June 9 – Football must do more to protect players against “dangerous levels” of fixture congestion exemplified by having the Qatar World Cup slap bang in the middle of the season, according to the international players union.
June 9 – Next month’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is on track to become the most attended standalone women’s sporting event ever with more than one million tickets sold.
By Samindra Kunti in Istanbul
June 9 – Chasing a treble, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be favourites in the Champions League final against Inter Milan after a stellar season, a win representing the apotheosis of Abu Dhabi’s investment in the game and sports-washing project.
June 9 – Italy and Uruguay will each be bidding for a first Under-20 World Cup title when the countries square off in the final on Sunday.
June 9 – There might have been no change at the top of the Women’s World Ranking, but lower down the list Bhutan are climbing the mountain.
June 9 – Manchester City have won it all under manager Pep Guardiola. But the Champions League is the one thing eluding them, and the Spaniard, during his stay in the Etihad. They’ve gone close but never managed to secure the trophy. However, many are now suggesting they’re finally ready to take the next step, and you can see why this could be the case.
June 9 – Turkish media tycoon Acun Ilicali (pictured), owner of Hull City in the English Championship, bought a majority shareholding in Shelbourne FC, one of the oldest clubs in the Irish Premier League.
June 9 – Welcomed with their money, but not with their product at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, AB InBev has nevertheless thrown the dice again with FIFA as official beer sponsor of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and FIFA World Cup 2026.
June 9 – Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv Plovdiv has extended its deal with main sponsor WINBET for a further three years. The bookmaker has been the club’s principal partner since 2021.
June 9 – The Vietnamese K+ platform, a joint venture between Canal+ Group and national broadcaster VTV, has signed a deal to become the exclusive media rights holder of all AFC competitions in Vietnam for the 2025-2028 cycle.
June 9 – Highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion in European football, UEFA has launched the FootbALL programme which is designed to help drive positive social change.
How they qualified
The Dutch topped Group 4 in the A-League with sixteen points, outplaying neighbours Belgium as well as World Cup finalists Wales and Poland. Oranje showcased their dominance with a commanding 4-1 victory over Belgium, revealing the vulnerabilities of the Red Devils, who subsequently struggled in the World Cup. However, they laboured to a 1-1 draw against Poland, but, ultimately, the Dutch secured their place in the Final Four with a 1-0 triumph over Belgium in Amsterdam.
June 8 – In a move that took much of the football world by surprise, Lionel Messi has turned his back on Saudi Arabia and is instead heading to the MLS and Inter Miami.
June 8 – Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign England midfielder Jude Bellingham for €103 million.
June 8 – Despite being outplayed for most of the game, West Ham United ended a 58-year wait for a European trophy after Jarrod Bowen scored in the 90th minute to secure a 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday in the Europa Conference League final.