Ben Jacobs

Sports Broadcaster. Senior Football Correspondent @GiveMeSport. Premier League Commentator @talkSPORTLive. FWA member. Leicester fan. Insta: bendavidjacobs.🎙️

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 Exclusive: The White House made a direct call to FIFA to ask Gianni Infantino to review Folarin Balogun’s red card.

FIFA approached for comment and referred to the findings of its independent committee.

FIFA sources insist White House influence could not affect the decision due to the powers contained in Article 27 and the independent nature of the disciplinary panel.

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 Ramon Vega has announced he will stand against Gianni Infantino in FIFA’s presidential election in March next year.

🗣️ “I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game.

“I believe I have a duty and a social responsibility to protect and defend football: its integrity, its people and its future.

“Faith and trust across the football family have been deeply damaged. We must rebuild both, restore FIFA’s credibility and reunite the global football family.”

Vega would need backing of at least five of FIFA’s member federations to be eligible to stand.

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🗣️ Amanda Staveley, who brokered Sheikh Mansour's Manchester City purchase, says she hopes City and the Premier League "make a resolution". Staveley was speaking at Leaders at Stamford Bridge.

"We have such an exciting league. Football in Europe is potentially the most watched sport in the world and we should really nurture this asset.

"We should nurture our fans and we should do everything we can to try and make a resolution to the issues that exist today.

"And I hope that somebody with probably more negotiating abilities [than me] comes in and resolves that issue.

"And I think it will get resolved.

"I think the Premier League had a difficult thing, an opportunity. But you've got to also try to put yourself in the executives' [at the EPL] position.

"You've got 20 clubs and half of them are shouting at you to do one thing; the rest of the ten clubs are shouting at you to do another.

"So, as an executive, you're always pulled; you're always being threatened to be sued by one club.

"And you're meant to actually be co-owners of one league. So, to navigate all of that is really tough.

"And, you know, you've got so much pressure on, generally, football at the moment. So, I think we should just focus on the future and getting it right and trying to build bridges with our neighbours."

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 BREAKING: Tonda Eckert handed a six-week suspended ban from all football related activity until 2027/28 for Spygate. Eckert also fined £28k and given a reprimand.

🗣️ Saints statement: "Southampton Football Club welcomes the outcome of the FA hearing into the events at the end of last season.

"We hope this now brings a conclusion to a regrettable period of our history and measures have been put in place to ensure that such errors in judgement never happen again at our club.

"We want to take this opportunity to thank the supporters for their unconditional backing throughout this process. Our fan base is unmatched, and we are excited to move forward together towards a bright future."

🗣️ Owner Dragan Solak: “I’m pleased that the independent panel has come to a decision and that we have an outcome. We have already suffered enough, and we appreciate the panel’s recognition of that.

“We are confident the manager has learned from this matter, and a suspended sentence allows him to continue in his role. I firmly believe that Tonda is one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches, and with this distraction removed, I am confident he can lead the team to a successful season. I’d like to thank our fans for standing by us and showing the team so much support during a time when we have needed them more than ever.

“The FA process has been a positive experience. Tonda has been given the opportunity to be open and honest with the panel, and the panel has been able to see that he is simply a good person who made poor decisions. The same cannot be said for the EFL process, and the way they have subsequently treated us is not something we will forget. However, now is the time to look forward to what I believe will be a great future for our club.”

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Arsenal confirm Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract keeping him at the club until summer 2030.✍️

🗣️ Arteta: "It's a privilege to commit my future to the club and to continue to work with exceptional people who want the best for Arsenal.

"This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue.

"We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.

"I'm extremely grateful to Stan and Josh for their trust and support, and feel honoured to be leading this club through such a special period in its 140-year history.

"This is such a proud moment for me and my family. I feel the love and respect from our fantastic supporters, and they have mine – and ours – in return.”

🗣️ Co-chairs Stan and Josh Kroenke: "It has been an incredible journey so far and we are excited for what lies ahead in this special relationship.

"Last season was an incredible moment in Arsenal’s history, a moment in which we created memories that will last a lifetime. We’re determined to create many more in the years ahead.

"We share a special bond with Mikel. We are so proud of everything we have achieved since he returned to the club in 2019.

"He has a deep understanding of Arsenal’s values and carries them in his heart. He knows what this club means to everyone connected to it and is committed to building on everything we have achieved together.”

🗣️ CEO, Richard Garlick: "This is an important time in Arsenal Football Club’s history. We want to create a winning era together with Mikel.

"We will continue to work hard together as we aim to fulfil our long-term ambitions for the club and our supporters.

"Mikel has the belief, determination and the understanding of what it takes to build something remarkable and enduring here, and we are excited to continue that journey together."

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 Laurence Stewart will leave Chelsea as co-sporting director by mutual consent, as first called by @Matt_Law_DT and @NizaarKinsella. Not an immediate departure, so still expected to be around at some games.

