The Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixture with Israel on October 4 will be held behind closed doors in a neutral venue overseas, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has announced.

In a statement on Friday, the FAI said Uefa had approved its request to hold the fixture overseas. The move came amid the prospect of major protests around the the fixture because of Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Middle East. Campaigners and some opposition politicians had called for an overall boycott of the fixture, as well as the away game scheduled for September 27.

An FAI statement read: “Following consultation with various stakeholders, the Association is of the view that operational challenges could impact on the delivery of the game on home soil, so the fixture will be played away from the Aviva Stadium.

“The Association understands and respects the views expressed by players and staff, supporters, its members, campaigners, members of the public and the Irish footballing community in relation to this fixture.” PA

The head of the Palestinian Football Association is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States with other federation heads attending the World Cup .

Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States.

“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but Fifa typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.

“Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Fifa World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” Fifa President Gianni Infantino said last year.

The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team.

Infantino said this week that Fifa had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the US government. “We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday. AP

This is very sad news. Watford have announced that Kenny Jackett has died, aged 64.

The club wrote on social media: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our former player and manager Kenny Jackett.

”A true club legend and one of our own, Watford-born Kenny was instrumental in some of our greatest successes as a player before going on to serve as coach and then manager.

”Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Kenny.”

Wolves, another of Jackett’s clubs, have also passed on their condolences.

“Wolves are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of iconic former manager Kenny Jackett at the age of 64.

“Jackett will forever be loved and remembered by everyone associated with Wolves for the incredible job he did in helping turn the club around after dropping from the Premier League into League One.

“Under his guidance, the Old Gold won the third-tier title at the first attempt, setting a new divisional points record of 103 and restoring pride and identity to Molineux, while setting the wheels in motion for the club’s success over the last decade.

“Thank you for everything you did for Wolves, Kenny. Rest in peace. The thoughts of everyone at Wolves are with Kenny’s family and friends during this devastating time.”

Reflecting on Jackett’s passing, LMA chief executive Richard Bevan said: “Kenny stands as one of the most respected managers to have plied their trade in the EFL, a hugely capable leader whose work across four decades has left a lasting influence on the many players, coaches and colleagues who benefitted from his guidance.

“He embodied everything we like to see in a manager, humility, professionalism and a deep care for his players and staff. He improved every club he served and did so with quiet dignity throughout his career.

“From his first role at Watford to his final role at Gillingham, Kenny’s work was characterised by an incredible sense of responsibility to his teams and to the game itself.

“Kenny is a huge loss to all that knew and loved him. Our thoughts are with his wife Samantha, sons David and Ryan, and all of his family and friends, who join us in mourning.”

A real shame to see Japan midfielder Wataru Endo announce his international retirement after withdrawing from their World Cup squad with injury. The skipper will be missed. Liverpool could have done with him for the closing few months of the season and maybe it was telling that he sustained his foot injury while putting his body on the line in the Reds’ 1-0 win at Sunderland in February – perhaps their most robust away performance of the campaign.

The 33-year-old, capped 73 times by his country, wrote on X: “From the moment I got injured up until now, I have done everything I possibly could, so I have no regrets.

“Of course there is frustration at not being able to play in this World Cup, but more than that, I am proud that since the Qatar World Cup I have led this team as captain and that we have grown together into a group that can speak of ‘winning the World Cup’ as a matter of course.

“The team we have now is a truly outstanding one. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us a view we have never seen before.”

An important story here from Matt Hughes. The Professional Footballers’ Association is refusing to drop its legal case against Fifa despite the global players’ union Fifpro withdrawing its claim against the governing body this week.

Gianni Infantino announced in a surprise move at his pre-World Cup press conference that Fifa had signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Fifpro. It gives Fifpro a seat at the negotiating table with Fifa and a right of veto over issues relating to changes to the transfer system and player welfare. In return Fifpro has withdrawn its legal complaints, most notably a claim first lodged at the European Commission two years ago which accused Fifa of abusing its dominant position and violating European Union law.

The Guardian has learned, however, that the PFA is not entirely satisfied with the MOU as it stands, and is not prepared to withdraw its legal claim until it receives concrete details from Fifa on its plans for the global calendar after 2030. In addition to the European Commission case the PFA has a claim against Fifa in the Brussels Court of Commerce.

The post-2030 calendar is the next major issue facing football after the World Cup, although Fifa appears intent on parking detailed discussions with stakeholders until after its presidential elections next year, when Infantino will seek another four-year term.

The PFA is particularly concerned about Fifa’s desire to expand the Club World Cup to 48 teams and the disruption that will be caused by staging the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup in the European winter.

The impact is likely to be felt disproportionately by PFA members, because the Premier League schedule is generally regarded as being the most demanding.

“We have achieved some big wins, but at the same time cannot cave in on such important matters as the calendar,” a PFA source said. “The MOU is significant and brings important governance changes, but we need a solution on the calendar too before we can drop our claim.”

Mexico’s opening World Cup victory party was somewhat tarnished by violent clashes outside the Azteca Stadium. Ticketless fans and protesters attempted to gain access as rocks and bottles were thrown at police outside gate eight. Local media reported that dozens of arrests were made as a result.

Did the official attendance between South Korea and Czechia marry up with the eye test? FIFA reported a crowd of 44,985 for Thursday’s World Cup match in Guadalajara but swathes of empty seats around the stadium renewed concerns over ticket pricing and demand for the expanded tournament.

More here from Reuters:

While more than 80,000 squeezed into the Azteca stadium to watch the opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, the optics of unoccupied rows at the 46,000-seat stadium in Guadalajara, a city with a deep-rooted football culture, have intensified criticism of Fifa’s commercial strategy for the first 48-team World Cup.

Some fans at the stadium blamed the high ticket prices for the rows of empty seats and criticised Fifa for their pricing model.

Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, on Wednesday defended the ticket pricing following criticism from supporters who argued the cost of attending matches had become prohibitive. He said ticket prices were on a par with other major sporting events.

Fifa has sold more than six million tickets for the tournament and previously highlighted strong interest from across the Americas, with Infantino saying demand had exceeded expectations by “a factor of 10 or more“.

However, groups such as Football Supporters Europe (FSE) had warned that “extortionate” pricing would exclude ordinary fans. According to FSE, ticket prices for this tournament have jumped fivefold compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Reuters has contacted Fifa for comment.

Two down, 102 to go! Good news this morning if you’re a fan of Mexico or South Korea. Not so much for supporters of South Africa or Czechia. Even with the limited data so far, stats are spinning around the online universe, the most eye-popping being that the red count so far in this World Cup is just one fewer than the whole of Qatar 2022. A trend? We shall see. Other stats involve official attendances. More on that shortly.

After Mexico took centre stage on Thursday, day two of World Cup 2026 sees the other two co-hosts in action. Canada take on Bosnia & Herzegovina in Group B before the USA host Paraguay in Group D, that one in the early hours of Saturday for UK viewers. Pat on the back if you’re reading this now having watched the first two games in their entirety.

Anyway, we have five goals, three red cards, an opening ceremony and much else to talk about. No time for drinks breaks here, let’s get this going!