December 10 – Gianni Infantino has confirmed that FIFA will definitely decide in March whether the 2022 World Cup in Qatar can be expanded to 48 teams, though the likelihood of the concept being brought forward from the 2026 tournament appears to be receding.
By Paul Nicholson
December 7 – The UAE are officially putting forward a candidate for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) presidency of the regional confederation whose elections take place April 6 in Kuala Lumpur next year.As is Qatar. Both nominations came in before yesterday’s midnight deadline last night.
September 7 – Former Guatemala football chief and one-time FIFA executive committee member Rafael Salguero avoided a jail term when he was sentenced on Thursday to time served, releasing him from house arrest following his role in the FifaGate corruption scandal.
December 7 – The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has reacted furiously to the latest curve ball thrown by African football chief Ahmad Ahmad.
By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
December 7 – On Sunday, at last, the final of all finals will come to an end as River Plate and Boca Juniors face off for glory in the Copa Libertadores in Madrid. Governing body Conmebol shifted the game over security concerns to the Spanish capital, where a huge security operation is underway.
December 7 – Three more top-flight French games this weekend have been postponed amid fears of further violent ‘yellow vest’ protests in France over social inequality and living standards.
December 7 – Peruvian Football Federation president Edwin Oviedo (pictured) has been arrested over his alleged role in a criminal network that paid for several judges to attend last summer’s World Cup, Peru’s first appearance in the finals for 36 years.
December 7 – Tite and the Brazilian national team will not meet with newly elected president Jair Bolsonaro before or after the Copa America, the Brazil coach has said. Before the World Cup in Russia Tite had also refused to meet outgoing president Michel Temer.
December 7 – The helicopter which crashed last month tragically killing Leicester City’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha spun out of control because of the failure of the tail rotor mechanism, according to air accident investigators.
December 7 – The Daily Fantasy Sports sectoris alive and well, was the message coming out of the Summit of iGaming Malta (SiGMA) session on the fantasy gaming sector.
December 6 – The global condemnation of Saudi Arabia for its role in the brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi appears to have had little effect on top-flight Italian football administrators.
December 6 – The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has pulled out of the bidding race for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, saying it “will not compete with another Arabic country.” Morocco and South Africa remain as favourites to host the continent’s flagship competition.
December 6 – UEFA Women’s Football has signed a landmark seven-year sponsorship with Visa that will run until 2025.
December 6 – After all the criticism about playing on neutral ground thousands of miles from Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors and River Plate have both arrived in Madrid for the eagerly anticipated twice postponed Copa Libertadores final second leg.
December 6 – The big are getting bigger and the small are falling further behind. That is the conclusion of a study into the competitive balance within European club fooball by the CIES Football Observatory.