Amicable exit that was decided in the last few weeks following talks between Stewart and Behdad Eghbali.

Paul Winstanley, Sam Jewell and Joe Shields will now all be sporting directors on equal footing.

Winstanley has responsibility for all areas including transfer negotiations, player contracts and different Cobham departments (Medical, Performance, Operations etc.).

Shields oversees the Academy and player pathways and many of his day-to-day tasks align with a traditional technical director.

Jewell also has wider responsabilities across Strasbourg/BlueCo.

Seen as a natural evolution of the sporting model, with discussions over a new structure starting in April and accelerating following the arrival of Xabi Alonso. Eghbali had said in April, "You tweak a model, you improve, you learn...".

Stewart had overseen investment in data analysis, but this area of the business has been used more by Jewell and Shields due to their expertise in scouting and talent ID.

Dave Fallows remains in his current role, which is more remote and advisory comparative to others in the sporting leadership team.

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🗣️ Lionel Messi on his final game for Argentina. "There are so many emotions going through me right now. I'm surely forgetting many things I would like to say because this is a very difficult moment for me. The first person who comes to my mind is my dad.

"I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything.

"I have nothing left to do but thank this shirt.

"For 20 years, even through the worst moments, I never stopped fighting, pushing forward, giving everything I had and wanting to be here.

"Not coming here any more and no longer being with the Argentina national team is going to hurt a lot. If it were up to me, I would love to be here for my entire life, because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing there is.

"I think I'm talking more than ever today because I simply don't want this moment to end.

"But I think the time has come for me to retire. The last World Cup took a lot out of us after everything we went through. We arrived in the final with just enough left in us, but we fought until the very end, like we always did.

"We came very close to winning it again, and despite everything that was said about us, nothing strange happened. The match against England took a lot out of us because we gave absolutely everything.

"In 2022, we had the dream of fulfilling not only my dream, but the dream of an entire country: becoming world champions again. And we did it."

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Lionel Messi’s last goal for Argentina.🩵

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

A goal and two assists for Lionel Messi on his final game for Argentina.🇦🇷

Messi retires from international football with 208 caps, 126 goals and 67 assists having won the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América twice (2021, 2024).🏆

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell.🥺🇦🇷

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo releases a lengthy statement explaining why he left the Portugal camp, calling out Jorge Jesus for 'broken promises' and reiterating he remains "available" for selection.

"As I promised, I decided to recount, in the first person and directly, the circumstances surrounding the latest phase of the national team's journey.

"After the 2026 World Cup, I prepared a message for the Portuguese people, which I still keep, containing the words I would like to address to them when I leave our team for good.

"At the end of the tournament, on the return flight from the United States, the federation president asked me and insisted that I reconsider my decision to leave, because the Portuguese Football Federation wanted me to continue.

"Immediately afterwards, he asked me for my opinion on the name of the current national team coach, whom he was considering, along with other names he did not reveal to me.

"I answered the federation president that, in my opinion, he would be the ideal choice. So, on the day the current national team coach was presented, I was genuinely happy with this choice. It was the right choice, as the results prove.

"A few days later, I received the first call from the new national team coach, in which he said he wanted to meet me in person. I answered in the affirmative, and we set a date for that. "The end of my holiday."

"We met in the Cidade do Futebol, where my team was holding its pre-season training camp.

"The coach told me that day that he was counting on me and that my presence was essential to his project. He presented me with a plan for my immediate involvement. He said I would play the first and last matches, and that he would make three or four changes in each match for reasons related to physical fitness.

"At that point, he suggested that I not travel with the national team to Norway and Denmark. He proposed that I play the first match and stay in Portugal, then join them before the match at the Estádio do Dragão.

"I rejected this proposal immediately. It seemed clear to me that I could not accept it. Not playing matches abroad would not mean I would not be the captain of our team. The privilege of staying in Portugal would not set a good example.

"In the end, the coach agreed with my analysis.

"Present at this conversation was Simo Coutinho, the sporting director of Al-Nassr, the person to whom the current national team coach had reported throughout last season, and one of those responsible for his joining the club in 2025.

"On the eve of the training camp, the coach came to my home in Lisbon for another conversation with me at his request. The conversation was calm, and we adhered to all the principles agreed upon in August. I played the match at the Estádio do Alvalade, and despite being substituted, I did not cause any problems. I personally placed the captain's armband on Bruno Fernandes, and it never occurred to me that I might be taking my final steps as a player and captain of the national team. The most important thing that day, for me, was that we won. Winning is always a good thing, and in Portugal, for my country, it is the best.

"At lunchtime on the day of the match in Norway, the national team coach's assistant came to the table where the team was having lunch and told me the coach wanted to speak with me. To my great surprise, the coach asked me if I was ready to play 30 minutes. I was completely focused on my physical recovery, integrated with my teammates as usual, and believing I would not play that day. No problem at all.

