October 9 – With Spain and Portugal having confirmed their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, their two top leagues have similarly renewed their vows, extending a cooperation agreement signed in 2017 for a further three years.
October 9 – Paraguay and Peru drew 2-2, Uruguay defeated Chile 2-1 and Lionel Messi dragged Argentina to a 1-0 win over Ecuador on Thursday to get the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup finally under way after the coronavirus shutdown.
October 9 – On a night of nerve-shredding action, Serbia reached the Euro 2020 playoff finals Thursday with a 2-1 away win away over Norway after extra time while seven other nations joined them across four different groups in what promises to be a series of thrilling head-to-head climaxes next month.
October 9 – An under-19 friendly between England and Scotland on Thursday was abandoned during the first half after the visitors’ head coach Billy Stark tested positive for Covid-19.
October 8 – German prosecutors have searched several offices of the German Football Association (DFB) in the latest investigation into corruption, this time over the conduct of six former and current DFB bosses suspected of serious tax evasion.
October 8 – January 9 is the date being reported in Spain that could spell the end of the reign of Barcelona supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu in a no confidence vote.
October 8 – The president of Madagascar’s football federation, Raoul Rabekoto, is reportedly still missing and under an international arrest warrant for allegedly embezzling €25 million.
October 7 – English football’s governing bodies have joined forces in an attempt to force the government to reverse its decision to put plans on hold to allow fans back into stadiums in a safe and socially distanced manner.
By Paul Nicholson
October 7 – The Trinidad and Tobago FA have been given a deadline of December 18 by FIFA to get their suspension lifted or face exclusion from the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. The TTFA has been given the same deadline for the 2021 Gold Cup.
October 7 – Junior Flemmings, a Jamaican midfielder with second-tier US club Phoenix Rising, has been banned for six games for using a homophobic slur that led to opponents San Diego Loyal walking off in protest and the match being called off.
October 7 – French defender Leo Dubois has joined Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri as testing positive for the coronavirus on the eve of international friendlies and Nations League obligations.
October 7 – England manager Gareth Southgate has warned his players about their off-field behaviour in the wake of the latest breach of Covid-19 rules.
October 7 – Arsenal’s out-of-favour German international playmaker Mesut Ozil has offered to pay the salary of Jerry Quy, who has been playing the role of club mascot Gunnersaurus.
October 6 – With their manager under scrutiny, Manchester United were the most prolific Premier League spenders on the last day of the international summer transfer window, splashing out £28 million on four players though whether that keeps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his job remains to be seen.
October 6 – Italy’s sport minister says the season will not be halted in the wake of the Juventus-Napoli fixture, one of the biggest in the Italian calendar, being abandoned due to an apparent conflict over implementation of COVID-19 health rules.