By Andrew Warshaw
October 9 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have angrily dismissed claims that the Saudi-led political and trade blockade of the Gulf state could see it stripped of hosting rights because of inability to complete essential infrastructure projects in time.
October 9 – Former CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit has had his sentencing for his role in the FifaGate scandal delayed until March next year.
October 9 – In a first for footballing financial equality, Norway’s male and female players are to receive the same amount for representing their country.
October 9 – Mohamed Salah’s dramatic injury-time winner against Congo ended Egypt’s 28-year exile from the World Cup, sending the football-mad country into a massive celebration.
October 9 – Ghana have sent an official protest to FIFA over a disallowed goal in their World Cup qualifier against Uganda in Kampala.
October 9 – Ken Anderson, owner of English Championship Bolton Wanderers will sell his 94.45% stake in Burnden Leisure, the club’s holding company, for £25 million.
October 9 – In what is probably the most peculiar case of match-fixing to date, four match officials in Malawi have been banned after the fixers went to the authorities for help to get their money back after they didn’t get the result they wanted.
By Samindra Kunti in New Delhi, India
October 6 – India are set to make their World Cup debut in a historic opening match against the United States with Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, on hand to welcome teams.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – The dream, remarkably, is still alive. Striker Omar Al Somah blasted home an 85th-minute penalty to keep war-torn Syria in the hunt for World Cup qualification as they drew 1-1 draw with Australia in the first leg of their Asian Football Confederation playoff.
October 6 – In a damaging blow to both the country itself and its regional African confederation, Equatorial Guinea have been kicked out of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France for fielding no fewer 10 ineligible Brazilian-born players during qualifying for the 2016 Olympics.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – A FIFA technical team led by director of competitions Colin Smith has completed the latest inspection to Russia’s World Cup sites and reports that although preparations are on course a “significant” amount of work is still to be done over the next few months.
By Paul Nicholson
October 6 – Newcastle United have lost the first legal round of the case against brought against them by the UK tax authorities. A court has ruled that the dawn raids on the club’s office on April 26 were legally authorised and that there are grounds to suspect the club has “systematically abused” the tax system.
October 6 – UEFA’s investigation into whether Paris St Germain have broken financial fair play rules got under way this week with PSG officials summoned to UEFA’s headquarters, according to l’Equipe.
October 6 – The unthinkable – no Lionel Messi or Argentina at the World Cup – is seriously close to become a reality.
October 6 – The French Football Federation (FFF) has upgraded its deal with Orange who become a major sponsor of the national mens and womens teams in a four-year deal staring in 2018.