"This request was outside my physical recovery and training plan, because I was only going to play on the fourth of the month at the Estádio do Dragão, but of course I agreed. He answered me that I should be ready because I would play 30 minutes.

"And the rest is known. I started warming up from half-time, watched the minutes go by, and no one called for me. The coach broke his promise.

"At the end of the match, I just wanted everything to end with a win and to be alone. I did not go to greet the fans. A mistake for which I alone take responsibility, and which should not have happened. I apologise to the Portuguese people who supported us so passionately there, I apologise to the fans, and I apologise to those who travelled there to see me, even if they were not Portuguese, and whom I perhaps let down.

"48 hours later, we had a conversation, myself, the coach and Simo Coutinho, because he was following our conversations

"It was a very deep and candid moment, without any reservation.

"We agreed that there was only one way to end this 'case': that the coach repeat what he had just told me in private, in the presence of Simo Coutinho, but in the press conference room.

"The agreement was simple: the coach would begin the press conference with this subject, trying to end the matter by telling the truth. He would say that I never asked to play, not even for a few minutes, and that the coach alone, no one else, was the one who proposed the plan for this training camp, and that it was a mistake to subject me to only warming up without playing, and that if it happened again, he would not do it.

"We ended that meeting with the coach asking me for a hug, and he promised me that he would say in the press conference what he had just said to me, and that the matter was resolved. I would not play in Denmark, but I would play in the Dragão match. All of this took place in the presence of Simo Coutinho, as usual.

"At the coach's request, a video meeting was held between him, Simo Coutinho and Tiago Craveiro, to summarise what we had discussed.

"A brief document was prepared, which I personally approved, and it was delivered to the coach at his request.

"The meeting was as expected: the conduct had nothing to do with our meeting; I heard expressions and aggression that I consider unjustified, and an attitude suggesting that he "wants, can, and orders" which he had never shown me, not even indirectly, in a private session, the day before.

"The notes I reviewed were as follows: I think it is important, because it is the truth, to clarify some matters before talking about Denmark:

"1. I personally proposed a plan for Cristiano, without anyone else, for this sporting season with the national team. It was a very long and fruitful conversation.

"2. I know how much he loves the national team and his global standing, and even more than that, how positive his influence on the national team has been over 24 consecutive years.

"3. The plan I proposed to Cristiano was accepted.

"4. He never questioned my choices. He has been an example to follow, loyal, and professional.

"5. The Norway match was not included in the plan I set out for him. However, I felt that he had physically recovered from the first match, and I warned him that I might have to involve him. Cristiano agreed.

"6. I made a mistake by having a player of the stature of Pelé or Maradona only warm up without involving him in the match. If it were today, I would not do it.

"7. And in short: I want Cristiano in the national team. In truth, I do not want him a little, but a lot. And fortunately, he too trusts me. He believed in me at Al-Nassr and here too.

"8. As for not greeting the fans, we talked about this matter earlier. A player who has played more than 230 matches with the national team does not receive lessons from me on loving Portugal. It was a moment of frustration that erases nothing. He is the player who signs more than anyone else, takes the most selfies, and shows the most affection to the fans. Let us not create problems out of nothing. When we are not happy, we react. That is all there is to it. None of these notes mentioned, therefore, that the coach had apologised to me.

"This was the second time he broke his promise.

"I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for another unfulfilled promise. For me, the truth remains the most important thing in relationships between people. No matter how painful it is, I want the truth to be told to me.

"In fact, in a conversation I had with the president of the Portuguese Football Federation and the coach on the morning of that press conference, you can be sure of this, I assured them that if they did not want me there, they should tell me so. They just had to be honest with me. I would have accepted it and promised them that we would prepare something wonderful, as I hope will happen, and no one would be angry.

"I remember it as if it happened yesterday. They answered with one voice in the negative. That my place is in the national team.

"I never interfered, at any time, in any technical or tactical decision of any coach or national team official throughout nearly 25 years of my career. I accept, whether good or bad, what they propose. I respect the decision, and when they break my promise, I feel that my place is not here.

"I also apologise to my national team teammates for leaving the training camp. For despite my complete breach of the coach's trust, as everyone who witnessed these conversations can attest, I should not have done that. The responsibility falls on me alone.

"I apologise to the Portuguese people once again, but my breach of my promise had a profound effect on me. I felt that my continuing with the team, from that moment, would only cause it harm, so I did what I always said I would do if I did not feel useful: I packed my bags and left.

"The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced. I am not just an ordinary player; I am the captain of the team, and this is an aggravating factor. I have already apologised, but I know that actions have consequences. Anyone in the world of football, like me, knows that the rules are the same for everyone, regardless of individual standing.

