Russians cap prices for 2018 World Cup hotels
February 17 – Football fans looking for cheap accommodation at the Russia 2018 World Cup are unlikely to find it in Moscow or St Petersburg, but could find value in Kaliningrad and Rostov.
World Cup
Qatar set to commit further $22bn in 2016 on World Cup 2022 infrastructure
By Samindra Kunti
February 9 – Qatar will award $22 billion worth of new contracts in 2016 as the Emirate maintains its spending spree in advance of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mutko says Blatter and Platini will be both be welcome at Russia 2018
February 9 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will both be invited to the 2018 World Cup in Russia but in what capacity they would be permitted to attend is still not clear.
Russia unveils Confed Cup 2017 branding with 500 days to go before kick off
By Paul Nicholson
February 4 – With all the noise around FIFA presidential elections and reform you could be forgiven for forgetting that the Confederations Cup, the warm-up for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is just 500 days away. That is unless you were in the GUM department store by Red Square in Moscow yesterday.
FIFA holds back $92m of World Cup ‘legacy’ cash from Brazil
By Samindra Kunti
December 21 – FIFA is suspending further transfers from a World Cup legacy fund to Brazil pending further talks with the Brazilian federation, the CBF. Brazil has only received $8.7 million from the fund 17 months after the most profitable World Cup in history.
Al-Thawadi puts record straight on investigations, construction deaths and kafala
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Hassan Al-Thawadi, head of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising committee who was the public face of the surprise ballot victory five years ago, says his team has not been contacted by any officials from either the US or Swiss investigations into widespread football corruption and has repeated he does not expect the Gulf state to be stripped of host status.
Putin orders football reforms, World Cup speed up, and a team play with ‘dignity’
By Mark Baber
December 10 – Russian president Vladimir Putin called for an overhaul of the current system of administration of Russian football, for a speeding up of work on infrastructure projects for the 2018 World Cup and for the national squad to represent the country with dignity. He made his comments at president’s council for sports and the 2018 World Cup organising committee.
Mutko says Russia 2018 World Cup security will be beefed up
November 25 – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko says security will be tightened at the 2018 World Cup following the Paris massacre and the growing threat of terrorism generally.
Wenger accuses UEFA of “accepting” doping
November 24 – Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger has pointed the finger squarely at Uefa in his latest outburst over doping in football.
Russia’s Sorokin questions any 2018 vote deal and trial by ‘finger pointing’
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 20 – Alexei Sorokin, the man running the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has spoken out for the first time in public about Sepp Blatter’s remarkable claim of a pre-vote deal that cast growing suspicion on how both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were won and lost.
Russian cash crisis eased with Novatek deal, St Petersburg readies for 2016
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – The financial crisis that engulfed the Russia’s Football Union (RFU) and saw Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko return as federation president in September, eased slightly with the announcement of gas company Novatek coming on board as a main sponsor. No figure was announced for the deal which will go through until the end of 2018.
Instagrammers line up to make FA Cup photo history
By Tom Parsons
November 11- Will you be following the FA Cup this year? Do you take photographs on Instagram? Well , in a tradition-breaking endeavour by the English FA, your photograph could be used on tickets for this season’s showpiece final.
Volgograd launches 2018 legacy campaign with fan and club initiative
November 11 – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko may be facing the hardest few days of his sports career internationally over the doping scandal that has rocked athletics and the Olympic movement, bit at home in Russia World Cup 2018 plans are progressing with an emphasis on bringing more participants and fans into the game.
Spurs tune up digital push with 20 TV markets
By Tom Parsons
November 6 – Tottenham Hotspur have extended their global reach through Spurs TV broadcast deals which will now see them have their content available to over 300 million people worldwide.
Adidas says brand has not been damaged by FIFA crisis
November 6 – Leading FIFA sponsors Adidas have broken their silence over the ongoing corruption scandal by insisting the crisis has not adversely affected its brand.