September 26 – FIFA has announced a series of measures to restrict fees paid to players’ agents and the number of overseas loans that can be made as part of an initiative to regulate the transfer market.
September 24 – Same old, nothing new. Lionel Messi, with almost weary predictability, won the top men’s player prize at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Milan on Monday as Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, the two other short-listed nominees, missed out – the former staying away from the glittering but stuttering ceremony that somehow managed to lurch on to national broadcaster TV screens last night.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 23 – Gianni Infantino says FIFA “cannot wait any more” for women to be allowed into Iranian stadiums to watch men’s matches and that he has been “assured” the authorities will relent when the country hosts its next international match.
September 23 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he will not be deterred in his quest to create a Women’s World League despite having his initial plan blocked.
September 23 – In a radical development, 10-minute “concussion subs” are set to be introduced by football’s lawmaking body to mirror the success of similar changes in rugby in an attempt to improve player safety.
September 19 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has finally been pressured into personally reacting to Iran’s ban on women attending men’s football following the grotesque tragedy of a female fan dying after setting fire to herself.
September 17 – The 2019 Club World Cup is taking shape with Liverpool as red-hot favourites in a tournament that will mark Qatar’s first major test run ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 16 – FIFA has banned a former leading Russian football administrator and fan club founder for two years for discrimination.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – Thirteen months after being sentenced to nine years in jail for his role in the FifaGate corruption scandal, former South American strongman Juan Angel Napout (pictured) has finally been banned for life.
September 12 – FIFA has sent an inspection team to the five prospective host cities for the 2020 U-17 Women’s World Cup. It is the second FIFA tournament that India will stage in quick succession having hosted the U-17 Men’s World Cup in 2017.
By Samindra Kunti
September 10 – Ecuador have announced proposals to bid alongside Colombia and Peru to host the 2030 World Cup, launching a second South American contender alongside the joint candidacy of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile.
September 4 – Bolivia has dropped out of the race to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup, reducing the bidding field to eight member associations.
September 4 – African nations kick off their long road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar today with the continent’s 28 lowest-ranked sides playing for a place in the second round group phase qualifying that begins next March.
September 3 – Simon Thomas is to replace Philippe Le Floc’h as FIFA’s new commercial chief.
September 2 – You would be forgiven for thinking that we have already done this once. FIFA has announced the finalists for its men’s player of the year who are the same three players – Ronnie and Lionel of course, plus Virgil van Dyke – who just headlined UEFA’s awards.