Inside World Football - Page 1334 of 2271 - For the Business of Football

Gold Cup 2025

Mexico find the way to San Jose despite Saudi road blocks

June 28 – Mexico made hard work of overcoming Saudi Arabia 2-0 to book their place in the Gold Cup semi-final. Second half goals from Alexis Vega and Santiago Gimenez secured the win against the Gold Cup guests.

Honduras stun Panama with penalty shoot-out win for spot in semi-finals

Gold Cup’s breakthrough strikers make case for Golden Boot and glory

Panama-Honduras in Glendale and Canada-Guatemala in Minnesota complete Gold Cup quarter final line-up

El Salvador self destruct in Houston as Canada Marsch on

Added time drama secures Honduras quarter final slot over battling Curaçao

News

Fixtures

Match previews

Match reports

Stadiums

Teams

Zul gets all-clear to stand in an African election that has been rigged from the start

By Paul Nicholson in Manama, Bahrain

May 7 – The odds – as well as CAF and FIFA – were stacked against him, with few even expecting him to make it to the start line for the African election of its last FIFA Council member. It has been a political process that makes the not-so-long-ago days of Issa Hayatou’s reign as president of the confederation start to look like a model for transparency and equality.

FIFA

Brazil take 6th Beach Soccer world title as Tahiti’s hopes are crushed

By Samindra Kunti

May 8 – Brazil were crowned Beach Soccer World Cup champions for a record fifth time after a 6-0 victory over Tahiti in the final in Nassau, Bahamas. Tahiti finish runners-up for second consecutive time.

Football Marketing

Qatar Airways flys to rescue of FIFA’s ailing sponsorship programme with 2022 deal

May 7 – On the eve of the week of their Congress in Bahrain FIFA have signed a new airline sponsor. Qatar Airways becomes Official Partner and the Official Airline of FIFA in a sponsorship deal that will take through to 2022 when their home country hosts the World Cup.

FIFA

Argentina sweet-talk FIFA out of Messi ban, clearing him for crucial World Cup qualifiers

May 8 – Lionel Messi is free to represent Argentina in their World Cup qualifiers after his four-match international ban was controversially overturned following an appeal by his federation.

Football Asia

AFC lays ground work for a bumper commercial rights cycle with tender process for 2020

By Paul Nicholson in Manama, Bahrain

May 7 – Following a meeting of its executive committee The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has agreed a broadcast and commercial rights strategy for its new rights cycle that would begin in 2020 at the end of its current deal with Lagardere Sports.

Performance

FA turns academy recruitment tap off at Man City

May 7- Manchester City, one of the richest clubs in world football courtesy of Middle East funding, have been banned from signing academy players for an initial 12 months and fined £300,000 for breaching rules governing youth transfers – colloquially known as “tapping up.”

Football Asia

Maradona to return to coaching with UAE’s Fujairah

By Samindra Kunti

May 8 – Argentina legend Diego Maradona has signed a one-year contract at UAE second tier club Fujairah in a surprise return to coaching.

Europe

Italians bow to pressure and ‘de-criminalise’ Muntari with dropping of ban

May 7 – Sulley Muntari has had his controversial one-match ban for protesting against racist abuse overturned by Italy’s football authorities but says he was “treated like a criminal” for complaining.

FIFA

Israel-Palestine dispute boils up with FIFA Congress shootout days away

iwf palestine

By Andrew Warshaw

May 5 – The pressure on FIFA to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian impasse at next week’s Congress is being racked up – with factions supporting both sides calling for an end to the festering dispute.

Finance

Sunderland’s Black Cats stray again into the red

By David Owen

May 5 – Relegated Sunderland have reported a loss as they prepare for life in the second tier of English football. The Wearside club reported an after-tax loss of £33 million for the year to 31 July 2016. This is down from a loss of £26.6 million the previous year.

Integrity

Neymar and Barcelona back in Spanish court over transfer fraud allegations

Neymar

By Samindra Kunti

May 5 – Neymar and his father will stand trial over alleged fraud and corruption in the player’s transfer from Santos to FC Barcelona in 2013. The other defendants will be the current and former Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, FC Barcelona, Santos and NN Consultoria. All have denied the charges.

Football Marketing

Booze, baccy and betting. FA considers giving them all up for a healthier future

May 5 – The English Football Association is mulling over ending its commercial ties with betting and alcohol firms at the end of the season, says chairman Greg Clarke.

Finance

Cost-a-packet. Diego not going to China for €100m, say Tianjin

May 5 – Tianjin Quanjian have denied Chelsea striker Diego Costa has agreed to move to the Chinese Super League after reports in Spain claimed the Brazilian-born striker would move in the summer for an Asian record-breaking $100 million fee.

Broadcast

Belgian Pro League secures €75m TV deal as sales round begins

By Samindra Kunti

May 5 – Telenet and VOO have retained the TV rights to broadcast the Belgian top flight league for the next three seasons. The Belgian clubs will net €75 million per season.

Europe

Global outcry builds pressure on Italians to finally face their football racism

May 5 – Italian football’s reputation around the world has been damaged by the Sulley Muntari affair, the Italian Football Federation’s anti-racism advisor has charged.