World Cup kicks off with empty seat for French journalist detained in Algeria

FIFA has issued World Cup accreditation to Christophe Gleizes in a gesture of support for the jailed French reporter, who was represented by an empty seat during Gianni Infantino’s news conference on the eve of the tournament. The FIFA boss said he hoped “the only sports journalist currently imprisoned in the world” would be freed during the event.

This report comes from France 24. The story centres on World Cup kicks off with empty seat for French journalist detained in Algeria. Full coverage and background context is available at the original source. Readers seeking more detail on this developing topic are encouraged to follow updates from France 24 and related outlets covering this beat.