Iranian sports minister says UK tried to get Iranian team to defect in Qatar
January 4 – Iranian authorities have accused the United Kingdom of plotting for the Iran team to defect on the pitch during the World Cup in Qatar.
Gold Cup 2025
Mexico open defence with a win but Dominican Republic push them to the last minute
Mexico 3 Dominican Republic 2
June 14 – In a city that saw tens of thousands on the street during the day protesting the mass deportations of immigrants by Donald Trump’s administration, the Gold Cup kicked off in an eery atmosphere of uncertainty at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Saints enter sports tech dev business with ‘Future of Football’ challenge
January 4 – Premier League Southampton have entered the sports tech development scene with a challenge to developers and companies to come up with the next big idea in either the football development or fan engagement space.
Salty thoughts, infant style
With the Qatar 2022 World Cup gone, with Pelé having succumbed to colon cancer (“every country should now have a Pelé stadium”, GI Joe said), with Argentina having won the Cup, with (North) African football having put its foot down, with Asian football proving what Salman’s predecessor said was right when he claimed that the future was Asia…
Ronaldo says Europe is over for him as he starts new Arabian adventure
January 4 – Cristiano Ronaldo says his “work is done” in Europe at the age of 37 and that he is relishing a new challenge on and off the pitch after being unveiled by leading Saudi club Al Nassr.
NFT-driven Sorare extends Eredivisie deal for three years
January 4 – The Netherlands’ Eredivisie has extended its partnership with fantasy game operator Sorare until 2025.
Berhalter forced to face his past as US Soccer plots future path
January 4 – USA men’s coach Gregg Berhalter, whose contract ended at the end of year, was threatened by a blackmailer at the Qatar 2022 over an incident in 1991, when he was 18 years old.
Japanese legend Honda steps down from Cambodia’s senior team but continues with U22s
January 4 – Former Japan international Keisuke Honda will no longer serve as general manager of Cambodia’s national team after the Southeast Asian Games in May, the country’s football federation has announced.
Thousands mourn Pelé at Vila Belmiro before he begins his final journey
By Samindra Kunti in Santos, Brazil
January 3 – From former legends to a supreme court justice, Brazilians mourned the passing of Pele on Monday at the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where he exploded into life and became the greatest player of all time. Today, Pele’s final journey will include a cortege through the city before a private burial.
Man Utd adds Doo Group as online trading partner
January 3 – Manchester United have agreed a multi-year global partnership with Singapore-headquartered online financial trading platform, Doo Group.
The Three versus The Six: how politics brought Charlton and Beckenbauer back to Wembley 50 years ago
By David Owen
January 3 – Today marks the 50th anniversary of a very odd football match at Wembley Stadium.
LaLiga counters Vinícius accusation that it is soft on racism and files charges at court
January 3 – Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has accused LaLiga of continuing to do nothing about racist abuse from fans after he was targeted by Real Valladolid fans last Friday.
Russians opt to rebuild European bridges rather than apply for AFC membership
January 3 – Russian football bosses have decided not to quit UEFA, shelving a plan to try instead to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to enable its clubs and national teams to resume playing.
Tunisia keep faith in Kadri for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
January 3 – Tunisia have extended the contract of coach Jalel Kadri (pictured) for a year despite the Carthage Eagles’ group-stage exit from the World Cup in Qatar.
Israeli shooting of Palestinian player is a brutal return to reality after Qatar 2022 FIFA-fest
By Paul Nicholson
January 2 – The shooting of footballer Ahmed Atef Draghameh before Christmas has prompted the Palestinian FA (PFA) to call for football’s governing bodies to look at Israel’s “racist policies” and “constant violations” of international sport conventions.
Ronaldo lands in Riyadh for official presentation to Al Nassr fans tomorrow
January 2 – Cristiano Ronaldo will be officially unveiled to Al Nassr fans at their home stadium, Msrool Park, in Riyadh tomorrow (Jan 3).