Inside World Football - Page 21 of 2233 - For the Business of Football

Asia 2026 qualifiers go down to the wire with four slots open going into last two group rounds

March 27 – The Road to 2026 Asian Qualifiers are going down to the wire with two match days left in June to qualify four more teams for the World Cup next year.

Round 3 of AFC qualifying has seen 18 teams in three groups of six with each nation playing each other home away over the 10 match schedule. The top two teams in each group qualify direct to World Cup 2026 and after eight rounds of matches,

Concacaf

Mexico top seeds as prelims qualify final 7 nations for Gold Cup draw

March 27 – All 16 teams for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup have now qualified following the completion of the preliminary round play-offs last night.

Club World Cup 2025

Noisy Alajuelense play the politics of disruption as they demand a CWC slot they didn’t win on the pitch

March 26 – The removal of Club León from the Club World Cup (CWC) has sparked an appeal at Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the Mexican club. In a separate case at CAS, Costa Rican club Deportiva Alajuelense are claiming that they should be awarded the slot.

Finance

Everton refinance £350m of Bramley-Moore Dock stadium debt

March 26 – Premier League Everton have secured a £350 million financing package to refinance the costs of building their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, a move that is expected to save the club tens of millions of pounds annually in debt repayments.

Competitions

Iran qualify for 2026 World Cup but US visas could be biggest challenge

March 26 – Iran have become the second Asian team to clinch World Cup qualification following a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan.

Football Asia

Exiled Afghan women call on FIFA to allow them to play internationally

March 26 – Ahead of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, the Afghan national team and human rights groups have called on FIFA to end the team’s exile and reinstate it in international competition.

Europe

Levski Sofia to tear down Georgi Asparuhov Stadium to make way for €100m new build

March 26 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have unveiled plans to build a new stadium, which will cost the club BGN 200 million (€100 million). The new facility, which will be built on the site of the current Georgi Asparuhov Stadium (pictured), will have a seated-capacity of 20,200.

Concacaf

More abuse in NWSL as fan ‘hate speech’ targets Barbra Banda

March 26 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is just two rounds into its new season, and with coaching and administrative issues taking up news space off the pitch, they are now having to deal with abuse in the stands investigating ‘hateful language’ directed towards, Barbra Banda.

Premier League

Newcastle players to take the bus

March 26 – After waiting 55 years, 10 months, and 1 day since lifting a major domestic trophy, Newcastle United’s long-suffering fans were eagerly awaiting their hero’s open-bus tour through the city, however the club announced there would be instead a party at Town Moor. Cue outrage and the club hastily back tracking.

Legal

Joey Barton convicted of assaulting his wife

March 26 – Joey Barton has never lived a quiet life and yesterday was found guilty of assaulting his wife.

Integrity

SIGA take Female Leadership Summit to Brazil ahead of 2027 World Cup

March 26 – Sports integrity body SIGA is to host the inaugural Latin American edition of its Summit on Female Leadership in Sport in São Paulo on May 12 at the law firm Pinheiro Neto Advogados.

Premier League

Liverpool set to lose Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid on a free transfer

March 26 – Real Madrid is considered to be the Holy Grail for any top professional footballer, which Liverpool defender, Trent Alexander-Arnold (TAA) most certainly is. Now, following in the steps of other local scouse legends Steve MacManaman and Michael Owen, TAA looks set to move to Spain.

Legal

Blatter and Platini again cleared of corruption charges in Swiss court

March 26 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were again acquitted of corruption charges on Tuesday, after Swiss prosecutors appealed a previous ruling that cleared them over a payment of two million Swiss francs in 2011.

Europe

LFP Media expands French leagues’ global footprint with CAMB.AI deal

March 25 – LFP Media has signed a multi-year agreement with CAMB.AI to enhance the international accessibility of Ligue 1 McDonald’s and Ligue 2 BKT.