Inside World Football - For the Business of Football

Gold Cup 2025

Mexico open defence with a win but Dominican Republic push them to the last minute

Mexico 3 Dominican Republic 2

June 14 – In a city that saw tens of thousands on the street during the day protesting the mass deportations of immigrants by Donald Trump’s administration, the Gold Cup kicked off in an eery atmosphere of uncertainty at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Mexico open Gold Cup defence against aspiring Dominican Republic

Mexican supporters groups fearful of ICE agents

Caliente.mx bets on GC being a winner

‘This is Ours’: Concacaf kicks off Gold Cup campaign

Pochettino’s American Nightmare: When $6m buys you four straight defeats

News

Fixtures

Match previews

Match reports

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Teams

Mexico, their fans and the Gold Cup put Trump’s agenda on ice

By Nick Webster at the SoFi Stadium

June 14 – The convoy of unmarked cars circling SoFi Stadium like vultures told the story before kick-off even arrived. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had visions of turning the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup opener into something resembling a certain European country in the 1930’s rather than a celebration—transforming what should have been Mexico’s moment to defend their crown into a test of courage.

Gold Cup 2025

Mexico open defence with a win but Dominican Republic push them to the last minute

Mexico 3 Dominican Republic 2

June 14 – In a city that saw tens of thousands on the street during the day protesting the mass deportations of immigrants by Donald Trump’s administration, the Gold Cup kicked off in an eery atmosphere of uncertainty at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Club World Cup 2025

ICE agents to operate at Club World Cup, SoFi’s Gold Cup opener could be the litmus test for football’s big summer in the US

By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles

June 13 – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be active at the Club World Cup that kicks off on Saturday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and throughout the month-long tournament.

Club World Cup 2025

Poor ticket sales, ICE agents and stakeholder anger marks kick-off a US tournament FIFA can’t buy love for

June 13 – On Saturday, host club Inter Miami kick off the controversial 32-team Club World Cup against Al Ahly of Egypt. The build-up to the tournament has been marred by controversy, ranging from sporting integrity and low ticket sales to a lack of broadcast deals and disinterest from the major clubs.

Fifpro’s workload bombshell exposes danger of burnout as PSG and Atleti line up for 90˚CWC KO

June 13 – Professional footballers are being pushed beyond breaking point, with player union Fifpro’s latest findings a damning indictment of modern football’s relentless schedule.

FIFA

FIFA gets into bed with Airbnb for CWC 2025, and 2026 and 2027 World Cups

June 12 – Following your team across continents has never been cheap or simple, but FIFA’s latest partnership with Airbnb comes with a promise to ease the logistical burden for travelling supporters.

Finance

Burnley owner ALK Capital closes in on Espanyol acquisition

June 13 – Burnley’s American owner Alan Pace is in advanced negotiations to acquire a stake in Spanish club Espanyol. The deal, if finalised, would see Espanyol become the second club in the portfolio of ALK Capital, the US-based investment firm that acquired an 84% controlling stake in Burnley for £170 million in December 2020.

South America

Conmebol nations hand Domínguez another 4 years as confederation president

June 13 – Alejandro Domínguez has been re-elected as the president of Conmebol for a four-year term.

Digital platforms

Real Madrid and Barca to social media league globally

June 13 – Real Madrid and Barcelona remain unmatched in football’s global digital reach, topping the latest social media rankings published by the CIES Football Observatory this week, tracking the 100 most-followed clubs across X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Competitions

Singapore lands Soccer7sSeries hosting for end of July

June 13 – Singapore has secured hosting rights for the latest leg of the Soccer7sSeries, a commercially driven seven-a-side tournament aimed at blending legacy football names with emerging talent, as the city-state ramps up its sporting portfolio for its 60th independence anniversary celebrations.

Europe

Serie A set to take AC Milan-Como regular season fixture to Perth, Australia

June 13 – European competitive football has never crossed continental borders – until now. AC Milan versus Como 1907 could make history by relocating to Perth’s Optus Stadium during the 2025/26 season, with Serie A poised to become the first major league to stage a genuine league fixture outside Europe.

FIFA

US women top world rankings but Euros could force change

June 13 – The latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking update offers a sharp reminder that the United States’ long-standing dominance in the women’s game is no longer unchallenged.

Europe

Kevin de Bruyne stays in Europe and in Champions League with Napoli

June 13 – Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has completed his move to Napoli following his departure from Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season.

Concacaf

Mexico open Gold Cup defence against aspiring Dominican Republic

June 13 – Mexico approach the 2025 Gold Cup with typical confidence, having secured early silverware through March’s Concacaf Nations League triumph – a psychological boost that sets them up beautifully for the right to be called Kings of the Region.

Gold Cup 2025

Mexican supporters groups fearful of ICE agents

June 13 – With the fear of ICE agents roaming around Los Angeles and spiriting illegal and legal immigrants away, supporter groups of the Mexican national team are rightly concerned ahead of the opening game of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup between El Tri and the Dominican Republic.