Away from the controversy of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and the overdue publication of the Garcia Report, video assistant referees are helping to shine a positive light on FIFA.

Speaking at a news conference in St. Petersburg, FIFA president Gianni Infantino supported the use of video assistant referees at the 2018 World Cup and said the Confederations Cup would be subject to more injustice without the technology.

“Nothing is standing in the way of using VARs (at the World Cup), as far as I’m concerned,” Infantino declared, according to the Guardian. “So far it has been successful. “We are learning, we are improving, we are continuing the tests.”

Infantino stated: “Without the VARs, we would have had a different tournament. And a tournament which would have been a little less fair.” The bald president added: “We need to work still on some of he details, on the communication and the speed of the decisions being taken.”

At the Confederations Cup, two video assistant referees are assigned to each game to support the referees’ decision-making process. They are used in four match-changing situations and aim to provide “minimum interference with maximum benefit.”

By FIFA’s count, video assistant referees corrected six game situations so far at the Confederations Cup. The technology caused controversy in a number of matches, including Germany’s 3-1 victory over Cameroon, in which two reviews were needed after a red card was shown to the incorrect footballer. Chile’s 2-0 win against the Indomitable Lions also had controversial moments, as La Roja was denied of a goal that appeared legitimate before an offside decision was overturned.

Lyon’s busy summer shopping spree continues, with Les Gones signing Netherlands international right-back Kenny Tete from Ajax.

Amid a spell of high-profile exits, Lyon has been stocking its shelves with talent, as Tete, 21, joins Fernando Marcal, Ferland Mendy, Mariano Diaz, and fellow former Ajax standout Bertrand Traore as the French side’s fifth major summer signing.

Les Gones announced the signing Monday with a statement on its website, and while the terms and length of the deal were not disclosed, reports suggest it’s a five-year contract for a fee of €3 million.

With Joel Veltman receiving the brunt of the starting right-back opportunities with the Amsterdam giant under Peter Bosz, Tete struggled for first-team opportunities despite a varied skill set.

One club’s loss is another’s gain, and after Bruno Genesio’s Lyon got a firsthand taste of Tete’s skills during both legs of a Europa League semi-final bow, Les Gones will be pleased to add another emerging star to its ranks.

“It’s a beautiful day. I’m happy to be here. The team is very strong, the Parc OL is magnificent, and the supporters are incredible,” Tete said Monday.

Tete’s signing is part of a massive overhaul at Lyon, with the club replacing big-money departures Alexandre Lacazette, Corentin Tolisso, and Maxime Gonalons with a core of young players. Set to join up with his new teammates for summer training, Tete’s arrival is likely to result in an exit for either Christophe Jallet or Rafael.

UEFA could impose a North American-style salary cap on Europe’s top football clubs in an attempt to control spending and eradicate the stockpiling of players, the body’s president, Aleksander Ceferin, said.

Teams competing in the Champions League and Europa League must already comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations, which ask clubs to meet the break-even mark over a finite period of time.

The spirit of FFP is aimed at curbing spending outside of one’s means, but financial power still rests with Europe’s elite.

“In (the) future, we will have to take into serious consideration the possibility of limiting clubs’ budgets for players’ wages,” Ceferin told Slovenian magazine Mladina, courtesy of ESPN FC. “If we succeed, it will, in my opinion, be an historic change.”

Wages now make up 62 percent of the net costs of European clubs, according to a UEFA-commissioned report released in January. Salaries in general have grown at an average rate of 10.3 percent over the past 20 years.

A salary cap would reduce the concentration of talent within a select range of teams and reduce player hoarding.

“With the introduction of salary caps, clubs should think more about what (players) are worth,” Ceferin added.

This kind of rule change would still require the approval of the European Club Association, which counts 220 clubs from 53 countries, including heavyweights Real Madrid and Manchester United, among its ranks.

Barcelona has conducted its most important piece of business this summer, and probably of many more transfer windows after that.

The Blaugrana’s outrageous orchestrator, Lionel Messi, will sign a contract renewal with the club in “the coming weeks,” Barcelona announced on Wednesday. The fresh terms will extend the Argentinian’s agreement in Catalonia until June 30, 2021.

Messi’s pay packet is set to bloat to an astronomical £500,000 a week, The Independent’s Ed Malyon reports. To pluck Messi from the Camp Nou, Moises Llorens of AS understands it will cost a rival around €300 million to meet his new release clause.

Should he stay for the duration of the contract, it will extend Messi’s association with Barcelona to 21 years after he joined from Newell’s Old Boys at age 13. In that time he collected a plethora of silverware, including eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. On a personal level, no one in football history has matched his tally of five Ballon d’Or prizes.

Messi’s goal record – he’s netted 507 times in 583 outings – eclipses any individual feat that has come before him at Barcelona. He now has the luxury of four years to add to his unrivalled legacy at the Spanish behemoth.

Barca detailed the records Messi could have on his radar in the coming years, which include:

• He’s two goals short of hitting 100 goals past non-Spanish teams.
• He’s nearly a centurion in Champions League football, with 94 goals in 115 matches. His rival Cristiano Ronaldo tops the pile with 105 strikes.
• He can win more club titles than anybody else. Messi has 30, but Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs leads with 36.
• Two more European titles will draw Messi level with record-holders Paolo Maldini, Arie Haan, and Dani Alves – all of whom have nine.
• The all-time leading scorer with a single club is Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich) with 525. Messi has 507.
• Messi and Ronaldo have four Golden Shoes apiece. Long may that battle continue.

Messi’s paperwork wards off any potential interest from Manchester City, which is overseen by his old boss Pep Guardiola, and brushes away any further concerns that he’ll seek an alternative challenge after it was widely reported he rejected an initial offer in May.

Messi is currently on his honeymoon with his childhood sweetheart Antonella Roccuzzo, and his new contract will be waiting for him upon his return for pre-season training.