North American poll confirms public appetite for hosting 2026 World Cup
October 25 – More than three-quarters of North Americans polled in a survey broadly support plans to host the 2026 World Cup.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Egypt reject CAF invite to play in Morocco at reorganised 2018 CHAN finals
October 25 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it has yet to receive any official notification confirming Egypt’s withdrawal from the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Premier League clubs scrap plans to break parity and give more TV cash to big six
October 25 – Proposals to give a greater share of overseas television revenue to the Premier League’s so-called big six from 2019 has been ditched after no progress was made over the controversial plan.
Real Madrid top player training rankings, Man Utd 5th, Man City nowhere to be seen
October 25 – Real Madrid and Barcelona top the ranking of Big-5 clubs that have trained the most footballers playing in the Big-5 European leagues on October 1. Manchester United rank 5th while PSG come in at 14th.
Kiribati Islands fight the rising tide and prepare for ConIFA World Cup 2018
October 25 – FIFA is not the only football body to face problems with a flooded pitch. But in India FIFA could switch venue and city for its U17 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and England. In Kiribati they don’t have that luxury.
Tebas: ‘We do not want to be colonisers’
By David Owen
October 24 – He may have kept his audience waiting at this week’s Sportel sports media and marketing convention in Monaco, but La Liga President Javier Tebas did not disappoint. Interviewed onstage for 30 minutes, as ever in his native Spanish, the man who has emerged as probably the most colourful and consistently interesting league boss in the business in recent years, since La Liga moved belatedly to a collective selling model for its broadcasting rights,
Ronaldo storms his way to Best player award as Celtic bad boys grab fans accolade
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – Cristiano Ronaldo was duly crowned the world’s best player for the second year running at FIFA’s Best Awards gala on Monday but that didn’t tell the whole story.
FIFA adamant that unknown Castellanos was a legitimate choice as Best nominee
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – FIFA have hit back at claims that it showed scant regard for the status of women’s football by naming little-known teenage striker Deyna Castellanos on its female player-of-the-year shortlist for Monday’s ceremony in London.
Thailand steps-up to host Malaysia vs North Korea AFC qualifier double header
October 24 – After three delays, a venue has finally been found for the neutral ground double header Asian Cup qualifiers between Malaysia and North Korea later this month.
Brazil vs England U17 semi-final moved after Guwahati pitch declared unplayable
By Samindra Kunti in Kolkata
October 24 – FIFA shifted the U-17 World Cup semi-final between England and Brazil from Guwahati to Kolkata on Monday. Torrential rainfall had reduced the quarter-final between Mali and Ghana to a mud fight at the weekend.
Nations League set to boost European international football by €650m, says UEFA
By David Owen
October 24 – The new UEFA Nations League is set to enhance the value of European international football matches, according to Guy-Laurent Epstein, the European football body’s marketing director.
Bayern post €640m revenue record and €66m profit
October 24 – German champions Bayern Munich have reported a record revenue for the 2016/17 season of €640.5 million. This was despite the club failing at the Champions League quarter final stage and failing to reach the German Cup final – together amounting to an estimated €25 million of lost revenue potential.
Barca’s Bartomeu says Catalan club will stay in La Liga
October 24 – Placed in the most delicate of diplomatic situations, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says the club wishes to continue playing in La Liga even though it backs Catalonia’s drive for self-determination.
Lazio Ultras graffiti Stadio Olimpico with anti-Semetic stickers
October 24 – Italian police and football authorities have opened an investigation into reports that Lazio fans left anti-Semitic stickers and graffiti, including images of famed Holocaust victim Anne Frank wearing a Roma shirt, during last weekend’s Serie A match against Cagliari.
Police investigate Belgian/Dutch battle of Bruges fan violence
October 24 – Belgian police are investigating a serious outbreak of fan violence caused by Belgian and Dutch fans which left a policeman with a broken jaw and led to 120 arrests.