March 1 – IMG and Perform have named their South American joint marketing agency venture FC Diez Media. The new company will advise CONMEBOL on their commercial rights for club competitions from 2019-22.
March 1 – Brazil’s Federal Police are claiming the price tag of Salvador’s Fonte Nova stadium, a 2014 World Cup venue, was inflated by as much as $130 million. Seven arrest warrants have been issued in connection to the investigation, including for the former governor of Bahia Jaques Wagner.
March 1 – Los Angeles’ hopes of being one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup should the US-led bid win the vote appears to be back on track.
March 1 – Any slight chance the world’s most expensive player had of making his club’s most important game of the season has been ruled out with the news that Neymar will have surgery after suffering a fractured metatarsal and sprained ankle.
March 1 – Budweiser will step in to fill the official beer partnership slot of the England Senior Men’s team after Carlsberg end their 22-year association after the Russia 2018 World Cup.
March 1 – Last night’s FA Cup replay at Wembley’s 90,000 capacity stadium drew just 24,627 spectators for Tottenhams 6-1 thrashing of Rotherham in the snow. A far cry from the full house Wembley saw last Sunday for the Football League’s Carabao Cup final that saw Manchester City beat Arsenal 3-1.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – Morocco looks to be closing the gap on its United States-led rival in the race to land the 2026 World Cup with the outcome in June by no means as clearcut as a few weeks ago, according to an ESPN report.
By Paul Nicholson
February 28 – Focus this weekend will inevitably be on the game changing decisions regarding video assistant referees at the meeting of FIFA’s rule making committee. But on Friday the governing body addresses arguably even more important and potentially life changing issues with its 4th Conference for Equality and Inclusion at FIFA House in Zurich.
February 28 – Spanish giant Real Madrid has launched its own 360° and virtual reality channel in The Dream VR app that has more than 2 million downloads in over 180 countries.
February 28 – The North American Soccer League (NASL) has cancelled its 2018 season with three of its six clubs shifting to the National Premier Soccer League which kicks off this April.
February 28 – The prospect of a winter break in top-flight English football, which has been discussed and debated for years with public opinion split, appears to be edging closer.
February 28 – The world’s most expensive player has suffered a damaging injury at the worst possible time. Neymar’s fractured metatarsal and sprained ankle is expected to keep him out of action for at least six weeks meaning he will miss Paris St Germain’s all-important upcoming Champions League last-16 second leg tie against Real Madrid.
February 28 – He may have successfully campaigned for the European Club Association, which he headed for nine years, to have a voice on UEFA’s decision-making executive committee but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is annoyed at the decision not to use video assistance in next year’s Champions League.
February 28 – The new eSports league being launched by video game maker Konami and Spanish-based eFootball.Pro have signed Barcelona as their first professional team to the league which will be played on the Pro-Evolution Soccer (PES) game.
February 28 – Internazionale have opened their eighth academy outside of Italy, the latest being in Beirut, Lebanon. Inter is working in partnership with Water Resources LTD Company and Sportomondo on the project in Lebanon.