March 21 – With goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo in a 2-0 victory against Bahrain, Japan became the first country to qualify for the enlarged 48-team 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
March 21 – Chelsea’s strategy of locking down their players on long-term contracts is paying off in terms of squad stability, but it might come back to bite them as their financial commitments continue to grow. According to the latest study from CIES Football Observatory, a staggering 91.8% of Chelsea’s current squad is contracted until at least 2026, securing their place at the top of the table for ‘minutes secured’ across 37 global leagues.
March 21 – Dutch club Ado Den Haag have confirmed that the proposed acquisition by businessman John Lageman has been called off.
March 21 – Marriott Bonvoy has been unveiled as the latest heavyweight partner of Hong Kong’s soon-to-be-opened Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), in a multi-year deal that positions the global hotel group at the heart of Asia’s newest sports and entertainment hub.
March 21 – Canada have announced they are hosting a four-team friendly tournament this June at Toronto’s BMO Field. Played as two doubleheaders on June 7 and June 10, matches will complete four days before the Gold Cup kicks off.
March 21 – With a goal in the fourth minute of added time Panama derailed the USA’s expectations of a ‘fourpeat’ Nations league win with a goal by supersub Cecilio Waterman in the fourth minute of added time.
March 21 – Concacaf has inked a multi-year deal with Sports AI and data heavyweight Stats Perform, as the confederation looks to capitalise on the soaring value of sports data and betting content to grow its bottom line.
March 20 – New Zealand will be sky-high favourites to clinch Oceania’s 2026 World Cup ticket, but in the final round of qualifiers other contenders can secure a playoff berth.
March 20 – In a bizarre proposal, the Canadian host city of Toronto is considering spending $10.7million on hospitality tickets for the 2026 World Cup with the aim of reselling them at higher prices.
March 20 – UEFA has come down hard on NK Olimpija Ljubljana and RSC Anderlecht in the wake of a collection of serious fan misconduct incidents in recent European fixtures.
March 20 – Dutch authorities have convicted four more men for their part in November’s violence against Israeli fans that sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.
March 20 – European Club Association (ECA) has concluded its first Executive Committee and Board Meetings of the year and reinforced its commitment to strengthening ties with key European Union (EU) institutions.
March 20 – Atalanta BC are aiming to convert their recent on-field success into commercial growth, partnering with sports technology firm Deltatre to deliver a complete overhaul of their digital infrastructure.
March 20 – Scottish Premiership side Rangers have condemned fans who held up a giant “anti-woke” banner during a recent UEFA Europa League (UEL) tie and admit they now face significant sanctions from UEFA.
March 20 – UEFA and Carlsberg have announced a long-term partnership, making Carlsberg the official beer partner of European football’s governing body.