Sports and Crime Briefing

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Why Australia’s Nick Kyrgios Could Serve Just One Month for a Cocaine Ban
The International Tennis Integrity Agency and WADA allow for surprisingly lenient bans for certain illegal drugs. But that rule will soon change.
 • Chris Dalby
Two Decades Atop World Football: Gianni Infantino's Career in 45 Controversies
As UEFA considers examining Infantino's entire career, Sports and Crime Briefing works backwards through the allegations, investigations, governance…
 • Chris Dalby
No, Messi Was Not in Danger of Being Assassinated at the World Cup
Lionel Messi was named in two threats during the 2026 World Cup. But the public record shows no killers, no weapons and no real plot, only claims that…
 • Chris Dalby
Infantino Signs a Letter of Full Support for Infantino, but Blackmail and Corruption Accusations Piling Up
Unpaid clubs and host cities, accusations of blackmail, pre-written endorsement statements, football legends and world leaders telling him to get…
 • Chris Dalby
Why Anti-Doping Officers Woke Tour de France Riders at 2am
Overnight doping tests have been legal for over a decade. The 2026 Tour was the first time furious riders experienced them. The Sports and Crime…
 • Chris Dalby
The Strange Campaign to Praise Infantino for Abandoning His Own Plan
As FIFA's president faces a campaign that could end his rule, a small group of beneficiaries is recasting his humiliating retreat as evidence of…
 • Chris Dalby

July 2026

Why Gianni Infantino Will Be Expensive to Remove as FIFA President
A revolt has engulfed the most controversial man in world football. But is the coalition he spent a decade building — with money, stadiums, World Cup…
 • Chris Dalby
Infantino Strong-Arming Members Into Approving His $20 Billion Company by September 19
Blindsided member associations that were not consulted must decide by September 19 whether to support FIFA Forward Enterprise, and unlock funding worth…
 • Chris Dalby
I Crunched the Numbers Behind FIFA's Plan to Sell Shares in the World Cup. Dear God.
Joshua Kushner is expected to lead the investment, FIFA’s voting associations stand to receive billions, and Gianni Infantino could retain power over…
 • Chris Dalby
The Full Story of How Andrea Pirlo's Russian Betting Deal Sabotaged His Italy Coach Dreams
The Italy legend's deal with Russia's Fonbet was public since October. He had been heavily criticised for it. So why did it only became a scandal in…
 • Chris Dalby
Cursing for Clicks - The Mystics Who Turned World Cup Prophecies Into Paying Customers
Harry Kane wasn't cursed and aliens didn't kidnap Neymar and Vinicius Jr. The World Cup's mystics got every prediction wrong but still cashed in big.
 • Chris Dalby
Did Colombian Gangs Threaten to Kill a World Cup Player Again?
Inside the death threats that kept Jáminton Campaz from flying home after the World Cup, and why the country cannot escape the ghost of Andrés Escobar.
 • Chris Dalby
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