Belarus told to play 2022 qualifiers in Russia
August 1 – Belarus have been ordered to play their home World Cup qualifying matches against both Belgium and Wales on neutral territory in Russia because of travel sanctions against the country.
World Cup
Baltimore-Maryland 2026 hosting bid builds its city and state support
July 18 – Baltimore-Maryland’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Host City bid has been given a boost in local authority support with the State of Maryland’s Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott being appointed in co-chair roles.
Qatar to open over 100 new hotel properties in run-up to 2022 World Cup
July 14 – Qatar isn’t just building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, it is also building towns, metro and road systems, and new hotel accommodations to house visitors as the country.
Russia terminate coach Cherchesov
July 9 -Russia have parted company with head coach Stanislav Cherchesov after the team’s disappointing first-round exit from Euro 2020.
Montreal withdraws host bid for World Cup 2026, opening up market for US cities
July 7 – Montreal has withdrawn its bid to be a host city of the 2026 World Cup, leaving Edmonton and Toronto as the only two Canadian applicants.
City of the future’ tag gives Houston 2026 bid a boost
June 26 – Houston’s bid to be one of the US cities selected to host the 2026 World Cup was given a boost last week after it was named in the top 10 ‘Americas Cities of the Future’.
Qatar to order 1m vaccines for fans at 2022 World Cup
June 21 – Qatar will only allow those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend next year’s World Cup.
Norwegians vote not to boycott Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers
June 21 – Norway will not boycott the 2022 World Cup in Qatar following a vote at an extraordinary meeting of Norway’s Football Federation (NFF) that dismissed the move with a strong majority, despite strong pressure from the grassroots levels over alleged human rights abuses of migrant workers in the Gulf state.
Canada keep developing, Panama and El Salvador join them in Concacaf final 8
June 26 – Canada’s journey back towards Concacaf competitiveness continued with 3-0 home win over Haiti (4-0 on aggregate), taking them to the final round of World Cup Qualifying for the first time since France 98.
Concacaf 2022 qualifying: Canada, Panama and El Salvador have edge
June 14 – The knockout play off series to decide the final three slots in the eight team Concacaf final round of 2022 World Cup qualifying began at the weekend with opening advantages being gained by Canada, Panama and El Salvador.
Son Heung-min penalty secures South Korea spot in final round of Qatar 2022 qualifying
June 14 – South Korea cemented their place in the last 12 of Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying in Asia with a 2-1 win over challengers Lebanon.
Houston keeps itself in World Cup 2026 hosting picture with giant airport mural
June 11 –Houston, which is preparing to host Concacaf Gold Cup matches next month, is looking further ahead with its bid to be one of the final 10 host cities in the US for the 2026 World Cup.
Baltimore-Maryland bid ties in with Football for Peace as it pitches for piece of 2026 action
June 10 – Baltimore-Maryland’s 2026 World Cup host bid has been bolstered by the signing of a partnership agreement with the Football for Peace Foundation (FFP), with the aim of creating new youth and community development programmes across Maryland through international cultural exchange initiatives.
Support for Edmonton 2026 World Cup hosting gathers pace
June 9– Edmonton in Canada, one of the candidate venues for the country’s three World Cup 2026hosting slots, is reporting a significant uptick in support for the event in the city.
All to play for in Concacaf with 5 slots still open as Qatar 2022 first round qualifiers close
June 8 – The first round of Concacaf qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup reaches its final stage of group games tonight with five of the six groups going down to the wire.