MSP Sports Capital prepares $3.75 billion bid for ‘not-for-sale’ Spurs
February 16 – Tottenham Hotspur’s board has indicted that it is not for sale and its owners are committed to their long-term plans for the Premier League club.
Gold Cup 2025
Honduras stun Panama with penalty shoot-out win for spot in semi-finals
June 28 – Honduras stunned a shell-shocked Panama, coming back from a goal down to force a penalty shoot-out and claim the first spot in the semi-finals. Outside the covered State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the temperature had hit 108 degrees. Inside the emotional seesaw of this game reached a similar high pitch.
Women’s World Cup Trophy to start its journey to Australia/New Zealand finals in Japan
February 16 – FIFA will start its Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour next week in Japan before arriving in Australia and New Zealand in June and touring all nine Women’s World Cup host cities before the start of the tournament on July 20.
Dominican Republic to host U20 Women’s finals as Concacaf kicks off new youth formats
February 16 – Concacaf is returning to the Dominican Republic for the finals of its Women’s U20 Championship that will qualify three teams for next year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup.
FIFA awards Saudi Arabia rights to host 2023 Club World Cup
February 15 – Days after Real Madrid claimed the 2022 Club World Cup, Saudi Arabia has landed the hosting rights to the 2023 tournament, the first major FIFA tournament to be staged in the Arab Kingdom in the Gianni Infantino era.
Infantino awarded $600k bonus on top of $3.9m salary
February 15 – FIFA’s post-World Cup bonanza is also benefitting the organisation’s most senior personnel. President Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura enjoyed bonuses in excess of $600,000 on top of their salaries and benefits.
CAS overturns former Haitian FA president Yves Jean-Bart’s life ban for sexual abuse
February 15 – Human rights bodies have reacted with stunned disbelief to the news that former Haitian FA president Yves Jean-Bart’s lifetime ban has been annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Chinese FA boss Chen Shuyuan arrested on corruption charges
February 15 – The head of the Chinese FA has been arrested on corruption charges in a massive blow to the country’s reputation and efforts to grow its international standing, including potentially launching a World Cup bid.
With fears of Russian coup growing, Moldova’s Sheriff told to play Partizan behind closed doors
February 21 – Partizan Belgrade fans have been banned from travelling to watch their side play Sheriff Tiraspol in Thursday’s Europa Conference League tie as tensions escalate in Moldova amid fears Russia may be planning a coup.
Infantino to back disgraced Le Graet and warn against interfering with FFF at Macron meeting, reports
February 15 – Gianni Infantino will plead the case of disgraced French FA president Noel Le Graet when he meets today with French president Emmanuel Macron, according to unconfirmed French media reports.
FIFA posts $7.6bn record revenue for 2019-22 cycle and promises $11bn bonanza for 2023-26
By Paul Nicholson
February 15 – FIFA has reported record‑breaking revenue $7.6 billion for the 2019‑2022 cycle and is forecasting a massive revenue increase of $4.560 million to a total of $11,000 million for the 2023-2026 cycle which culminates in the expanded 48 team World Cup hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Aston Villa owners V Sports expand club portfolio with minority stake in Portugal’s Vitória SC
February 15 – Aston Villa’s owners V Sports are set to buy a 46% stake in Portuguese club Vitória Sport Clube.
Concacaf revamps youth championships to provide more games and more competitive edge
February 14 – Concacaf is revamping its competition formats for the its men’s and women’s youth tournaments that will see a minimum 20% increase in the number of matches played. The new look competitions will start in April 2023.
Bayern take the advantage with a 1-0 win over sluggish PSG
By Samindra Kunti in Paris
February 15 – Bayern Munich Kingsley Coman’s second-half volley was enough to sink his boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain and leave the French champions on the brink of another premature Champions League exit.
SAFF accepts Russian request for U17 women’s team to play in Bangladesh finals in March
February 14 – The Russian Under-17 women’s team will participate in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship having had a request to participate accepted by the sub-regional confederation.
UEFA apologises as report lays blame for UCL final chaos on ‘lack of oversight’
February 14 – Independent UEFA-appointed investigators have found European football’s governing body mainly responsible for the security chaos at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid that put thousands of lives at risk.