Unopposed Kamanga to serve third term as Zambian FA president
February 20 – Andrew Kamanga has been re-elected for a four-year term as president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) after running unopposed.
Mbappé brilliance earns Real Madrid Champions League last-16 berth
February 20 – Kylian Mbappé notched a sumptuous hattrick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 second leg win over Manchester City on Wednesday evening to secure the Spanish giants berth in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv must play four games behind closed doors for delegate attack
February 20 – The Bulgarian Football Union’s (BFU) Disciplinary Committee has ordered Lokomotiv Plovdiv to play four matches behind closed doors and to partially close their stands for one game after their ultras attacked a match delegate last weekend.
LAFC’s Giroud becomes latest high-profile sports star to have home burgled
February 20 – High-profile sports stars are increasingly targets for burglars and LAFC striker Oliver Giroud is the latest victim, as he lost approximately $500,000 worth of jewellery when his Los Angeles home was burgled earlier this month.
Inter Miami’s snow day in Kansas pushes Messi’s MLS start into primetime
February 20 – Major League Soccer (MLS) Supporter’s Shield holders, Inter Miami, were due to kick off the defence of their crown on Saturday at 2.30pm EST at their home, Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Kick-off has now been moved to 7.30pm EST to allow Lionel Messi and Co a few extra hours of recovery.
Germans shortlist an initial 11 host cities for 2029 Women’s Euros bid
February 19 – The German FA (DFB) has shortlisted 11 host cities for the country’s bid for the women’s European Championship in 2029.
Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hanover, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Rostock and Wolfsburg made the final cut. The DFB rejected applications from Hamburg, Essen and Bremen.
Mbappe pursuit of another €55m off PSG fails to win support of French federation
February 19 – Kylian Mbappe appears to have suffered another setback in his legal battle with Paris St Germain after the French Football Federation opted not to hear an appeal from the player against his former club from whom he is demanding €55 million.
FIFA starts Brazilian site visits in prep for 2027 Women’s World Cup
February 19 – With two years until the 2027 Women’s World Cup, FIFA has conducted inspections in Brazil to identify training sites and hotels for the tournament.
Everton christen Bramley-Moore Docks stadium with test event
February 19 – Everton finally opened their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Docks on Monday evening with a test event featuring 10,000 lucky Toffee fans and the U18’s of the club versus Wigan.
Brugge breeze past Europa League champions Atalanta to book last 16 UCL slot
February 19 –Club Brugge stunned Serie A’s Atalanta Bergamo 3-1 to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League 5-2 on aggregate.
Vinicius consortium buys Liga Portugal 2 side Alverca
February 19 – Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has taken his influence beyond the pitch, spearheading a consortium of Spanish and Brazilian investors to acquire Liga Portugal 2 side Alverca. The Brazilian winger now reportedly owns between 70-80% of the club’s shares, as former owner Ricardo Vicintin sells up.
US Girl’s Academy launches two tier development league for elite clubs
February 19 – Women’s and girl’s youth soccer continues to be the fastest growing sector in the sport of soccer in the United States. With many different pathways available it is sometimes confusing to know which route to take, however, today the pathway is starting to look a little clearer.
Online bookie now banned in the UK, puts a Stake down in Chilean football
Wednesday 19 – Online bookmaker Stake.com, who are the short sponsors of Everton but have been banned in the UK, have turned their attention to South America and announced a front-of-shirt sponsorship with Chilean Primera División side, Club Deportivo Ñublense.
EAFC joins with Bundesliga Common Ground global grassroots initiative, starting in Rio
February 19 – EA Sports FC and Bundesliga Common Ground have launched a global initiative to invest in grassroots football, beginning with the redevelopment of a community pitch in Rio de Janeiro.
Man Utd recruit winners off the pitch despite failing to find any on it
February 19 – Manchester United are desperately trying to rebuild on the field of play, as manager Ruben Amorim continues to struggle with results. Off it, newly appointed CEO Omar Berrada and just announced Chief Business Officer Marc Armstrong will be expected to drive the already powerful commercial machine even harder.