January 16 – Football fans around the world remain keen on attending the World Cup, the quadrennial high mass of the global game. In all, 3,141,163 tickets have been requested in the second sales phase, which runs until the end of January.
January 15 – Major League Soccer is entering the esports market via a partnership with EA Sports to launch an esports league based on FIFA 18. The new league, eMLS, will launch with 19 of the 23 MLS teams represented.
January 16 – One month after UEFA rejected a request to waive Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules for AC Milan, saying they remained unconvinced about the club’s new Chinese backers, reports have apparently been submitted by Italy’s finance police over potentially suspicious activities relating to the sale.
January 16 – Nine venues have expressed an interest in hosting the European Super Cup in 2020 between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League.
January 16 – Chelsea’s topping of the weekly attendance capacity chart once again proved their need for a new stadium to maximise their matchday revenue potential at the end of a week when news broke that the earliest they will take possession of a redeveloped Stamford Bridge will be 2024.
January 16 – Tributes continue to pour in for Cyrille Regis following the death at 59 of the former England international who blazed a trail for black footballers at a time when racism in the game was rife in England.
By Paul Nicholson
January 15 –Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey, banned for life by FIFA for match-fixing, has had his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) turned down. The CAS ruling and their published reasoning mark a significant landmark for FIFA and football’s federations in their battle against match-fixing and their ability to enforce judgements.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 15 – Disgraced former Asian football leader Mohamed Bin Hammam has broken his long silence by confirming he received €6.7 million in a payment that is long suspected to have been linked to the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 15 – The tired claim by Russia’s World Cup organisers that racism is no worse in their country than elsewhere in football and only occasionally rears its ugly head has yet again been called into question by the latest distasteful incident involving Spartak Moscow.
By Samindra Kunti
January 15 – Hosts Morocco opened the fifth edition of the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) with a thumping win against neighbours Mauritania, putting forward their credentials as a renewed force in African football both on the pitch and as hosts of major tournaments.
By David Owen
January 15 – The draw has been completed for the 2018 World Football Cup, to be staged in London between May 31 and June 9.
January 15 – Two months after being banned for life, one of the highest profile figures in the FIFAGate corruption scandal, former Nicaragua Football Federation chief Julio Rocha has died after battling with cancer.
January 15 – CONCACAF chief Victor Montagliani has wasted no time moving into trouble-shooting mode in the wake of Donald Trump’s “shithole” slur that will do little to find favour among FIFA’s federations as the bid for the 2026 World Cup enters a key phase.
January 15 – Nike is the most influential sports brand in China, followed by the Chinese Basketball league and football’s Chinese Super league in third position. Sports leisure brands Adidas and New Balance occupy fourth and fifth positions.
January 15 – Former Manchester United and Wales star Ryan Giggs has been appointed manager of his national team on a four-year contract in succession to Chris Coleman.