"In this regard, I have heard a lot about farewell matches, and that I need a farewell befitting me, and that the federation wishes to grant me this opportunity.

"I learned in life, while suffering from hunger and having nothing to eat, that no one gives anything to anyone for free. I can promise all my fans, and especially the Portuguese people, that we will play one or more farewell matches; there will be time for that.

"But when I think of the national team, what I really think about is the competition. This is what I thought about the day I received the news of my father's death. I was in a training camp with our national team, and I decided to stay there until the end of the next day's match. I did for my country what I would never do for any club.

"So, if I am physically fit, playing with my team, and hopefully scoring goals, after my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team.

This, believe me, is the absolute truth."

[Martyn Ziegler @martynziegler]

NEW: Norway launch three-pronged attack on Gianni Infantino’s ‘abuse of power’ and Trump links.

https://t.co/ww4bgQhMcW

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

🚨 The Norwegian Football Association submitted two parallel filings to FIFA on October 5 2026 concerning three matters: the FIFA Peace Prize, Flo Balogun’s suspended red card, and the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

The NFF say the filings “activate two separate FIFA mechanisms: one addressing individual conduct and
the other institutional governance and process.”

The first filing is a complaint to the FIFA Ethics Committee. It asks the Ethics Committee to “examine the conduct of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and any other individuals identified through the investigation for potential breaches of FIFA’s Code of Ethics.”

The second filing is a referral to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC). It asks “whether FIFA’s governance, financial oversight, internal controls and decision-making processes has worked as intended.”

The NFF adds: “There is a recurring theme: whether FIFA office, authority or influence was used improperly.”

NFF asks for an independent and expedited process in light of the forthcoming FIFA presidential election this March.

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Exclusive: Former Middlesbrough Under-21 forward Hazeem Bakre is set to join Singapore side FC Jurong as a free agent.

20-year-old scored eight goals in 17 Premier League 2 matches and is now expected to fly to Singapore this week for a medical.🇸🇬

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Scott felt a quad issue before Croatia, but decided to play the game.

Although assessments are ongoing, Bournemouth expect him to miss up to two months.🏥

https://t.co/dsMQ3Uw8FV

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Alex Scott has withdrawn from the England squad.

Scott is returning to Bournemouth to be assessed for an injury picked up before Saturday's 7-0 win in Croatia.

Scott wanted to play through the pain to make his full England debut.

He is set to be sidelined for up to two months, as @alex_crook revealed on @talkSPORT.🏥

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Alex Scott has withdrawn from the England squad.

Scott is returning to Bournemouth to be assessed for an injury picked up before Saturday's 7-0 win in Croatia.

Scott wanted to play through the pain to make his full England debut.

He is set to be sidelined for up to two months, as @alex_crook revealed on @talkSPORT.🏥

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Rico Lewis has been added to the England squad ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Czechia at Wembley.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[Ben Jacobs @JacobsBen]

Manchester City will argue the so-called 'tagged' sponsorship payments (totalling £830m) came from the Abu Dhabi Government not their owner (ADUG). This applies to State-controlled entities such as Etihad and Etisalat. Yet Etihad has previously refuted AD Government funding as "false".

City can point to an internal report written for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2010 which concluded the Abu Dhabi Government did indeed cover the sponsorship of Manchester City. The report was not intended for external publication.

In their UEFA case, City denied the Etihad (or any other) sponsorship funds came from any other source other than a direct payment. Sheikh Mansour provided a letter which read: "I have not authorised ADUG to make any payments to Etihad, Etisalat or any of their affiliates in relation to their sponsorship of MCFC."

In 2015, the 'Partnership for Open and Fair Skies' wrote to the US departments of Commerce, Transportation and State arguing Etihad gained a competitive advantage due to receiving huge sums from the Abu Dhabi Government. They allude to the internal report referenced above, which appears to confirm this.

Yet Etihad's response was: "The assertion that the Abu Dhabi Government paid for Etihad’s sponsorship of English Premier League football club Manchester City is equally false.

"In 2011 Etihad and Manchester City entered into a 10-year sponsorship agreement, which included naming rights for Manchester City’s stadium. Etihad funded this sponsorship from its own liquidity. It is not uncommon for airlines to have sponsorships with sports teams and their venues."

Etihad's denial the Abu Dhabi Government helped pay for their sponsorship goes against City's core argument, according to the verdict, that "AD Sponsors had from time to time applied for financial assistance from the AD Government towards their liability to pay the Recorded Sponsorship Fees."

Due to redacted names, multiple sponsors, and the phrase 'from time to time', City could make a case for other sponsors, but Etihad's on-record denial doesn't help the club's position, according to multiple legal sources spoken to.

Worth also reiterating, the panel, having reviewed the evidence already provided, already concluded any notion the Abu Dhabi Government not ADUG paid the tagged sums was "concocted well after the event".