A leading voice at FIFA has dismissed criticism of Gianni Infantino and says personal experience has convinced him the organisation's president cares deeply about the LGBTQ+ community.

The World Cup gets under way in Qatar on Sunday and Infantino has come under fire for his staunch defence of a country that classes homosexuality as a crime.

At the end of an extraordinary press conference in Doha on Saturday, during which Infantino addressed this issue as well as other criticisms of Qatar by stating "I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel [like] a migrant worker", he was backed by FIFA's director of media relations, Bryan Swanson. 

Swanson, a well-known figure in British media following a long stint at Sky Sports, said: "I've seen a lot of criticism of Gianni Infantino since I've joined FIFA, in part from the LGBTQ+ community.

"I am sitting here in a privileged position, on a global stage, as a gay man here in Qatar.

"We have received assurances that everyone is welcome and I believe that everybody will be welcomed in this World Cup.

"Just because Gianni Infantino is not gay does not mean he does not care, he does care.

"You see the public side, I see the private side and we have spoken on a number of occasions about this.

"I thought long and hard about whether to mention this in this news conference but I do feel strongly about it.

"We care at FIFA about everyone, we are an inclusive organisation. I have a number of gay colleagues so sitting here, I'm fully aware of the debate. I fully respect everyone's right and opinions to think differently.

"I get it but I also know what we stand for and when he [Infantino] says we are inclusive, he means it."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino slammed coverage of so-called "fake fans" as "pure racism" during his remarkable pre-World Cup address.

Infantino gave a lengthy speech on the eve of Qatar 2022, commenting on a vast range of the controversial subjects that have dominated the tournament's build-up.

One of the topics highlighted was the coverage of fans in Qatar over the past week, with teams beginning to arrive in the country.

Social media has been awash with suggestions that many of the fans pictured in parades and congregating at team bases have not been the same nationality as the team they appear to be celebrating – or, "fake", to some.

It emerged a group celebrating the England team's arrival were Indian, and Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy called the scepticism of their passion "disappointing and unsurprising".

Infantino went a step further.

"Help, don't divide. Try to unite. The world is divided enough," he told reporters. "We are organising a World Cup, not a war. Where anyone can come and enjoy. Look at the city – it's beautiful, it's happy, they celebrate.

"They went to see the teams, and what happened when they did – 'well they don't look like English, they look like Indians!'. 

"Can someone who looks Indian not cheer for England? Or Spain or Germany? You know what this is – it's racism, pure racism. Everyone in this world has a right to cheer for who they want."

The promotion of 'togetherness' was a common motif throughout Infantino's press conference, which lasted an hour and 40 minutes.

He brought it up again when asked about the validity of Iran taking part in the World Cup despite a backdrop of women's oppression in the country.

Women cannot attend football matches in Iran, and widespread demonstrations in the country were recently sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody two months ago after being arrested for not wearing a hijab properly.

It was highlighted to Infantino that FIFA's own statutes say discrimination of any kind is banned, including gender discrimination, but Infantino defended Iran's inclusion in the tournament.

Asked why England should have to face a country with such ideologies, Infantino said: "Because it's not two regimes playing each other, not two ideologies, it's two football teams. It's football. If we don't have football to bring us together… You want another World War? Okay, go ahead, without me. We have to bring people together.

"If we could go with a tournament in Iran, let's go because maybe that will change something. Of course we'd need certain guarantees, but together we can play in a tournament. In Iran there are 80 million people living.

"Do you think they are all bad? All monsters? I don't think so. How many people live in England? Are they all good?

"Do we have to exclude everyone because not everyone is good or says the right thing? We'll fight and fight to bring people together, and the more we can do that, the better it will be because no one else is doing that."

Gianni Infantino expects Qatar 2022 to be "the best World Cup in history", he told reporters on Saturday while suggesting several criticisms of the finals were hypocritical.

An extraordinary opening speech saw the FIFA president respond on a wide range of matters, claiming he had received "almost threats" around the subject of migrant workers' rights.

But Infantino's enthusiasm for the action on the pitch, which begins on Sunday, remained undimmed.

One prominent complaint has been around the staging of the World Cup in the European winter – especially with matches in some domestic leagues finishing less than a week before Qatar's opener against Ecuador.

Antonio Conte last week described England captain Harry Kane as "very, very tired" due to a relentless pre-World Cup schedule, yet Infantino suggested this issue would be worse at the end of the season.

He is of the view this tournament will set a new benchmark.

"When the players have been playing in July, they are really tired, especially the best players who play in the Champions League," he said.

