March 22 – North Korea’s upcoming home World Cup qualifier against Japan was unexpectedly called off on Friday just hours after the announcement that it would be moved to a neutral venue.
February 5 – The 2026 World Cup final will be played at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of the NFL’s New York Jets and Giants, beating out Dallas, Texas, and Los Angeles for the tournament’s showcase game.
January 26 – Panama grouped with Nicaragua and Jamaica paired with Guatemala were the highlights of the first round group draw for the Conacacaf 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
January 24 – The draw for the Concacaf World Cup 2026 qualifiers will be held in FIFA’s Zurich headquarters tomorrow (January 25).
July 22 – FIFA has said it will announce the venues for the final of the 2026 World Cup and match schedule for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday February 4.
January 18 – The Norwegian football executive who rose to global acclaim when she got to her feet at the 2022 FIFA Congress to highlight the plight of migrant workers in Qatar, says she is still waiting for FIFA’s promised report into their treatment.
January 8 – The battle for the hosting of the 2026 World Cup final is ongoing with the two favourites – the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – both seemingly committing to multi-million dollar projects to woo FIFA’s decision makers.
November 23 – The qualification road for Asia’s nations for the 2026 World Cup is a long one. The first round saw 20 teams play knock-out matches to qualify for the first group stage. There will be a further group round and play-offs before the AFC’s 2026 qualifiers are confirmed.
November 20 – Injury severity among players in Europe’s top leagues increased radically following the first ever winter World Cup in Qatar last year, new research has revealed.
By Paul Nicholson
October 27 – If the expanded 48-team World Cup in 2026 matches the no-holds barred drama and competitiveness of the US cities battling in the high-stakes race to host the final, then it really could be a best-ever World Cup for FIFA.
October 18 – A week after disclosing they were having talks with Australia about a bid to co-host the 2034 World Cup, the Indonesia FA (PSSI) has backtracked and said the federation is now backing Saudi Arabia, a decision that leaves the 2034 finals within the Arab Kingdom’s touching distance.
October 17 – The general secretary of the Saudi Arabian Football Association (SAFF), Ibrahim Alkassim, has reiterated his nation’s commitment to their 2034 FIFA World Cup bid, inspired by the growth of the Saudi Pro League alongside the success of the 2022 World Cup in neighbouring Qatar.
October 17 – Palestine’s men’s team will play all home matches in Algeria until further notice following a request from the Palestinian FA in the wake of the military conflict between Hamas and Israel.
October 13 – Eduard Bello’s overhead kick ensured Venezuela held five-time world champions Brazil to a 1-1 draw in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Argentina maintained their perfect record with a 1-0 win against Paraguay and moved top of the table.
October 11 – Saudi Arabia, looking to be a shoo-in to stage the 2034 World Cup now looks to have a potential rival in the bidding process.