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
Norway dispatch Finland to take control of Group A
Norway 2 Finland 1
July 6 – Norway battled to a hard-fought victory 2-1 victory over Finland in Sion to all but guarantee their place at the top of Group A with one match left to play.
Other Stories
Chevy in cruise control as it adds US Soccer to portfolio alongside Man Utd
By Mark Baber
June 13 – The United States Soccer Federation and Chevrolet announced a three-year sponsorship deal on Monday which makes Chevrolet the Official Partner of U.S. Soccer for the next three years.
Lee Wellings: Tahiti the whipping boys
What on earth are Tahiti doing in the Confederations Cup?
They will be the biggest Tahitian whipping boys since Captain Bligh sailed the south Pacific in the 18th century and there was a ‘mutiny on the Bounty’.
It underlines the problem FIFA have had since Australia became part of Asia’s football family, and even they would not be an ideal ‘eighth’ team in a major tournament on current form.
Australia’s departure in 2006 has given opportunities to New Zealand in international and club football that may not be entirely fair,
Lionel Messi faces tax fraud charges in Spain
By Gareth Messenger
June 13 – Barcelona forward and World Player of the Year Lionel Messi is under investigation by Spanish tax authorities for allegedly defrauding the state of more than €4m. The Argentina international and his father Jorge have reportedly filed fraudulent tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, for tax crimes in Catalonia.
Argentine FA issues two-match ban on away supporters after fan shot dead
By Mark Baber
June 12 – Argentinean fans have been banned from attending away games for the next two matches following the death of Lanus football fan Daniel Jerez at the Clausura match between Estudiantes de La Plata and Lanus at the Ciudad de La Plata Stadium, near Buenos Aires, on Monday night
Gerrard testimonial to open BT Sport’s assault on Sky Sports dominance
By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – BT will kick off its live football coverage on its new sports channel, BT Sport, with excusive Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard’s testimonial game, Liverpool vs Olympiacos, August 3.
Quebec Soccer suspended over refusal to lift turban ban
By Mark Baber
June 12 – The Quebec Soccer Federation has been suspended by the Canadian Soccer Association after failing to reverse its decision to ban the use of turbans/patkas/keski on the football pitch.
Lagos football film festival opens with ‘slave ship’ story
By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – The first African Football Film Festival (AFFF) opens tomorrow in Lagos, Nigeria. Starting small, the first edition of the festival will be over three days and will screen five films. The organisers, non-government organisation (NGO) PLAY!YA have set up a cinema in Gowon Estate in Lagos, one of the more neglected districts in the Nigerian capital Lagos.
David Owen: Not being there – how television became football’s chief paymaster
Nothing in recent years has changed football as much as television.
The box in the living-room corner has spawned Manchester United fans from Tacoma to Tahiti and made top players as wealthy as successful bond traders.
Few of us now, not even the most avid groundhoppers, consume as many matches live as on TV.
Even professional football reporters, who think nothing of covering 100 games a season, will turn instantly to the screens scattered around the press stands to assess whether a foul has been committed or the ball has crossed the line.
Togolese players refuse to travel to Libya for World Cup qualifier
By Mark Baber
June 12 – Despite FIFA’s decision to move Friday’s Libya-Togo World Cup qualifier from Benghazi to Tripoli, Togo’s captain Alaixys Romao (pictured) and Jonathan Ayite are refusing to take the trip on the grounds of personal security.
Global fan vote opens for first ever ‘All Star’ football concept
By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – Pick the best 30 players in the world and play them off against each other – Europe vs Rest of the World – is something that could generally only happens in a computer game. Having football fans globally pick the top 30 players makes it slightly more unlikely. Or is it?
Malaga out of Europa League opens door for Rayo…or Sevilla
By Gareth Messenger
June 12 – Spanish Primera side Malaga are out of next season’s Europa League following The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejection of their appeal against the UEFA ban imposed last December.
Chelsea’s new stadium could be back on with new build site available
By Mark Baber
June 11 – The saga over Chelsea’s search for a new stadium has taken a new turn, as Jose Mourinho returns, with the revelation that the club may be invited to bid on a 17-acre plot of land, owned by Transport for London (TfL) near Earls Court and just a mile north of current home Stamford Bridge.
Outgoing Cameroon president arrested over company fraud as elections held today
By Mark Baber
June 11 – Iya Mohamed, the president of Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) and CEO of the Cameroon Cotton Development Corporation (Sodecoton), a state owned company, was arrested by the police on Monday on his return home from Togo where he attended Sunday’s Cameroon’s World Cup qualifier.
Jordan’s Prince Ali says AFC top job is not for him
By Andrew Warshaw
June 11 – Prince Ali, head of the Jordanian FA, has had an increasingly influential and vocal role as a member of the FIFA executive committee and successfully championed the lifting of the ban on the hijab in women’s football.
Putin signs off on FIFA’s ‘World Cup Law’ as Russia readies for 2018
June 11 – Russia’s preparations for the 2018 World Cup have taken another step forward after President Vladimir Putin signed off on the so-called ‘World Cup Law’ that has caused so much debate.