May 8 – Diego Maradona’s Golden Ball trophy from the 1986 World Cup, which went missing for decades, will be auctioned in Paris next month and is expected to raise millions.
Insideworldfootball talks exclusively to Annabel van Meeteren, President of SVO VV Pinkenberg to gather her thoughts on the BNG2027 bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 and the positive impact a successful bid could have for the women’s amateur game across The Netherlands.
May 1 – Some of FIFA’s rules on player contracts may run contrary to European law, according to an adviser to the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
April 30 – The US and Mexico have decided to pull out of bidding for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the US Soccer Federation (USSF) telling its member bodies in a letter that it is instead focussing on a bid for the hosting rights to 2031.
April 29 – The Football Association of Zambia suspended their annual general assembly (AGM) on Saturday following a court order, despite FIFA warning of the danger of possible sanctions because of third-party interference.
April 25 – State-owned Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco has become one of FIFA’s Major Worldwide Partners’ in a four-year deal running through to the end of 2027 and covering both the 2026 men’s and 2027 women’s World Cups.
April 23 – With the FIFA Congress poised to choose the host for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 next month in Bangkok, Insideworldfootball talks exclusively to two leading Belgian international players Amadou Onana and Justine Vanhaevermaet to gather their thoughts on the joint Belgian, Netherlands and German bid BNG2027 and what it would mean to have their tournament played in their home country.
April 19 – The campaign to have Israel thrown out of FIFA over the Gaza crisis will be stepped up at the world governing body’s annual congress next month.
April 17 – Cameroon FA boss Samuel Eto’o, a four-time African footballer of the year, has accused the Confederation of African Football’s general secretary of several breaches of FIFA’s code of ethics during an investigation into allegations that he was involved in match-fixing.
April 17 – Barcelona’s elimination from the Champions League on Tuesday had the effect of sending Atletico Madrid into the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States next year.
April 12 – Conmebol and its president Alejandro Dominguez have appealed to FIFA to stage the 2027 Women’s World Cup for the first time in South America, Brazil being the region’s representative in the bidding race.
Hosting major international football tournaments is about much more than the tournament itself. Increasingly what is left behind and how it impacts the game and society going forward is core to the planning. BNG’s 2027 World Cup bid has put legacy at the centre of it plans.
April 11 – Speaking via video link to the first FIFA Integrity Summit being hosted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), FIFA president Gianni Infantino warned that match manipulation “has not gone away”.
April 4 – In the most recent update to the FIFA World Rankings, Argentina continue to hold the coveted first position and have even extended their lead. Despite a loss to Germany on home soil, France remain in second place.
Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany have combined for a Women’s World Cup 2027 bid that they promise will set the standard for years ahead and provide pathways for women in the game and society. Insideworldfootball talks exclusively to DFB general secretary Heike Ullrich and Royal Belgian Football Association president Pascale Van Damme.