"It will be an exceptional World Cup, and I think we will see the best World Cup in history."

All eight stadiums used in Qatar are within a 55km radius of the capital of Doha – and Infantino sees this as another big positive.

He added: "It will be a very compact World Cup. No travel for the teams, ideal conditions, temperatures, venues, hotels, stadiums.

"Everything is done for them to feel good and play good.

"It's also the first time fans from all countries are coming to the same place for the whole tournament. This is unique.

"When we say football unites the world, this is exactly what it is."

Infantino is confident fans will enjoy the tournament – "to the fans who don't want to watch, don't watch," he added – and his defence of Qatar as hosts went beyond merely the logistics.

Asked to reply to predecessor Sepp Blatter's description of a "mistake" in the bidding process, Infantino said: "I've nothing to answer because I was not there. At that time, I was even known as one of the biggest FIFA critics."

In an hour-long monologue at the start of his news conference, the FIFA chief detailed at length steps that are being made to improve migrant workers' rights following deaths on World Cup building sites.

But Infantino was reluctant to accept criticisms on the topic from Europe, explaining: "We know there are many illegal workers in Europe, living in conditions that aren't the best.

"Those who reach Europe or want to go to Europe, they have to go through a very difficult journey. Only a few survive.

"So, if you really care about the destiny of these people, these young people, then Europe could also do what Qatar did: create legal channels for at least a number or percentage of these workers, who can come to Europe, give them some work, a future, hope.

"In Qatar, of course, there are things that still don't work, but this moral lesson-giving is one-sided, it is just hypocrisy."

He said: "I'm European. I think for what we Europeans have been doing in last 3,000 years, we should be apologising for next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons to people."

Gianni Infantino promised that "everyone is welcome" in Qatar, but was adamant the country must not be criticised despite its questionable human rights record.

A World Cup the FIFA president believes will go down as the best in history kicks off on Sunday, with host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador.

The awarding of the tournament to Qatar, which happened in 2010, has drawn much criticism, with the Gulf state's record on human rights particularly contentious.

Male homosexuality is still a crime in Qatar, while the nation's government does not recognise same-sex marriage or civil partnerships, while campaigns for LGBTQ+ rights have been quashed.

Infantino, though, assured that people of any sexuality, race or religion are welcome in the country, as in an hour-long monologue at the Main Media Centre in Doha on Saturday, he called out what he sees as the "hypocrisy" of the western world and media, insisting that he must take any criticism, and not Qatar or the players or coaches.

"At the last World Cup I was always getting angry, because I had to deal with questions about doping, which I had nothing to do with," Infantino said.

"Here I have to deal with other topics. If you want to criticise somebody, don't criticise the players, the coaches, let them focus on football and making their fans happy.

"If you want to criticise someone, criticise me, I am here, crucify me. Don't criticise Qatar. Criticise FIFA, criticise me. But let people enjoy this World Cup.

"Do we want to continue to divide, to spit on people because they feel different, or look different? We obtain results, it's a process. Help us, don't divide, don't split.

"We have 32 teams, 33 with the referees, we have a beautiful city that wants to welcome the world. Let's celebrate and hope we can give some joy around the world."

Infantino promised he had assurances that people within the LGBTQ+ community will be welcome and secure in Qatar.

"I've been speaking about this topic with the highest leadership in the country, several times," he said.

"I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If you're a person here or there that says the opposite, well it's not the opinion of the country, and it's certainly not the opinion of FIFA.

"This is a clear requirement, everyone has to be welcome. Whatever religion, race, sexual orientation or belief that she or he has, everyone is welcome – this is our requirement and the Qatari state sticks to this.

"Yes, these legislations exist in many countries in the world. These legislations existed when Switzerland organised the World Cup, in 1954. What do you want to do about it?

"Do you want to stay home and criticise, say how bad they are – these Arabs or Muslims or whatever, because it's not allowed to be publicly gay. Of course, I believe it should be allowed, but I went through a process.

"If I asked the same question to my father, who is not here anymore, he would probably have a different answer than me, and my children will have a different answer than me.

"If somebody thinks by hammering and criticising we achieve anything, it will be exactly the opposite, because it will be provocation and if you provoke me the reaction will be bad, then the doors will be more closed, even though now the door is starting to open.

"Tolerance starts with ourselves, we shouldn’t spread aggression, we have to spread understanding."

Infantino hopes the tournament will help unite the world, claiming that is FIFA's aim.

