May 18 – FIFA has held positive talks with Iranian football officials on the team’s participation in this summer’s World Cup. Iran was one of the first of the 48 finalists that qualified for the super-sized finals, but its participation has been in doubt ever since the US, World Cup co-hosts, and Israel launched a […]
May 15 – FIFA has expanded its partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) which has become a major sponsor of the 2026 World Cup. Last month FIFA announced in Atlanta that all its World Cup 2026 sponsorship categories had been filled. On Thursday, the world governing body announced that PIF will headline the tournament […]
May 14 – Brazil continues to dominate football’s global export market, but France is closing fast. That’s according to figures released by the CIES Football Observatory, which show 1,455 Brazilians currently playing abroad – the most represented expatriate nationality across the 135 worldwide professional leagues analysed. France now sits second with 1,275 players overseas – […]
May 12 – Former FC Barcelona and Spain star Gerard Pique has been fined €200,000 for insider trading. On Monday, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), Spain’s market regulator, announced that the 2010 World Cup winner was punished after buying shares in a health and safety company two days before it was revealed to be […]
May 8 – US president Donald Trump has questioned the high ticket prices at the World Cup, arguing he wouldn’t pay a four-figure World Cup ticket for a United States match. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump, in reference to $1,000+ tickets for the United States’ opening match against Paraguay in Los […]
By Paul Nicholson and Samindra Kunti in Vancouver April 30 – An attempt by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to stage a photo-opportunity handshake between Palestinian FA president Jibril Rajoub and Israeli FA vice president Basim Sheik Suliman spectacularly backfired at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada. A congress that was structured to close with Infantino […]
April 30 – Viaplay Group has extended its exclusive rights deal to men’s UEFA Champions League football in Denmark, along with the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League in Norway and Finland, in a four-year renewal running through to 2031. The deal ensures Viaplay retains a position it has held for decades, continuing as […]
April 24 – Three years ago FC Machida Zelvia were playing in Japan’s second tier. Saturday night in Jeddah they will play the final of the biggest club competition in Asia, the AFC Champions League Elite, against one of Asia’s most storied team, Al Ahli Saudi. It is a remarkable journey for Machida and their […]
July 22 – With 50 days left until kickoff, FIFA is launching another last-minute tickets sales phase for the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday. FIFA said new World Cup tickets will be released to the general audience with all 104 matches available on sale on a first-come, first-serve basis. The world governing body will keep […]
April 20 – The AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals kick off tonight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Japan’s Vissel Kobe facing Saudi giants Al Ahli in the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium. Al Ahli came from behind to beat the Malaysian challenge of Johur Dorul Ta’zim 2-1 to qualify for the next round and […]
