Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to resume his career after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency resolved his appeal against a ban stemming from a failed doping test.

The Ukraine international was handed a four-year suspension after testing positive for a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance, in a drug test conducted in 2024.

Mudryk appealed the sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. During the appeals process, changes to World Anti-Doping Agency procedures meant that an identical test result under the current rules would not have led to charges, paving the way for the resolution of his case.

“Changes have been made, which, while not retroactive, mean that if Mr. Mudryk’s sample were collected today, the concentration of meldonium in the sample would not have been reported and no anti-doping rule violations would have resulted,” the FA said in a statement.

“Further to that development and to other circumstances of the case, the FA and Mr. Mudryk have now, with the agreement of WADA, resolved the appeal proceedings.

“As part of the agreement, Mr. Mudryk accepted that he had committed the anti-doping rule violations charged and agreed to a period of ineligibility equal to the time already served as of the date of the agreement.

“Mr. Mudryk is no longer ineligible and may return to competition with immediate effect.”

Mudryk, who has not played since November 2024, joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for 62 million pounds ($83 million) in 2023.

The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact for the west London club before his ban but will now have a chance to impress new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso.

“From the outset, this has been an extremely difficult period for Misha, both professionally and personally, and we are pleased that the matter has now reached a conclusion that allows him to return to football with immediate effect,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“Misha has consistently maintained that he never knowingly or intentionally used a prohibited substance and did not know how traces of the substance entered his system.

“Throughout this process, he has conducted himself professionally and with resilience during what has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging periods of his career.

“We know how much this opportunity to return means to him. Our focus now is on supporting Misha’s reintegration into the squad and helping him resume his career.”

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FIFA has abandoned its controversial plan to sell a minority stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup after fierce opposition from regional football confederations exposed deep divisions within the sport and intensified scrutiny of President Gianni Infantino’s leadership ahead of his expected bid for another term.

The governing body confirmed Friday that it would not move forward with the proposal after just four days of mounting resistance from football authorities around the world, marking one of the most significant policy reversals of Infantino’s presidency.

The plan, unveiled Tuesday, sought to raise as much as $4.2 billion by selling roughly a 20% stake in a newly created commercial entity that would oversee FIFA’s biggest tournaments, including the World Cup. FIFA argued the investment would generate billions of dollars for football development programs worldwide.

Instead, the proposal triggered an extraordinary backlash.

Regional confederations accused FIFA of failing to properly consult its members before announcing a move that many believed would fundamentally reshape the commercial future of world football. Critics warned the governing body was placing one of sport’s most valuable assets into private hands.

After days of escalating criticism, Infantino acknowledged the proposal had become too divisive.

“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said in a statement.

“Our purpose has always been, and will always be, to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”

Infantino added that FIFA would instead seek to rebuild consensus with its stakeholders.

“My intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”

Confederations unite against FIFA

Opposition to the proposal gathered remarkable speed.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, led the resistance, accusing FIFA of putting the “soul” of football up for sale. On Thursday, all 55 UEFA member associations unanimously voted to boycott FIFA competitions unless the proposal was withdrawn, declaring that the World Cup “cannot be treated as an investment product.”

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), representing 41 national associations, also rejected the proposal during meetings on Thursday.

By Friday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has 47 member associations, publicly aligned itself with UEFA and CONCACAF.

Together, the three confederations account for 143 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, comfortably more than the majority needed to block the proposal.

The backlash also exposed growing frustration over FIFA’s decision-making process.

On Saturday, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw the plan but stressed that any proposal capable of reshaping world football must involve broader consultation.

He said initiatives with significant consequences should be presented to confederations, the FIFA Council, member associations and other stakeholders in a “timely, transparent and meaningful manner.”

“The future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game,” Sheikh Salman said.

Football Australia chairman Anter Isaac echoed those concerns, saying innovation should never come at the expense of football’s governing principles.

“Football has never stood still, nor should it,” Isaac said.

“Some principles, however, should never change. Integrity. Independence. Good governance. Transparency. Meaningful consultation. Due process.”

“These are not constraints on progress. They are what make lasting progress possible.”

Internal revolt deepens crisis

The controversy also exposed divisions inside FIFA itself.

Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s senior advisers, resigned Friday with immediate effect, describing the proposal as “a bad deal for football.”

FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also reportedly criticized the project internally, telling staff they had been misled and characterizing the proposal as “a project of one person.”

The internal criticism came as FIFA defended the proposal, insisting it had been designed to generate long-term funding for global football development and accusing some media outlets of misrepresenting its intentions.