He said: "We are a global organisation, and we want to unite the world. I am still convinced, though not sure how optimistic I still am, that this World Cup will help to open the eyes of people in the western world to the Arab world.

"We have to live together, but we have to understand we have different beliefs, different history and backgrounds, but we are in the same world. It's why you have to come here and say what you see – when you see something that is wrong, say how it can be rectified, please.

"Maybe we can help everyone to understand how we can help each other a little bit better."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino launched an impassioned defence of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, insisting he feels solidarity with many of the groups seemingly marginalised by taking the event to the Middle East.

The decision to host world football's showpiece event in Qatar - a country with a chequered past on human rights issues, its treatment of migrant workers and the illegality of homosexuality - has drawn widespread criticism, but in an extraordinary riposte, Infantino was unrepentant.

He said: "Today I have very strong feelings. Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel a migrant worker.

"I feel all this because what I have been seeing and what I have been told, since I don’t read, otherwise I will be depressed.

"What I see brings me back to my personal story. I am a son of migrant workers, my parents were working hard in very difficult conditions, not in Qatar but in Switzerland, I remember it very well. I know the rights migrants in Switzerland had.

"I remember as a child how migrant workers were treated when they wanted to enter a country and look for work. 

"I remember what happened with their passports, their medical checks, with their accommodation and when I came to Doha for the first time after I was elected FIFA president I went to see some of the accommodation and I was brought back to my childhood.

"I said to the people in Qatar, this is not right, and the same way that Switzerland has become an example of tolerance, inclusion and rights, Qatar has made progress as well.

"Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled, I am not a migrant worker but I feel like them because I know what it feels to be discriminated against by a bully.

"As a foreigner in a foreign county, as a child at school, I was bullied at school because I had red hair and freckles. I was Italian, and didn’t speak good German.

"What do you do? You lock yourself down, go to your room and cry. And then you try to make some friends, to engage, make friends. And then you try to make these friends engage with others. You don’t start fighting, you start engaging and this is what we should be doing.

"I am proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket. It's not easy to read all the criticism from a decision taken 12 years ago. Now we have to make the best out of it.

"Qatar is ready and it will be the best World Cup ever. As soon as the ball rolls, people will focus on that."

Infantino's "I feel gay" comment immediately prompted accusations of hypocrisy on social media given he heads an organisation that is staging the World Cup in a country with such an oppressive outlook on homosexuality.

He added: "If we were to exclude all these countries, you are playing football with just you and me.

"I think football has to bring people together and I think we have to welcome everybody. Gay people are welcome in Qatar – we need to engage, don’t provoke.

"How many gay people were prosecuted in Europe? It was a process, we went through a process. We seem to forget.

"We shouldn’t take for granted that a country that has not had the same chance for development as we had in Europe.

"We have to have our beliefs, engage and explain. I think provocation is the wrong way. I may be right, may be wrong. I try to engage."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino hopes the World Cup can provide an opportunity for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Russia were excluded from all FIFA and UEFA competitions following the country's invasion of Ukraine in February, preventing their side from competing in March's qualification play-offs for a place in Qatar.

While Russia hosted the last edition of the World Cup in 2018, the tournament could head to Ukraine in 2030 after the war-ravaged nation was invited to join a bid from Spain and Portugal.

Addressing world leaders at a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, Infantino called for a temporary ceasefire to be implemented during the tournament, which begins on Sunday.

"Football is a force for good. We are not naive to believe that football can solve the world's problems," Infantino said.

"We know that our main focus as a sports organisation is and should be sports, but because football unites the world, this particular FIFA World Cup, with five billion people watching it, can be a trigger for a positive gesture, for a sign or a message of hope.

"Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018, and Ukraine is bidding to host the World Cup in 2030. Maybe the current World Cup, starting in five days, can really be that positive trigger.

"My plea to all of you is to think on a temporary ceasefire for one month for the duration of the World Cup, or at least the implementation of some humanitarian corridors, or anything that could lead to the resumption of dialogue as a first step to peace.

"You are the world leaders, you have the ability to influence the course of history. Football and the World Cup are offering you and the world a unique platform of unity and peace all over the world."

Ukraine have only appeared at the World Cup on one occasion as an independent nation, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2006 edition in Germany.

Oleksandr Petrakov's side fell at the final hurdle in qualification for this year's tournament, overcoming Scotland before losing 1-0 in their play-off final against Wales in June.

A UEFA working group made up of 10 European nations has stressed the need to "support human rights" at the Qatar World Cup.

