December 18 – Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer is undergoing tests and scans at hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Premier League game at the weekend.
December 18 – Qatar’s national airline has signed a six-year partnership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that begins in January with the start of the Asian Cup that Qatar in hosting and kicks off 12 January.
December 17 – Fleetwood Haiya (pictured) has been elected the new president of the Malawi FA (FAM), bringing to an end the longstanding reign of Walter Nyamilandu.
December 16 – World champions Spain have secured the top spot in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings for the first time, knocking off ranking leaders Sweden who themselves had only had a short time at the top after displacing the USA in August. The US had held an unbroken six year run at the top.
December 15 – Premier League Aston Villa’s holding company, V Sports, has secured an investment from east coast US private equity firm Atairos.
By Samindra Kunti in Jeddah
December 17 – African champions Al Ahly from Egypt eliminated hosts Al-Ittihad from the Club World Cup with a resounding 3-1 win to set up a semi-final against Brazil’s Fluminense. Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds complete the last-four line-up and will face Manchester City.
December 18 – The AFC has drawn groups for the 8-team finals of the U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024 that will be played March 3 to 16, 2024.
December 15 – The former president of Turkish top flight club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, has been handed a permanent ban by the Turkish Football Federation for punching a referee that has drawn widespread revulsion.
December 15 – Female fans in Iran have claimed a moral victory after being allowed to venture inside the Azadi Stadium in Tehran to attend Thursday’s eagerly anticipated clash between Persepolis FC and Esteghlal FC.
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the 2030 and 2034 World Cup bidding processes as “the best FIFA can do for football, covering the entire world in only eight years”.
December 15 – Rebecca Welch will make history when she becomes the first female referee to take charge of a Premier League match on December 23 when Fulham take on Burnley.
December 15 – FIFA and Panini have extended their long-standing licensing and sponsorship partnership in a deal which will see the global brand remain FIFA’s exclusive partner for official stickers, trading cards, trading-card games and digital collectibles.
December 15 – In a rare case of seeking justice for a wrong VAR decision, a Spanish judge has ruled in favour of Espanyol whose relegation in May was partly precipitated by a ‘ghost’ goal scored by opponents Atletico Madrid.
December 15 – Lionel Messi’s set of six match-worn shirts form the 2022 FIFA World Cup has sold for a record-breaking $7.8 million at an auction hosted by Sotheby’s in New York.
December 15 – FIFA has announced the final nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player and The Best FIFA Men’s Player awards ahead of the 2023 edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards ahead of the ceremony next month.