Infantino had previously written to FIFA’s member associations promising each federation up to $40 million if the proposal received approval before the Sept. 19 deadline.

Political pressure grows on Infantino

The failed initiative has raised fresh questions about Infantino’s political standing as he prepares to seek a fourth term as FIFA president.

Since replacing Sepp Blatter in 2016, Infantino has twice secured re-election without opposition and has maintained firm control over the organization. His next campaign, covering the 2027-31 cycle, had widely been viewed as a formality.

That assumption now appears less certain.

North American football chief Victor Montagliani is reportedly considering challenging Infantino in next year’s election, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the FIFA president was “the wrong man to lead the organization.”

Sports marketing analyst Bob Dorfman said the controversy had highlighted frustrations that had been building among FIFA’s membership.

“He’s obviously been kind of egomaniacal in everything that he’s done,” Dorfman said.

“I know that he’s rubbed many of the member associations the wrong way with some of his decisions. Some of the countries that have been awarded World Cups have been kind of questionable. Politics has gotten involved in this a little too much.”

Sports economist Victor Matheson of the College of the Holy Cross said the speed of Infantino’s political decline had been remarkable.

“It’s hard to think of a situation where a person’s political fortunes changed so rapidly,” Matheson said.

“As close as two weeks ago, he was on top of the world after the most commercially successful World Cup in history. Just two weeks later, he’s fighting for his political life.”

The abandoned proposal would have created a new $20 billion commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to manage the World Cup and FIFA’s other major tournaments. Investment firm Thrive Eternal, managed by Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner, had been expected to lead the private investor group.

The controversy also renewed attention on Infantino’s close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration supported the recently concluded 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Trump said he had not discussed FIFA’s investment proposal with Infantino.

As the U.S. Open draws near, Novak Djokovic’s return to the Cincinnati Open offers the 39-year-old a crucial opportunity to strike the right balance between protecting his body and regaining the match sharpness needed to pursue a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

Since lifting the U.S. Open trophy in 2023, Djokovic has seen Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner emerge as the dominant forces in men’s tennis. The pair have combined to win 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam singles titles, repeatedly denying the Serb another chance to extend his record-breaking legacy.

With opportunities to add to his major haul becoming increasingly limited as he tries to move clear of Margaret Court atop the all-time Grand Slam singles titles list, Djokovic returns to Cincinnati, where he won the title in 2023 before carrying that momentum into a triumphant U.S. Open campaign.

“I’m happy to announce that I’m coming to the Cincinnati Open this year, for the first time since 2023, when I played one of the best best-of-three finals in a Masters 1000 event in my career,” Djokovic said Thursday in a social media post.

“I can’t wait to come back and perform in front of you. I’m very excited to see the fans. Tennis fans from around the world are going to be present at the tournament. See you soon.”

The tournament runs Aug. 13-23.

Cincinnati was the site of one of Djokovic’s most memorable recent triumphs, with the Serb outlasting Spain’s Alcaraz in a three-hour, 49-minute final in 2023 to win his third Cincinnati title before going on to capture the U.S. Open crown.

Different phase

Nearly three years later, Djokovic finds himself in a different phase of his career. Though he remains capable of competing for the sport’s biggest prizes, sustaining that level over two weeks has become an increasingly difficult task.

The challenge has become so acute that Djokovic has pared back his schedule, arriving at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year without playing a warm-up event, yet still reaching the final and semifinals, respectively.

“For 99% of the players, that would be a very good result,” Djokovic said after his defeat by Sinner at Wimbledon.

“For me, it’s good but not good enough, because I’m blessed and cursed to be used to something of the highest degree in terms of results and achievements.

“Of course, I still enjoy the thrill of competition. Maybe I don’t enjoy the hard weeks leading up to a big tournament, putting myself over and over again through a lot of pain, mostly physical.”

Cincinnati will offer Djokovic a final gauge of his form ahead of the U.S. Open, where he will again attempt to halt Alcaraz and Sinner and add to his Grand Slam haul.

The year’s final Grand Slam begins Aug. 30.

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The World Cup turned a remote South Atlantic archipelago, home to more sheep than people, into one of Argentina’s most powerful cultural symbols.

The shift came after Argentina’s players unfurled a banner declaring, “The Malvinas are Argentine,” following their World Cup semifinal victory over England.

The moment reignited one of the country’s deepest historical causes, carrying it onto T-shirts, bedroom walls, social media feeds and into everyday life for a new generation.

In the weeks since the tournament, the defining image across football-mad Argentina has not been Lionel Messi. Instead, it has been the crudely hand-painted banner proclaiming, “The Malvinas are Argentine.”

