Man City’s Rodri tops ranking of world’s best passers
October 19 – Manchester City star Rodri heads a ranking of the 100 ‘best distributors’ in world football, according to the latest data from the CIES Football Observatory.
Lekjaa, Rocha and Gomez confirm their 2030 World Cup bid is following the program
October 19 – The three presidents of the Morocco, Portugal and Spain federations meeting in Lisbon and Madrid this week, have confirmed that they will submit their official letter of interest to joint host the 2030 World Cup on October 28.
Jamaica vs Canada and Panama vs Costa Rica headline CNL quarter finals in November
October 19 – The Concacaf Nations League quarter final match-ups have thrown up two intriguing ties with Jamaica facing Canada and Panama meeting Costa Rica in what look set to be defining moments for all four nations.
£129m Neymar facing surgery and four months out of action
October 19 – Neymar’s rollercoaster season on and off the pitch has taken another damaging hit after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee while on international duty.
AFC elects new judiciary for 2023 to 2027 term
October 19 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has elected members of its judicial bodies for the 2023 to 2027 term at an Extraordinary Congress held virtually yesterday.
Indonesia pull out of WC 2034 bidding, leaving Aussies out in the cold and another winter World Cup on the cards
October 18 – A week after disclosing they were having talks with Australia about a bid to co-host the 2034 World Cup, the Indonesia FA (PSSI) has backtracked and said the federation is now backing Saudi Arabia, a decision that leaves the 2034 finals within the Arab Kingdom’s touching distance.
Pakistan make history with qualification to first group stage of AFC 2026 World Cup qualifiers
October 18 – Pakistan claimed their first-ever World Cup qualification success with a 1-0 victory against Cambodia to progress to the second round of the AFC 2026 World Cup qualification process.
Euro 2024: England qualify, Italy left with work to do, Hungary stumble
October 18 – With two games to spare, England qualified for a major tournament for the eighth successive time as they reached Euro 24 after defeating Italy 3-1 at Wembley on Tuesday, avenging their heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat at the same venue in the delayed 2020 final.
Israel-Hamas social media battle: Mainz 05 suspend El Ghazi, Bayern call in Mazraoui
October 18 – Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi (pictured) is the latest top-flight player to be sanctioned for comments on social media in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Gambling addicted Juve midfielder Nicolo Fagioli banned for seven months
October 18 – Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli has been banned for seven months by the Italian football federation (FIGC) for breaching betting rules, the latest high-profile Italian player to hit the headlines in recent days for the wrong reasons.
French broadcasters turned off by LFP’s rights pricing
October 18 – France’s Professional Football League (LFP) announced Tuesday that it had not received offers meeting the reserve prices for its domestic broadcast rights packages covering the 2024-2029 period.
Turkey’s major clubs call for ceasefire after horrific bombing of Gaza hospital
October 18 – Turkey’s biggest clubs Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Trabzonspor have strongly condemned the bomb attack on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip last night and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Carabao renew EFL Cup title sponsorship for further three seasons
October 18 – Carabao has extended its partnership with the EFL Cup in a deal that will see the energy drink provider remain the main title sponsor of England’s second cup competition until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Zimbabwe women’s coach charged with sexual assault
October 18 – The coach of Zimbabwe’s women’s team is due to appear in court today after being charged with sexual assault.
Saudi investor joins ranks of foreign owners taking stakes in Belgian amateur clubs
October 18 – Belgian amateur club KFC Diest have partnered with Saudi investor Fahad Al-Medlej, who previously chaired second-division club Al-Faisaly.