Vincent Daheron

FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier says FIFA faces a profound crisis of confidence and needs sweeping governance reforms, warning that power must be shared and that President Gianni Infantino should be willing to put his mandate at risk to support change. Infantino has faced opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf after a failed proposal to sell World Cup commercial rights, although FIFA reaffirmed its support for him following a crisis meeting in Morocco and Donald Trump defended his leadership. Terrier argues that FIFA is in a worse position than it was before Sepp Blatter’s 2015 departure and risks repeating the conditions that preceded the organisation’s corruption scandal.

Remco Evenepoel won stage 15 of the Tour de France after Jonas Vingegaard crashed and was forced to abandon the race, ending ongoing rivalry with Tadej Pogacar. Vingegaard’s crash involved several riders and left him injured, while Pogacar expressed concern and suggested late-night doping controls may have affected Vingegaard’s focus. The remaining affected riders continued, though Isaac del Toro struggled. The stage victory moved Evenepoel into second overall behind Pogacar.

Didier Deschamps said he decided to leave his role as France coach because the atmosphere around him had become “stifling,” arguing that his departure was in the best interests of the national team. His 14-year tenure included France’s 2018 World Cup victory, though he was sometimes criticised for favouring discipline and efficiency over an expansive style of play.

Isaac del Toro recovered from a mechanical delay to win stage two of the Tour de France, becoming the second Mexican to take a stage victory. Supported by teammate Tadej Pogacar, who finished second and reduced Jonas Vingegaard’s overall lead, Del Toro launched a decisive late attack after helping execute team strategy in the final climbs. The stage featured tactical moves from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike, with wildfire concerns potentially affecting the next day’s route from Granollers to Les Angles.

Jonas Vingegaard opened the Tour de France with a commanding performance in the 19.6-km team time trial in Barcelona, taking the stage win and the yellow jersey after leading Visma-Lease a Bike to the fastest time. He finished 12 seconds ahead of rival Tadej Pogacar, with Filippo Ganna placing second for Netcompany-Ineos. Several early riders set provisional best times before Ganna’s benchmark and ultimately Vingegaard’s winning effort. Young French rider Paul Seixas placed tenth. The race continues with a hilly stage from Tarragona to Barcelona.

A Paris labour court ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappe €60 million in unpaid salary, an ethics bonus and a signing bonus for the final three months before his 2024 free transfer to Real Madrid. The court rejected PSG’s argument that Mbappe had forfeited the wages by acting disloyally over his decision not to renew, while dismissing several additional claims, including concealed work and moral harassment allegations.

A Paris labour court ruled that Paris St Germain must pay Kylian Mbappe €60 million in withheld salary, an ethics bonus and a signing bonus covering April to June 2024. Judges found no evidence that Mbappe had agreed to waive the payments, noting the sums had already been acknowledged by the French Professional Football League. The court rejected PSG’s claim that Mbappe should forfeit his wages for alleged disloyalty, while also dismissing several of Mbappe’s additional allegations, including moral harassment. The decision closes a months‑long dispute following his move to Real Madrid.