NRG Stadium sold out for Gold Cup final
July 6 – Concacaf has announced that today’s 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium, Houston, between the United States and Mexico, is sold out.
Women's Euro 2025
Swiss keep knockout hopes alive as Iceland exit
Switzerland 2 Iceland 0
July 6 – Switzerland got their Euro 2025 campaign back on track with a 2-0 victory against Iceland, the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.
Other Stories
Blatter calls on Brazilians to stop using football to make their demands
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – As a wave of social unrest continues to sweep through Brazil, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has urged the public to stop using football as a means of expressing their anger and says they can only benefit from the tournament returning to the country next year for the first time in over half a century. The protests, timed to co-incide with the ongoing Confederations Cup, has cast a shadow over the World Cup dry run event that has produced several exhilarating games in full stadia.
BSkyB faces investigation after BT lodges ‘abuse’ complaint
By Mark Baber
June 20 – Following a complaint from BT, Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, is launching an investigation into BSkyB over the supply of its sports channels to rival broadcasters.
Hearts broken as administrators hunt for funding
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – In the same month that Scottish football agreed on a ground-breaking strategy to preserve the future of lower-league clubs, one of its most iconic, Heart of Midlothian, has ironically been forced to go into administration and has been docked 15 points for the start of the season.
Beşiktaş line up Vodafone as new stadium and shirt sponsor
By Mark Baber
June 20 – Beşiktaş has signed a preliminary agreement with Vodafone Türkiye for shirt sponsorship and naming rights to the team’s new stadium. The final agreement, which is expected to be signed shortly, is expected to be worth €20 million annually.
Platini praises Israel and stands firm on their right to host
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – A relieved Michel Platini has heaped praise on Israel following the European Under-21 championships that ended with Spain beating Italy 4-2 to retain the title.
Mexicans get their party started in Rio in preparation for 2014
By Paul Nicholson in Rio de Janeiro
June 20 – Look around Rio de Janeiro you could be forgiven for wondering where the Confederations Cup party is taking place unless you were outside the Maracana or an official ticket collection point.
New Premier League rights-holder to lose chief executive
By David Owen
June 19 – BT Group has surprised investors by announcing that Ian Livingston is to quit as chief executive, as the traditional telephone company is gearing up to take on BSkyB in the market for live coverage of Barclays Premier League matches.
Spanish club crisis: La Liga attendances down, RIP Salamanca
By Monica Villar
June 20 – The depth of the Spanish club football crisis become clearer this week with the LFP confirming a drop in attendances across the La Liga last season. Lower down the league Salamanca was liquidated and finally went out of business.
Premier League fans march on London HQ to protest ticket prices
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – The Premier League may be the most popular football product in the world, watched by billions of armchair fans globally, but English supporters are losing patience over inflated ticket costs which price the majority of fans out of the market.
Romania’s Cluj seeks investment partner for next push
By David Owen
June 20 – The majority owner of CFR Cluj-Napoca, the Romanian champions, is looking for a financial partner to help consolidate the club’s place among the European elite.
Goalkeeper somehow plays on despite being shot in the head
By Tom Parsons
June 19 – Dusko Krtalica, an amateur goalkeeper from Bosnia, was shot in the head by a stray bullet during a match — only to finish the contest by brushing off the pain as a routine knock he’d taken!
More hints Blatter may stand again, this time from Valcke
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
June 19 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter may still not have confirmed publicly whether he intends to remain in the job when his current four-year mandate expires in 2015 but his number two has added to growing indications that the veteran Swiss may yet try to carry on into a fifth term.
Online bookies denounced for encouraging compulsive gambling
By Mark Baber
June 19 – Sporting Chance, the charity set up by former England and Arsenal defender Tony Adams to support players with addiction problems, says the majority of its referrals are now gambling-related and that on-line bookies are actively targeting players with their aggressive marketing techniques.
Russia 2018 provides details of massive World Cup spend
By Andrew Warshaw
June 19 – Days after announcing that that its 2018 World Cup budget was likely to double to over $20bn, Russia has provided more details of how the money will actually be spent.
Benzema and Ribery sex trial postponed in France
June 19 – The trial of French football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema over claims they paid for sex with an under-age call girl has been adjourned for procedural reasons until next year.