The South Atlantic islands, known internationally as the Falkland Islands and in Argentina as the Malvinas, remain the subject of a long-standing sovereignty dispute between Argentina and Britain, which fought a 10-week war over the territory in 1982.

The banner quickly sparked a wave of patriotic merchandise and public art. Its message appeared on stickers, tote bags, sneakers, football jerseys and paintings. It was draped across bars, painted on subway walls and inked as tattoos on arms and calves. Thousands downloaded “Malvinas Sans,” a typeface inspired by the banner’s hand-painted lettering, while colorful murals depicting the islands and veterans of the 1982 war sprang up in cities across the country.

“The World Cup is now over, and yet people are still talking about the Malvinas because the Malvinas somehow became part of the World Cup,” said Edgardo Esteban, an author and veteran of the war. “Kids in schools are asking me, ‘What’s this Malvinas thing?’ Now there’s a passing of the torch.”

None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.

But they grew up in a country haunted by the humiliation of that ill-fated invasion, widely seen as a desperate bid for popularity by the weakened junta that fell a year later. As Argentina emerged from the trauma of the brutal dictatorship, many veterans and families of conscripts killed in the war felt their sacrifices had been sidelined by a nascent democracy that sought to distance itself from the disaster.

“As veterans, we spent a long time feeling silenced, forgotten, pushed aside,” Esteban said.

It took a different World Cup to break that silence. When Argentina played England in the quarterfinals in Mexico City in 1986, Argentine football great Diego Maradona scored two goals, including his notorious handball known as the “Hand of God,” which he dedicated to those killed in the war and said was revenge for the Malvinas.

Over the decades, Argentina’s claim to the islands became enshrined in its constitution. The Malvinas appeared on road signs. Each year, the country’s leaders honor the war dead with wreath-laying ceremonies.

The islands, which lie 480 kilometers (300 miles) off Argentina’s coast, are home to about 3,600 people, roughly 450,000 sheep and more than 1 million penguins, according to government figures.

Ahead of this year’s semifinal against England, Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva warned fans that Malvinas-themed signs would not be allowed inside the stadium because of FIFA’s ban on political messages.

As Argentine players ran onto the field to celebrate their victory, supporters tossed what appeared to be a white bed sheet onto the pitch. Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso pulled it open to reveal the message hand-painted in bold black letters: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” or “The Malvinas are Argentine.” Teammates Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez helped spread the banner before television cameras and cheering fans.

After the match, British politicians and fans took to social media to vent their anger, helping amplify a wave of online posts criticizing both Argentina and its national team, digital researchers said.

On Wednesday, FIFA charged Argentina’s football federation over the players’ display of the banner.

In Argentina, the banner became a sensation, eclipsing, for many, both the disappointment of the team’s defeat to Spain in the final and the flood of hostile commentary.

“Despite not having won the tournament or brought home the trophy, every single player was welcomed back as a hero,” said Juan Rattenbach, an Argentine political expert on the Malvinas.

Iván Marcasiano, 36, owns a Buenos Aires print shop that has struggled to keep up with soaring demand for T-shirts printed with players holding the banner.

“The players had the courage to display a flag on the field that fans had been banned from bringing into the stadium. That gesture, showing that it’s up to ordinary Argentines to carry our demands forward, really resonated with young people,” Marcasiano said.

“They reached an audience that might never have participated in this kind of activism or historical remembrance before.”

When Marcasiano offered on Instagram to screen-print the image onto fans’ Argentina jerseys free of charge, 3,500 people, from teenagers to war veterans, showed up at his shop in a single day, he said.

It remains unclear whether the Malvinas frenzy is a flash-in-the-pan obsession or evidence of a lasting resurgence of the political cause.

Activists have scrambled to harness the momentum. They are invoking national sovereignty to rally opposition to libertarian President Javier Milei’s free-market agenda, including legislation that would loosen restrictions on foreign land ownership in Argentina.

But experts said the real political impact may lie beyond Argentina by introducing tens of millions of viewers worldwide to a dispute over a chain of islands few could have found on a map. Global Google searches for the Malvinas jumped 2,400% after Argentina’s semifinal against England, according to Google Trends, the largest increase in search interest since the platform began tracking data.

“Britain’s strategy since 1982 has been to keep the issue of the Malvinas out of the spotlight,” Rattenbach said. “Now, no one can deny its visibility.”

FIFA said Friday it will continue consulting its 211 member associations on a controversial proposal to bring private investment into the commercial arm of the World Cup and other major tournaments, brushing aside mounting opposition from UEFA and other continental confederations while insisting that “nobody is selling football.”

