UEFA appoints Eastern European referees for all four of its club finals
May14 – Romania’s István Kovács will take charge of the UEFA Champions League final, while Croatia’s Ivana Martinčić will officiate the Women’s Champions League final.
News
Mascherano with work to do get Messi, Suarez, Alba and Inter Miami back on track
May 13 – With just four weeks until the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) kicks off, the tournament’s opener featuring Inter Miami and their star Lionel Messi have hit a concerning run of form, prompting first-year coach Javier Mascherano to acknowledge that “there are things that need to be corrected.”
English Premier League renews partnership with Avery Dennison
May 13 – The English Premier League (EPL) has renewed its licensing agreement with Avery Dennison for another five seasons, extending the partnership through to the end of the 2029-30 campaign.
Bosnia and Herzegovina clubs receive UEFA Emergency Grant support
May 13 – A total of six clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina are set to receive grants of €8,300 from UEFA’s Emergency Grants initiative with the support of the country’s football federation.
CBF appoints Ancelotti as Brazil national team manager as Rodrigues fights for survival
May 13 – The Brazilian Football Association (CFB) has confirmed the appointment of out-going Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti as the country’s new head coach.
MLS’s Minnesota United secure landmark sleeve sponsorship deal
May 13 – A stellar week for Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Minnesota United FC saw them thrash Inter Miami 4-1, cheekily troll Miami owner David Beckham, and ink a groundbreaking multi-year deal with hometown heroes NutriSource Pet Foods and Finley’s Pet Treats.
Marinakis causes a stir as controversial owner dresses-down manager
May 13 – Evangelos Marinakis, Nottingham Forest’s larger-than-life Greek shipping magnate owner, delivered a public dressing-down of manager Nuno Espirito Santo that was extraordinary even by his volcanic standards.
Ocean Spray ‘Just Adds Cran’ as official juice sponsor of the Leagues Cup
May 13 – Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. has secured a multi-year deal as the official juice sponsor of the Leagues Cup, the growing tournament between Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX clubs now entering its third year.
Sevilla’s training facility attacked as players forced to spend the night
May 13 – Football passion crossed a dangerous line in Spain this weekend when “a gang of organised radicals” effectively held Sevilla FC players and staff hostage at the club’s training facility following their 3-2 defeat to Celta Vigo.
Chaotic scenes mar Hamburg’s return to the German Bundesliga
May 13 – Hamburger SV ‘s long-awaited return to the German Bundesliga was marred by tragic incidents following the club’s 6-1 win over Ulm that secured them automatic promotion.
Sensational Brazil lift Beach Soccer World Cup for seventh time
May 13 – The Brazilian Beach Soccer team earned a record-setting seventh World Cup title in the Seychelles on Sunday, securing the crown with a 4-3 win over Belarus at the Paradise Arena in Victoria.
Concacaf sets 2025/26 W Champions Cup dates with FIFA Women’s CWC slots on the line
May 13 – As the Concacaf 2024/25 W Champions Cup prepares for its final four stage in Monterrey, Mexico May 21-24 – América Femenil face Gotham FC and Tigres Femenil meet Thorns FC in the double header semi-finals – the confederation has released dates for its 2025/26 edition.
UEC proposes 5% ‘Player Development Reward’ fund to distribute cash from UEFA’s club comps
May 12 – The Union of European Clubs (UEC) has proposed an overhaul of how UEFA distributes funds from its club competitions to better recognise player development. It’s chances of any immediate implementation or discussion are slim with UEFA having already agreed a new distribution cycle that is currently in its first year of operation.
FIFA to expand Women’s World Cup to 48 teams in 2031 in the US
May 12 – Following the expansion of the FIFA men’s World Cup to 48 teams, the FIFA Council has unanimously approved plans to increase the Women’s World Cup (WWC) to the same number of participating countries.
The expansion will take place at the 2031 edition, which is expected to be hosted by the United States should they win what looks like an uncontested bid for hosting rights.
Cordeiro adds White House Task Force senior advisory role to FIFA duties
May 12 – The announcement last week of the personnel on the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 was dominated by US president Donald Trump and the appointment of Andrew Guiliani, son of Trump’s former lawyer and former Mayor of New York Rudy Guiliani.
Buried underneath the political noise and posturing of the Task Force personnel was the news that FIFA also had a representative on key governmental working group.