April 17 – A new leadership cycle is underway at the Malian Football Federation, with Mahazou Cissé elected president following an extraordinary general assembly held on Thursday.
April 17 – Lionel Messi has taken his first formal step into club ownership, acquiring 100% of Catalan side UE Cornellà who play in Spain’s fifth-tier.
April 17 – Japan’s Vissel Kobe were the first to book their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Qatar’s Al Sadd after the game ended a 3-3 draw.
April 17 – Serie A is the first to headline the Team of the Season rollout in EA Sports FC 26, with Inter’s title charge reflected heavily in the final XI to be released at 6pm BST on Friday.
April 17 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) wants a piece of every boot and glove on the pitch. A new “exposure agreement” would force players with non-partner boot deals to cover the logos during matches, or pay fines that escalate to $32,000 per violation by the ninth offense.
April 17 – The Spanish FA (RFEF) and La Liga will introduce referee-mounted cameras to Spanish football for the first time at this weekend’s Copa del Rey final between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad at La Cartuja Stadium.
April 17 – FC Barcelona has filed a second complaint to UEFA over the refereeing in their Champions League quarter-final exit to La Liga rivals, Atlético Madrid. Atléti won the tie 3-2 on aggregate and now face Arsenal in the semi-final.
April 17 – Chelsea supporters have had enough. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) has gone on the record with a letter of complaint to the club, and the language is typical for frustrated supporters.
April 17 – Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks says this summer’s World Cup will be the biggest event in the network’s history. He also confirmed Fox has landed the highly colourful Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a broadcaster, and tucked inside the announcement is a line that should have Alexi Lalas looking over his shoulder.
April 16 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reiterated that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada despite a U.S.-led war against the country.
April 16 – New Zealand have qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup after defeating Papua New Guinea 1-0 in the final of the Oceania Confederation Qualifying Series.
April 16 – Chelsea have extended their partnership with BingX in a deal that will see the crypto platform remain as an Official Principal Partner of the west London club through the 2026/27 season.
April 16 – Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) are facing legal action from Miami-based promoter VID Music Group, alleging fraud and breach of contract linked to two Argentina friendlies staged in October last year according to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports.
April 16 – The San Marino Football Federation (FSGC) has taken a long-awaited step into the women’s game, formally launching its first senior national team – a move that marks a shift from development phase to international ambition.
April 16 – Lamine Yamal is once again setting the benchmark for football’s next generation, topping the latest CIES Football Observatory rankings of the best-performing U23 outfield players – at just 18 years old.