May 17 – North Korea has officially pulled out of qualification for the 2022 World Cup, the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed, dashing hopes of squaring up on the field against their fierce rivals from the south.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 17 – Looking for a feelgood story amidst all the recent narrative of footballing greed and ego?
May 17 – The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) celebrated the return of its Grassroots Football Day over the weekend with more than 230,000 participants in member association activity across the region.
May 17 – FC Barcelona blew Chelsea away 4-0 to win the Women’s Champions League and become the first club to win the both the European men’s and women’s Champions League competitions.
May 17 – Global payment and technology provider Mastercard is joining the National Women’s Soccer League as an official partner in a multi-year deal.
May 17 – Chasing down an African Champions League final spot in Casablanca, Kaizer Chiefs registered an impressive 4-0 first-leg quarter-final win against Tanzania’s Simba to all but qualify for the last four. Defending champions Al Ahly from Egypt also to a step towards the semi-finals. defeating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0.
May 17 – The German Football League’s (DFL) raising of €500 million from venture capital markets will move into the next phase on Wednesday when club vote on plans that effectively move second round bidders into a final negotiation for a stake in the Bundesliga’s overseas rights.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 14 – In a move that could potentially have seismic consequences, a Spanish court has referred opposition to the ill-fated European Super League by FIFA and UEFA to the European Court of Justice.
May 14 – English fans attending the Champions League final in Porto between Manchester City and Chelsea will have to fly in and out of the country on the day of the match, the Portuguese government has insisted.
By Paul Nicholson
May 14 – With FIFA’s World Cup 2026 venue inspection team in full flow in terms of briefing, meeting and assessing potential city hosts, Baltimore on the East coast is one of 17 city hopefuls jostling for a final 10 host slot.
May 14 – Conmebol has picked Montevideo and the historic Estadio Centenario as the venue for the 2021 final of both its flagship club competitions, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sul-Americana.
May 14 – Manchester United fans renewed their protests against club owners the Glazer family, with hundreds of supporters gathering outside Old Trafford on Thursday ahead of the team’s 4-2 defeat to Liverpool, which was postponed from two weeks ago when fans stormed Old Trafford.
May 14 – Mexico will start off their Gold Cup defence with group games based in North Texas (Arlington and Dallas). The US will play their group games in Kansas while guests Qatar, grouped with Honduras, will be centralised in Houston.
May 14 – Socios.com have expanded their blockchain driven Fan Token cryptocurrency platform from clubs to national federations, with The Argentine Football Association (AFA) being the first to sign on for the launch of the national team’s Official $ARG token.