The decision to stage the World Cup in Qatar has been widely criticised due to concerns over the country's human rights record, with the conditions of migrant workers and the criminalisation of homosexuality being highlighted.

Amnesty International later accused FIFA of brushing these concerns "under the carpet" after president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura called on participating nations to "focus on the football" at the World Cup.

In a statement released on Sunday, the working group acknowledged what it perceives to be "significant progress" made by Qatar, though also insisted human rights issues cannot be ignored.

"We acknowledge, and welcome, as we have done in the past, that significant progress has been made by Qatar, particularly with regards to the rights of migrant workers, with the impact of legislative changes demonstrated in the International Labour Organisation's recent reports," the statement read.

"We welcome the assurances given by the Qatari Government and by FIFA regarding the safety, security and inclusion of all fans who travel to the World Cup, including LGBTQ+ fans.

"We also recognise that every country has issues and challenges and we agree with FIFA that diversity is a strength.

"However, embracing diversity and tolerance also means supporting human rights. Human rights are universal and they apply everywhere."

The group, made up of the football associations of England, Wales, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal and Belgium, also detailed the talks it has had with FIFA on the matters.

"We will continue to support the momentum for positive, progressive change and continue to advocate for a conclusive outcome and update on the two key outstanding issues we have been discussing with FIFA for a long time," the statement continued.

"FIFA has repeatedly committed to deliver concrete answers on these issues - the compensation fund for migrant workers, and the concept of a migrant workers centre to be created in Doha - and we will continue to press for these to be delivered.

"We believe in the power of football to make further positive and credible contributions to progressive sustainable change in the world."

The tournament gets underway on November 20 when the hosts take on Ecuador.

Amnesty International has accused FIFA of brushing human rights concerns "under the carpet" after president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura called on participating nations to "focus on the football" at the World Cup.

The decision to stage the World Cup in Qatar has been criticised due to concerns over the country's human rights record, with the conditions of migrant workers and the criminalisation of homosexuality being highlighted.

Less than two weeks before the World Cup begins, Infantino and Samoura wrote to each participating nation, saying football must not be dragged "into every ideological or political battle that exists".

Amnesty, who called on FIFA to create a compensation fund for workers who suffered during the tournament's preparations in May, has now hit out at those comments.

In a media release on Friday, the human rights charity repeated the demand for compensation and lamented organisers' "astonishing" failure to address the concerns of the LGBTQ+ community.

"If Gianni Infantino wants the world to 'focus on the football', there is a simple solution: FIFA could finally start tackling the serious human rights issues, rather than brushing them under the carpet," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of economic and social justice.

"A first step would be publicly committing to the establishment of a fund to compensate migrant workers before the tournament kicks off, and ensuring that LGBT people do not face discrimination or harassment. It is astonishing they still have not done so. 

"Gianni Infantino is right to say that 'football does not exist in a vacuum'.

"Hundreds of thousands of workers have faced abuses to make this tournament possible and their rights cannot be forgotten or dismissed. 

"They deserve justice and compensation, not empty words, and time is running out."

Victims of Saturday's stampede at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia will be remembered in a moment's silence before this week's European games, UEFA has announced.

At least 125 people died in a crush at an Indonesian Premier League (Liga 1) match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.

Tear gas was fired in an attempt to disperse rioting fans.

Local police said supporters died after being crushed and suffocated as they ran towards the stadium's exits, stating 3,000 of the estimated 40,000 spectators in attendance had invaded the pitch.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino offered his condolences after what he called "a dark day for all involved in football", labelling the incident "a tragedy beyond all comprehension".

All of this week's Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and Women's World Cup play-off matches will feature a moment's silence, UEFA said.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino offered his condolences on "a dark day" after at least 174 people were killed in a stampede at an Indonesian Premier League (Liga 1) match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.

Police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse rioting fans on the pitch after hosts Arema were beaten 3-2 at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang on Saturday.

East Java police chief Nico Afinta said people died after being crushed and suffocated as they ran towards the same exit, with Afinta stating that 3,000 of the approximately 40,000 spectators in attendance had invaded the pitch initiating "riots".

It was initially reported that about 130 people had lost their lives, but officials later confirmed the death toll had climbed.

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) launched an investigation into the tragedy, while FIFA's Infantino said in a statement: "The football world is in a state of shock following the tragic incidents that have taken place in Indonesia.

"This is a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension.

"I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives following this tragic incident.

"Together with FIFA and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, those who have been injured, together with the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Indonesian Football Association, and the Indonesian Football League, at this difficult time."

