March 27 – If the United States, Canada and Mexico jointly bid for the 2026 World Cup and are successful, all three should be allowed automatic berths in the competition according to the region’s top administrator.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – First the president, now his trusted number two. The wind of change sweeping through African football following the stunning election defeat of Issa Hayatou has quickly snared his deputy and chief ally with Confederation of African Football (CAF) secretary general Hicham El Amrani resigning on Sunday, just over a week after Hayatou was ousted from power by Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad.
March 27 – Nigeria’s friendly with Burkina Faso in London tonight has been called off after several Burkina Faso players failed to gain visas in time.
March 27 – A fragile peace appears to have broken out within Sierra Leone football following an extraordinary congress in the capital Freetown.
March 27 – Barcelona will name their new stadium in the Ciutat Esportiva training complex after Dutch legend Johan Cruyff. The planned stadium is part of the redevelopment of the club’s famed La Masia.
March 24 – The head of the English Football Association has condemned the “inappropriate, disrespectful and disappointing” behaviour of England fans at Wednesday night’s friendly in Germany yet refused to issue a direct apology.
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – The spat over whether US Spanish-speaking network Telemundo would be allowed to broadcast Trinidad and Tobago’s upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying matches against Panama and Mexico has been resolved at the last minute. A Trinidad judge ruled that broadcaster owns the TV rights and that the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has to allow Telemundo access to the stadium that had previously been denied.
By Samindra Kunti
March 23 – South American giants Brazil and Uruguay face different obstacles in their crunch World Cup qualifiers as they seek to qualify for the 2018 Russia World Cup.
March 23 – Diego Maradona has reportedly threatened to resign as a FIFA global ambassador unless an Argentine rival is removed from his post in the national federation.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 22 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says he will stop at nothing to combat football’s most dangerous ills and will soon have an “army” of personnel to tackle the issues involved.
By Paul Nicholson
March 22 – The US is set to become the land of Europe’s giant clubs at the end of July in a pre-season football extravaganza that conceivably could feature at least three of Europe’s Big 5 league champions.
March 21 – Iraq wants United States-born striker Justin Meram to rethink his decision not to join up with the squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 20 – African football’s new leadership faces immediate and important questions about transparency and double standards after electing an official who was banned from running for FIFA president on to its own ruling body.
By Paul Nicholson
March 20 – The Egyptian prosecution of former Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou over the award of CAF’s media and commercial rights to Lagardère Sports will continue, promised a legal spokesperson for Presentation Sports. This is despite Hayatou having lost the presidency of CAF to Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad last Thursday.
March 20 – Mali has hit back at becoming the latest African country to be suspended by FIFA over government inference saying it will not be pushed around and will continue to operate as it sees fit.