By David Gold
December 2 – A year after Russia was awarded the right to host the 2018 World Cup, FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke has praised the progress made by the country in the first year of its preparations to stage the event.
By Duncan Mackay at the Sheraton San Conrado in Rio de Janeiro
December 1 – Ronaldo was officially unveiled here today as the new face of the Organising Committee of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
By Duncan Mackay in Rio de Janeiro
December 1 – Ronaldo, the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup, will be cofirmed as the the new face of the 2014 World Cup here later today, insideworldfootball can reveal.
By Duncan Mackay at Soccerex in Rio de Janeiro
November 28 – Brazil will put on a “great World Cup”, the country’s new Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo promised as the annual Soccerex convention opened here today.
By David Gold
November 28 – Frank Lowy, the chairman of the Australian Football Federation (FFA), has indicated that he believes that Qatar could yet lose the right to host the World Cup in 2022.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – Former Brazilian international Ronaldo has denied reports that he has been asked to replace controversial FIFA powerbroker Ricardo Teixeira as head of the country’s 2014 World Cup Organising Committee.
By David Gold
November 24 – The Russian organising committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have signed an agreement with the Olympic Games Transport Directorate, who have worked on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the Kazan 2013 Summer University Games, to develop transport links during the competition.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 17 – Qatar must not exploit workers rights as it sets about a major construction programme for the 2022 World Cup, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) charged today.
By David Gold
November 17 – On his return from a trip to Brazil to see how preparations are going for the 2014 World Cup, the FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, has said that he is “finally confident” that Brazil will pass a World Cup law that has been the subject of political wrangling.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – Sepp Blatter, already under fire over his comments about racism in football, has also taken Brazil to task over personality clashes between the Government and 2014 World Cup organisers.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 14 – Hassan Al-Thawadi (pictured), the public face of Qatar’s landslide 2022 World Cup bid victory, has spoken at more sports forums over the past few years than he can possibly name.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 13 – Qatar has taken the next decisive step in its preparations for the 2022 World Cup by signing a collaboration agreement with The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), the not-for-profit sport organisation based here in the capital.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 13 – The operations director for the 2014 World Cup insists the country will be ready on time despite constant concerns expressed by both Sepp Blatter and his FIFA number two, Jerome Valcke.
By David Gold
November 13 – Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup were boosted at the weekend as 3,000 special police officers backed by 24 armoured vehicles and seven helicopters occupied Rocinha, the largest slum in Rio de Janeiro, where the final of the competition will be held.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 12 – Brazil’s turbulent 2014 World Cup preparations came under the spotlight again today when FIFA’s head of security warned that traditional gun-carrying methods of imposing security at games would have to end – and fast.