All remaining Liga 1 matches due to be staged over the weekend were suspended following the tragedy, while Arema have been banned from hosting games until the end of the season.

Sebastien Haller has been surprised by the "compassion" of others since being diagnosed with testicular cancer, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino backed the Borussia Dortmund striker to bounce back.

The Ivory Coast international moved to Bundesliga heavyweights Dortmund of the new campaign, after a superb 2021-22 season with Ajax saw him finish as the Eredivisie's top scorer.

His plans for making an early impact on the field in Germany were scuppered when a tumour was found, with the 28-year-old former West Ham player needing to undergo chemotherapy.

Haller has been understandably reluctant to put a time frame on his return to action, but he feels positive about the progress he is making, saying: "I'm very well. The treatment is going well, and luckily I'm able to train every day."

Speaking about the support he has had, Haller told FIFA.com: "It was a shock, but it's been positive. I never expected to get such a response or have so much compassion shown to me, and not just from the football world. These are things that bring us all together, and it's given me a huge amount of strength in facing up to this challenge.

"It doesn't matter whether they're Ivorian, Dutch, French, German, English or whatever; everyone who's given me their support from near or far is a source of energy for my family, friends and I.

"All I can say to them is that I'll be doing everything I can to come back as quickly as possible and to play a decisive role for my club and my country."

Haller made a welcome appearance in the crowd to see Dortmund get their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday, with a 3-0 home victory over FC Copenhagen.

Dortmund also sit second in the Bundesliga table after five games, level on points with Freiburg who hold top spot on goal difference.

The signs are promising that Haller will rejoin a strong squad, once he is ready to play again.

FIFA chief Infantino wrote to him: "On behalf of both myself and the international football community, I would like to extend my sincere wishes to you for a full and speedy recovery, and hope to see you back to full health very soon."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino says HRH Queen Elizabeth II is "a huge loss to football" following her death aged 96 on Thursday.

The monarch, Britain's longest-serving sovereign with a seven-decade reign, passed away at her home in Balmoral, with her son succeeding her as King Charles III.

Throughout her life, the Queen was closely associated with the nation's favourite sport, and presented England captain Bobby Moore with the Jules Rimet Trophy upon the Three Lions' 1966 World Cup win at Wembley.

Now, Infantino has paid tribute to the late Queen, calling her "a global leader" and offering his condolences to her family following the news.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's passing is a huge loss to football, to our society, and to the world," he stated. 

"To our sport, the Queen was present in England’s proudest footballing moment, when she presented the Jules Rimet trophy to Bobby Moore after winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup on home soil, and her support for football spans a lifetime.

"To society, the Queen was a Head of State for a number of FIFA's Member Associations, and was an active patron of football across the United Kingdom and a supporter of our sport throughout the Commonwealth.

"To the world, our football community laments the loss of a global leader who engaged and encouraged everyone she met, and on behalf of football across the world, our thoughts are with the royal family at this most difficult time."

A study has shown that over 55 per cent of players who featured in the finals of Euro 2020 and this year's Africa Cup of Nations were abused online.

The independent report, released by FIFA five months prior to the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, identified that homophobic and racist comments were the two main areas of concern.

Over 400,000 social media posts were examined, spread across Twitter and Instagram, and 541 cases of direct discrimination or other forms of abuse were discovered.

The majority of hate comments were found to have originated from the home countries of targeted players, with 38 per cent having been made in the United Kingdom.

The study showed that 40 per cent of abusive messages contained homophobic content, and 38 per cent were racist. A further three per cent were categorised as containing a threat, while 58 per cent of the racist remarks were found to be still visible online in April 2022, with 87 per cent of non-racist abuse also still live.

The report comes after England players Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford received racist abuse online after missing in the Euro 2020 final penalty shoot-out against Italy, which England ultimately lost.

It was revealed that 78 per cent of the abuse aimed at players involved in that game contained racist remarks.

Such abuse was heavily condemned by England manager Gareth Southgate as well as UK prime minister Boris Johnson, who vowed to take action against racist trolls. 

For the AFCON final between Senegal and Egypt, the abuse was found to be 26 per cent racist in tone, and 62 per cent homophobic.

FIFA said it would collaborate with global players' union FIFPRO to start a moderation service to monitor hate speech during upcoming tournaments, in the hope it will stop the messages being seen by the intended targets.

"Our duty is to protect football, and that starts with the players who bring so much joy and happiness to all of us by their exploits on the field of play," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.

"We want our actions to speak louder than our words and that is why we are taking concrete measures to tackle the problem directly."

