A letter has been sent to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee calling for the organization to rule Gianni Infantino ineligible to stand for another term during next year’s FIFA presidential elections.

The complaint has been made by FairSquare, a non-profit organization and advocacy group which says it promotes “better, more democratic governance to prevent sporting institutions contributing to harm and suffering.”

The organization, which has become one of the foremost pressure groups on Infantino’s presidency, previously submitted in December an eight-page complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee alleging “repeated breaches” of FIFA’s duty of political neutrality by its president, Infantino, while also requesting an investigation into the process that saw United States President Donald Trump receive the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.

That complaint has since received the backing of the Norwegian Football Federation, which asked the committee to adjudicate on whether Infantino had violated FIFA statutes.

Since then, the 56-year-old’s presidency has been mired in controversy and scandal, most notably surrounding the suspension of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun’s ban during the World Cup and then his clandestine plot to sell stakes in FIFA’s events and competitions to Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital. Infantino’s re-election hopes have also been hampered, with UEFA at war with the FIFA president and both Concacaf and the Asian confederation also calling his leadership into question.

Now, FairSquare have submitted another request to FIFA, this time seeking to prevent Infantino running for a fourth term next year, which would carry his presidency through to 2031. He is the only candidate to so far announce an intention to stand.

Infantino entered office in 2016 following FIFA’s corruption scandals.

FIFA presidents are limited to three terms in office, but in 2022, he declared his first term did not count as it was deemed to be completing Sepp Blatter’s interrupted final term, rather than a term in itself which should count towards the maximum of three.

The FairSquare letter, sent on August 13,  is addressed to three members of a FIFA Review Committee which falls under the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee.

The letter, seen by The Athletic, reads: “We are writing to request that you‬ rule Mr. Infantino ineligible to run again for the FIFA Presidency on the basis that he is already serving‬ his third and final term. A previous decision of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to‬ discount his first term clearly violates the letter and purpose of the FIFA statutory provision on presidential term limits.‬”

The letter argues that the potential fourth term of office “appears to have been‬ enabled on the basis of a decision or opinion issued by the Governance, Audit and Compliance‬ Committee in 2022.”

It continues: “On 16 December 2022, the FIFA Council held a‬ meeting in Doha, Qatar, after which FIFA published a‬‭ press release‬‭ which referred to this decision:‬ ‘The FIFA Council also unanimously confirmed its agreement with the view of the Governance, Audit‬ & Compliance Committee that the period between 2016 and 2019 does not count as a term of office‬ for the current FIFA President, who is therefore about to end his first term.’”

However, FairSquare say that a report from the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee provided to the FIFA Council has never been made available publicly and that a lack of information has been shared by FIFA on the matter. It argues that as Infantino was elected via an Extraordinary Congress in 2016, FIFA’s statutes should be interpreted as him having served three terms by next year.

‬The letter says: “Neither the FIFA Statutes nor the FIFA Governance Regulations make any provision for a‬ presidential term to be discounted because it did not last for the maximum period of four years.

“The‬ statutes explicitly state that ‘no person may serve as President for more than three terms of office’ without making any distinction as to those terms of office. The letter of the rule is clear and does not‬ provide for any exception based on the complete or incomplete nature of the term of office, or with‬ respect to the type of Congress — Ordinary or Extraordinary — at which the election took place.‬”

FairSquare argues that “an interpretation that would discount the first three years of office would also run contrary to the spirit‬ and purpose of the rule.”

It says the rule exists following recommendations by the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee which proposed “significant modifications to its institutional structure and‬ operational processes are necessary to prevent corruption, fraud, self-dealing and to make the‬ organisation more transparent and accountable.”

The letter points out that it “should be noted that‬ Mr Infantino served as UEFA’s representative on the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee.”

The letter also expresses fears that a FIFA president could misuse their position within the FIFA Council to call elections early before a full term, meaning they could theoretically “remain in power indefinitely”.

“In view of Mr Infantino’s various abuses of‬ power and the failure of the FIFA Council to hold him to account, such a scenario is plausible,” the letter writes.

The letter also states that the composition and leadership of the Governance, Audit and Compliance‬ Committee, and the Review Committee that sits as a sub-committee within it, have changed since‬ 2022 and that the decision taken in 2022 may not reflect the current position of the Review‬ Committee.

The letter therefore asks the current incumbents to “rule Mr Infantino ineligible to run for‬ the FIFA Presidency on the basis that it would constitute his fourth term of office and therefore be in violation of the FIFA Statutes.‬”

FIFA has been approached for comment.

The Baltimore Orioles will look to Colton Cowser, riding a two-game homer streak, against the Tampa Bay Rays at 6:05 p.m. ET on Monday, at Tropicana Field. Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.09 ERA) gets the start for the Rays, who are 74-49 this season and first in the AL East. Brandon Young (9-3, 3.33 ERA) is the expected starter for the Orioles, who are 61-63 and fourth in the AL East.

How to watch Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Orioles vs. Rays odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Rays -169
• Underdog Moneyline: Orioles +140
• Total: 7.5
• Total Over Odds: -118
• Total Under Odds: -102

Injury reports

Rays

Ben Williamson: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Cole Sulser: 15 Day IL (Back), Shane McClanahan: 15 Day IL (Back), Griffin Jax: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Jake Fraley: 60 Day IL (Groin), Manuel Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Pepiot: 60 Day IL (Hip), Gavin Lux: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jon Heasley: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Edwin Uceta: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Victor Mesa Jr.: day-to-day (Hamstring)

Orioles

Samuel Basallo: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Blaze Alexander: 10 Day IL (Hand), Zach Eflin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Felix Bautista: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Keegan Akin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Helsley: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Mountcastle: 60 Day IL (Foot), Jordan Westburg: 60 Day IL (Ucl), Colin Selby: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Stats to know

• Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has hit 35 home runs this season, which ranks 4th in MLB. He has also tallied 79 RBIs (8th in MLB) and has scored 77 runs. In 538 plate appearances, he has recorded a .274 BA, .364 OBP and .541 SLG with a 12.3% walk rate and an 18.8% strikeout rate.
• In 525 plate appearances, Yandy Diaz has slashed .302/.370/.460 this season. He has hit 17 long balls and driven in 69 runs with a strikeout rate of 14.3% and a walk rate of 8.4%. He has come around to score 68 times.
• Baltimore’s Pete Alonso is slashing .266/.361/.490 this season with 27 home runs (12th in MLB), 80 RBIs (7th in MLB) and an OPS of .851 (16th in MLB). He has a 24% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate in 538 plate appearances, and he has scored 76 total runs.
• In 558 plate appearances, Gunnar Henderson has posted a 22.2% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk rate while slashing .220/.303/.399 with 20 home runs, 51 RBIs and 75 runs scored. He has stolen nine bases on 14 attempts.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

Having a successful fantasy football draft is like saving the world from certain destruction.

What? Why are looking at me like that? It’s true.

If you can’t assemble a strong roster of fantasy heroes, there will be nothing to stop Thanos from acquiring all the Infinity Stones, snapping his fingers and turning any hopes you had of winning a championship to dust. Fail to draft the right players, and there will be nothing to stop Ultron from sending Sokovia hurtling back to Earth, obliterating any title aspirations you may have. Draft day is like the Battle of New York — the only thing stopping the Chitauri horde from annihilating your hopes and dreams of fantasy glory is your ability to assemble a team capable of stopping them.

Fantasy mangers need an Avengers Initiative of their own come draft day.

Now, assembling a team of fantasy football heroes isn’t only about putting together a group of players who will (hopefully) score a lot of points. When you draft players is as important as who you draft. Fantasy stars like Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs cost what they cost. But drafts aren’t won in Round 1. They are won in Round 4… and Round 6… and Round 8…

They are won by selecting players in a position of value. By getting guys in spots where odds are good they will out-play and out-point their asking price. The more of those values you can obtain come draft day, the stronger your team of heroes will be.

And the less chance Doctor Doom will have of destroying the multiverse.

Because, you know, that would be bad.

2026 fantasy heroes

QB Trevor Lawrence (JAX)

If this group of players is the fantasy football equivalent of The Avengers, then Lawrence is Hawkeye. Sure, he’s a valued member of the team. But no one is singling out the guy who can’t fly and ain’t got laser eyes as their favorite.

However, Lawrence had plenty of fans last year — especially down the stretch. On the way to finishing fourth in fantasy points among quarterbacks last year, Lawrence threw for just over 4,000 yards and a career-high 29 touchdown passes. From Week 12 on, Lawrence was the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy — by a sizable margin. Among 30 qualifying quarterbacks over that span, Lawrence was third in yards per attempt, fifth in passing yards per game, 11th in catchable target rate and second in passing touchdowns (per Fantasy Points Data).

Lawrence has a deep corps of pass-catchers at his disposal. He plays in a Liam Coen offense that has produced top-five fantasy quarterbacks in back-to-back seasons, and he’s barely being drafted inside the top-10 at his position on average.

RB Cam Skattebo (NYG)

Skattebo has some Star-Lord in him — the second-year pro is capable of feats of great heroism. But he’s also um, a bit of a… um, yeah — as evidenced by him beating his head against a wall or doing backflips on stage while rehabbing a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

Use your head, kid. And not as a battering ram.

However, when he’s healthy, Skattebo has shown that he can produce at a high level. Over a month-long stretch last year, Skattebo topped 90 scrimmage yards in four straight contests, scoring four touchdowns over that span. From Week 4 to Week 7, Skattebo was eighth in PPR points among running backs.

Per The Athletic’s Joseph Bryan, in games where Skattebo had a 50% or higher snap share, he averaged 19.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG) and had a 14.8% target share. If you extrapolate those numbers over a full season, Skattebo would have been sixth in PPR points a year ago.

Not bad for a back barely being drafted inside the top 20 at his position.

RB Kenneth Gainwell (TB)

Gainwell is The Hulk of this outfit — because he’s going to smash his puny expectations this season.

Get it? Smash? Puny? Clever, aren’t I?

The general belief appears to be that Bucky Irving will reprise his role as Tampa’s lead running back in 2026. But after impressing in a big way as a rookie in 2024, Irving struggled through an injury-marred 2025 campaign in which his yards per attempt fell by 2 full yards.

Meanwhile, Gainwell is coming off the best season of his professional career — over 1,000 total yards and eight touchdowns in Pittsburgh. From Week 8 on, Gainwell averaged 13.3 touches and 17.8 fantasy points per game, which would have slotted Gainwell inside the top-five running backs in fantasy over a full season.

Been saying it all summer. Will say it again for those who haven’t been paying attention.

Gainwell will lead the Tampa backfield in fantasy points this year.

Book it.

WR Jaylen Waddle (DEN)

Jaylen Waddle is the Ant-Man of our group — at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, he’s not the biggest hero out there. But the 27-year-old is lightning-fast, stronger than he looks and underrated — just like Scott Lang.

Unfortunately, he can’t make himself 40-feet tall. That would be helpful in the red zone.

We have seen what Waddle can do between the lines, however. In each of his first three seasons, Waddle topped 1,000 receiving yards, including a 75/1,356/8 stat line in a 2022 season where Waddle led the NFL at 18.1 yards per catch and finished eighth in PPR points among wide receivers.

Waddle has caught 100 passes in a season — a feat accomplished by just seven players last year. Only Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts averaged 18 yards a catch last year. And per Kyle Soppe of PFSN, Waddle also has a season on his professional resume where he averaged 2.2 yards per target.

The only other player to manage such a feat is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a year ago.

WR Parker Washington (JAX)

It’s time for a team-up! Just like Hawkeye and the Black Widow all that time at S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although while Washington is a handsome fella, he’s no Scarlett Johansson.

The Jaguars have a deep wide receiver room, but it’s a muddied one. However, some clarity may be arriving in that regard —per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Washington has emerged as Trevor Lawrence’s clear No. 1 target in the passing game.

It’s a continuation of a theme with the fourth-year pro, who finished last season on quite the roll. Washington had three 100-yard games over the final four weeks of the 2025 season. Parker was sixth in PPR points among wideouts in last year’s fantasy playoffs.

Over that same four-game span last year, Washington amassed a 28.9% target share, 113.5 receiving yards per game, 3.78 yards per route run, and a 33.3% first-read share.

Those numbers are every bit as lethal as Natasha Romanoff.

WR Wan’Dale Robinson (TEN)

With the New York Giants beset by injuries last year, Robinson became the team’s de facto No. 1 wide receiver. The result was 92 catches, the first 1,000-yard season of Robinson’s career and top-15 fantasy numbers. That career year got Robinson a nice payday from the Titans, but fantasy drafters appear skeptical that the 25-year-old can come close to those numbers in his new home.

However, while speaking to reporters, Titans quarterback Cam Ward said that he and Robinson have quickly built a strong bond.

“That’s my guy,” Ward said. “Ever since the first day when he came in, when he signed, and we met, he was the first one at my house. Him being there and him showing the attitude that he brings each and every day — that’s all I can ask for a slot receiver.”

Robinson looked like Ward’s go-to receiver in Tennessee’s preseason opener. There may not be a ton of sizzle there, but those who predicted that Robinson would be The Falcon to Carnell Tate’s Captain America in 2026 may have gotten it backwards.

TE Isaiah Likely (NYG)

Likely is a newcomer to hero-dom. After spending the first four years of his career in Mark Andrews’ shadow, Likely joined the Giants in free agency. But while he may be a New Avenger, like Sentry, he can potentially bring a ton of power to a fantasy lineup.

Preferably with the whole psychotic alter-ego thing. The Void could be a problem.

Last year, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart targeted tight ends on over 22% of his throws — and that’s without a player near the receiving threat that Likely is. Per Dave Richard of CBS Sports, Likely has been targeted 6+ times in just nine career games, but he has at least 12.5 PPR points in eight of those games.

In case you were wondering, 12.5 PPR points per game would slot Likely just ahead of Kyle Pitts of the Falcons last year — and inside the top-five players at his position. Between Malik Nabers returning from an ACL tear and the rest of the Giants’ wideouts not frightening a six-year-old, it’s not difficult to imagine Likely cracking 100 targets in 2026.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.