The governing body defended its plan after UEFA unanimously voted to boycott all FIFA competitions for as long as the proposal remains active, while CONCACAF formally rejected the initiative and the Asian Football Confederation raised concerns over the process and its potential consequences for the global game.

At the center of the dispute is FIFA’s proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial subsidiary valued at about $20 billion that would oversee the organization’s revenue-generating activities, including broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing, licensing and the delivery of flagship tournaments such as the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.

Under the plan, FIFA would retain permanent majority ownership, full governance authority and exclusive control over sporting and regulatory decisions, while offering outside investors a minority stake of about 20% to 21% in exchange for up to $4.2 billion in new capital.

FIFA said the consultation would continue despite the backlash.

“Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports,” FIFA said in a statement. “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each member association has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”

The organization also stressed that the proposal remains subject to approval by its members and could ultimately be accepted, amended or rejected.

“If there is no majority support from the member associations, FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established,” the statement said.

FIFA rejected suggestions that it was privatizing the sport.

“Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”

Record revenues fuel ambitious proposal

The proposal follows the commercial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which generated more than $15 billion in revenue during the tournament cycle, comfortably surpassing previous financial projections.

FIFA believes the new investment model would allow it to dramatically expand development funding for its 211 member associations while preserving its status as a nonprofit governing body.

Associations choosing to participate would receive an immediate one-time payment of about $20 million through a new “Fast-Forward” initiative, in addition to increased regular FIFA Forward funding that would rise to $20 million per association during the next funding cycle and continue increasing through 2038.

The governing body has presented the initiative as a way to “turbocharge” football development worldwide by sharing more of the sport’s growing commercial value without relinquishing control over competitions or governance.

Member associations have until Sept. 19 to indicate whether they want to participate in the funding program, with final approval requiring majority support from FIFA’s Congress and the FIFA Council.

JPMorgan, Kushner-linked investors involved

FIFA is working with JPMorgan as its financial adviser on the transaction.

The proposed investor group is expected to be led by Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

FIFA has described the prospective investors as carefully selected long-term partners that would hold only non-controlling minority interests.

UEFA draws a line

UEFA’s response was swift and uncompromising.

Following an emergency meeting Thursday, all 55 European member associations agreed they would refuse to participate in FIFA competitions for as long as the proposal remains under consideration.

That stance could eventually affect tournaments ranging from youth competitions to the men’s 2030 World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said.

“The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

The governing body argued that allowing private investors to acquire financial interests in FIFA competitions would permanently change the game’s priorities.

“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA said. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”

UEFA also criticized FIFA’s handling of the proposal, saying national associations and even European representatives on the FIFA Council learned of the plans largely through media reports rather than through established governance channels.

The organization called the process “irresponsible and indefensible” and condemned what it described as an artificially short consultation period tied to promises of increased development funding.

Opposition grows beyond Europe

Resistance has extended well beyond UEFA.

CONCACAF, representing 41 associations across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, unanimously rejected the proposal after holding its own emergency meeting Thursday.

The confederation cited concerns over the lack of due process, the compressed timetable, the absence of review by FIFA’s governance bodies and the rationale for seeking outside investment after staging the most profitable World Cup in history.

Instead, CONCACAF urged FIFA to consider increasing development funding using its existing financial reserves.

The Asian Football Confederation also voiced concern over what it called a lack of transparency and meaningful consultation.

AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned member associations that the proposal could reshape football’s commercial landscape and affect the sustainability of continental competitions.

He said any initiative of such magnitude would require support from all six continental confederations, “which is not the case now.”

Political and domestic concerns

National associations and political leaders have also questioned the proposal.

The English Football Association said it had no prior knowledge of the plan and expressed concern about both the process and the broader principle of introducing private investors into football’s biggest competitions.

Critics have questioned why FIFA is seeking outside capital after posting record revenues, while others have warned that investors could push for larger, more frequent tournaments to maximize financial returns, adding further pressure to an already congested international calendar.

Those concerns are shared by European leagues and global football stakeholders who fear the commercial demands of private investors could eventually outweigh sporting priorities.

The dispute has become the latest chapter in the growing power struggle between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA over the future direction of world football.

Infantino has championed commercial expansion and increased investment in football development, while UEFA argues the proposal risks transforming the governance of the sport by giving private capital a lasting economic interest in its most valuable competitions.

UEFA member countries unanimously voted Thursday to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, in protest of FIFA’s plan to sell stakes to external investors.

“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European football body said after an urgent online meeting of the 55 members.

The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of its 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.

Infantino’s secret proposal was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a $20 billion operation 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner.

The next FIFA competition is in Europe, the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5.

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