No fixtures again — FIFA's funding plan now has a 19 September deadline, and Japan's story stays in the transfer market

Overnight: no fixtures

The tournament ended on 19 July, and there were no matches overnight. Both of the day's stories are off the pitch.

The biggest move: a 19 September deadline for FIFA's funding plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to all 211 member associations on 29 July, JST, putting a clock on the plan to bring outside investment into the World Cup's commercial business. The deadline to accept is 19 September. He framed the money so the answer matters: associations that approve are promised 20 million dollars each, while a rejection leaves them with the 10 million previously on the table. The investment is led by J.P. Morgan, and the decision goes to a vote of the associations. The pushback is real: UEFA's 55 members are expected to hold an emergency online meeting, and CONCACAF and AFC have objected that the plan went public before the proper governance channels. This is not a decision — it is the run-up to a vote. The money mechanics and the vote math are covered in this morning's separate news piece.

Japan today: the transfer market

Japan's coaching picture is set. Hajime Moriyasu stays through the Asian Cup in January–February, then Go Oiwa takes over. What keeps moving is Europe. The confirmed moves are Daizen Maeda's permanent transfer to Ipswich and Hidemasa Morita's arrival at Hull City. Kaishu Sano (Mainz) is linked with Liverpool and others, but there is no official announcement and it remains at the negotiating stage. This morning, keep the done deals and the 'in talks' ones apart.

Tonight and after

There are no fixtures scheduled. Today's focus is whether UEFA holds the emergency meeting over FIFA's plan. Japan's JFA is one of the 211 associations that will vote, and its confederation, the AFC, has already voiced 'disappointment' at the process. Whether the confederations can line up their member associations before 19 September is the next thing to watch.