Gianni Infantino’s name. Instead, the Swiss administrator – who ran Fifa from 1998 to 2015 until he left amid an enormous corruption scandal – refers to Infantino only as “my successor” and “the leader” as he takes his adversary to task ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw.

GIANNI INFANTINO was forced to intervene during the World Cup draw – after fears that host Kevin Hart was about to give away secret details about the final’s half-time show. England

The FIFA 2026 World Cup draw took place on Friday evening, with Gianni Infantino putting on a spectacle in Washington DC, but it didn't go down well with many, including BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce.