By Samindra Kunti in Doha, Qatar
December 16 – Algeria broke Qatari hearts on Wednesday, eliminating the Arab Cup hosts 2-1 in the semifinals following a dramatic, seesaw 19 minutes of injury time. The African champions will take on Tunisia in the final.
December 16 – The transfer market could potentially be transformed after FIFA announced it will impose a 10% cap on all agents’ fees from next season to tackle the “excessive and abusive” sums taken out of the game.
December 15 – European-based players make up every member of the men’s FIFA FIFPRO final 23 players who have received the most votes to date for the 2021 World 11. Only four selections in the 23-player women’s equivalent, play outside Europe.
By David Owen
December 13 – FIFA is restructuring its sponsorship offer to enable brands to associate themselves specifically with the governing body’s women’s football and e-sports competitions.
December 13 – Olympic leaders have re-emphasised their opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s pet plan to stage the World Cup every two years even though the idea is now almost certainly on the backburner following widespread global criticism.
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
December 10 – In the last eight of the FIFA Arab Cup, hosts Qatar will take on rivals the United Arab Emirates on Friday seeking to build on their convincing group-stage form while Morocco and Algeria headline Saturday’s action.
December 10 – The US women remain top of FIFA’s rankings, a position they have held since 2017. They are followed by Sweden and Germany.
December 9 – Colombia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Seychelles and Thailand have all expressed an interest in hosting the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
December 8 – Fan-led review chair Tracey Crouch MP has responded to criticism, arguing that an independent regulator will help grow the English game.
December 8 – FIFA has rebranded its museum with a new name and new look, dropping the ‘world’ from its title to now become ‘FIFA Museum’. The change is subtle but it reflects the current administration’s change of attitude and policy towards its heritage project.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – South African officials insist they will not give up the fight after FIFA dismissed their request to have a crucial World Cup qualifier against Ghana replayed because of alleged match-fixing by the officials.
December 6 – Opposition to FIFA’s biennial World Cup plans and overhaul of the international match calendar remains strong with the World Leagues Forum (WLF), following on from the European Clubs Association last week, again demanding FIFA abandons the plan.
December 3 – FIFA is testing its new game analytics tool at the Arab Cup with a view to making the performance data available to all national teams free of charge. The plan is to offer the insights to all teams free of charge during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
December 2 – FIFA has released the match schedule for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with Auckland staging the opening game and Sydney hosting the final.
December 2 – In a new blow to FIFA’s biennial World Cup proposal, broadcaster beIN Sports has opposed the plans, warning that you can have ‘too much of a good thing’.