USA 2 Costa Rica 2 (USA win 4-3 on pens)
June 29 – You’d hate to use the word ‘sterile’ to describe a Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final, but following the drama and passion of Guatemala versus Canada, it all felt a little flat as the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and Costa Rica kicked off for the right to face Guatemala in St. Louis. After 90 minutes and the drama of penalty kicks,
October 21 – No Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan or Arsenal, not even Atletico Madrid. The Club World Cup is without five of the biggest and most supported clubs in the world. But it does now have Lionel Messi… and his five-season-old club Inter Miami who have been give a wild card entry into the tournament.
October 21 – The inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup has reached the semi-final stage with two Mexico vs USA match-ups and the final and third place match to be played at a centralised venue in May 2025.
October 21 – Mohamed Al Fayed who owned Fulham, and the luxury department store, Harrods, has been accused of sexually assaulting the former captain of the women’s team, Ronnie Gibbons.
October 21 – Bulgaria’s Spartak Varna have signed two new sponsorship deals despite the financial instability surrounding the club after former owner Pavlin Nikolov decided to step down and stop funding the team.
October 18 – The growth of non-domestic ownership of clubs in Europe’s Big 5 leagues is no longer a new phenomenon, but the skew towards US ownership in England’s Premier League and Italy’s Serie A has been a growing one.
October 18 – AFC Ajax has reported a significant financial downturn in their annual financial report, posting a €9.8 million loss for the 2023/24 season compared to a €39 million profit the previous year – primarily due to reduced European competition bonuses and lower transfer income.
October 18 – Atletico Madrid say they will not sell tickets to season ticket holders for their next five away matches, a measure the club has taken on top of recent sanctions imposed by UEFA and the Spanish FA (RFEF).
October 18 – The U21 European Championship play-offs have been drawn at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, with six teams battling for the last three slots at next summer’s finals in Slovakia.
October 18 – Juventus have signed a sleeve sponsorship deal with wealth management group Azimut in a partnership that will make its debut in the Nerazzurri’s Serie A match versus Lazio on Saturday.
October 18 – Premier League managers were united in their praise for Thomas Tuchel after the German’s appointment as head coach of the England national team but stressed the need for elite-level opportunities for English coaches.
October 18 – Former French international midfield star Paul Pogba has hit back at his critics by insisting he is not a drugs cheat after his original four-year ban was reduced to 18 months earlier this month by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
October 18 – Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner, Don Garber in London speaking at The Summit, Leaders Week this week, hyped up the 10-year, $2.5 billion-plus agreement with Apple that is about to conclude its second season.
October 17 – On Tuesday the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) unveiled the latest expansion team in downtown Boston as BOS Nation FC were officially launched.
October 18 – Music and football have always been interconnected. Think the Beatles and Liverpool FC and more recently, Oasis and Manchester City. Now British super-group Coldplay and Barcelona FC are getting in tune with each other in time for the El Clasico on October 26.
October 18 – The AFC has drawn the groups for the 2025 Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 with 19 teams to play in four centralised locations January 11-19, 2025.