As well as the moderation tool, educational and mental health advice will be offered to players at FIFA tournaments in 2022 and 2023 to help them deal with online abuse.

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence-driven semi-automated VAR offside technology remains on course to be used at the World Cup in Qatar.

That is the message from The International Football Association Board (The IFAB), the organisation that determines the laws of football.

Offside decisions using VAR have been taking up to four minutes, with the technology aiming to cut the decision down to three or four seconds by providing faster information.

Chelsea were the first Premier League side to experience the technology during the Club World Cup in February, just two months after the initial semi-automated system made its debut.

The IFAB continues in its discussions with FIFA as to the implementation of the upgraded VAR system, with the aim to utilise the offside technology at the upcoming World Cup in November.

"It looks very good and very promising," FIFA president Gianni Infantino told a news conference on Monday.

"Our experts are looking into [the trials] before we take a decision on whether it will be used for the World Cup or not."

FIFA's head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina, added: "My personal opinion is that I'm very confident we can go ahead with this. We want to achieve accuracy, quicker decisions, also more accepted decisions.

"We have seen in matches where the semi-automated offside was implemented these objectives were achieved.

"It uses the same process as goal-line technology, and we have seen that is very well accepted by the football community, nobody comments on this.

"We are confident that the same reaction, in terms of acceptance, can be given to the semi-automated offside."

The Premier League is expected to introduce the technology, if successful at the World Cup, in the 2023-24 season.

Trials are also in the works to give attacking players the advantage in offside situations, with Collina revealing the rules are under consideration.

"We are considering that a very marginal offside is not that relevant to be punished in modern football," Collina added.

"So we are running this experiment. Unfortunately, the competitions where these trials were allowed were suspended or abandoned for almost two years due to the pandemic.

"So now we have tests going on in [youth football] in the Netherlands, in Italy and in Sweden and certainly we will come to conclusions once we have evidence and figures from these trials."

The IFAB also confirmed it was investigating how to reduce time-wasting, with the ball usually in action for just 54 minutes of a 90-minute match.

The Arsene Wenger-fronted plan for a World Cup every two years was "more or less a nonsense" and FIFA saw sense by finally ditching the idea, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino last week indicated the world governing body had dropped the project, which had drawn strong criticism from European and South American authorities in particular.

Infantino said FIFA had never proposed the change to the tournament that has taken place every four years since the first edition in 1930.

But Infantino had been seen by many as a cheerleader for the switch, making a widely criticised claim in January that opportunities delivered by a World Cup every two years could provide impetus for African migrants to avoid treacherous crossings to Europe, suggesting they could avoid "death in the sea".

Ceferin told a news conference on Thursday: "We are happy FIFA ordered that it is finally off the table, the biennial World Cup.

"Formally it was not proposed by FIFA, but it was encouraged by FIFA. It's good they've listened to the football community.

"For me, it's very good that this project that is more or less a nonsense is off the table."

Former Arsenal manager Wenger, as FIFA's chief of global development, had been the main advocate for the biennial World Cup, promoting the concept widely ahead of a possible vote and nailing his colours firmly to the mast.

Infantino claimed the alterations would yield significant financial returns if the plans were approved, with a boost of $4.4billion in the first four-year cycle of a new international calendar, which would climb to $6.6bn if each confederation also switched its regional competition to become biennial.

A vote now appears highly unlikely to happen in the near future, and Ceferin questioned whether there should be any other major tournaments added to the international calendar.

"About new tournaments, I don't think there's much time for new competitions, but let's speak about it and let's see," Ceferin said. "For now, we didn't discuss it."

Ceferin said UEFA would take a decision "very soon" on Russia's possible involvement in the Women's European Championship, which begins in July and will be staged in England.

Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has led the country to be widely ostracised, a final ruling has yet to be taken on whether the women's football team should be allowed to take part.

The men's team were swiftly thrown out of the World Cup by FIFA, denied a place in a play-off to reach the Qatar 2022 finals.

Ceferin said: "There is a court case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the case of the Russian Football Union. We expect some information from there as soon as possible, but we know we are in a hurry to decide about this issue. We know the Euro is very soon and that we'll have to take the decision soon, but we need some more information."

Asked whether Russian football authorities should be expelled by UEFA, Ceferin said there were "considerations about many things these days".

Russia has bid to host the Euro 2028 or Euro 2032 finals, in a move that has been met with widespread disbelief.

Ceferin will be aware of that sentiment and said of Russia's bid: "We are discussing it, and you will have the answer very soon."