USA 2 Costa Rica 2 (USA win 4-3 on pens)
June 29 – You’d hate to use the word ‘sterile’ to describe a Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final, but following the drama and passion of Guatemala versus Canada, it all felt a little flat as the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and Costa Rica kicked off for the right to face Guatemala in St. Louis. After 90 minutes and the drama of penalty kicks,
June 19 – The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has launched training programs for beach soccer coaches and referees under its REACH Initiative, aimed at getting the ball rolling in all corners of the country which is now preparing for its first ever beach soccer tournament.
June 20 – Online Malta-based bookmaker Soft2Bet has agreed a two-year deal with Denmark’s Divisionsforeningenin to sponsor the second, third and fourth tiers Danish football.
June 20 – The AFC has concluded its three-day Coach Education Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it’s 5thedition, that covered a range of topics aimed at advancing coach education programmes across the confederation.
Titled ‘Shaping the Future of Coach Education’, AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh’s keynote address focussed on developing ‘Tomorrow’s Coaches’.
USA 1 Saudi Arabia 0
June 19 – American comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to say, “I don’t get no respect.” The same could be said for the United States Men’s Soccer Team as barely 10,000 fans showed up for a supporter friendly 8.15pm kickoff versus Concacaf Gold Cup, Group D opponents, Saudi Arabia in a 1-0 win that again raised more questions than answers.
Haiti 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1
June 19 – Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago delivered 90 minutes of full-blooded football on a steaming hot, late afternoon in Houston at the Shell Energy Stadium battling to a draw that keeps them both in with a chance of making it into the knockout round.
June 19 – The Premier League has warned fans to brace for short-notice fixture changes next season, as a record nine English clubs compete in UEFA competitions during the 2025/26 campaig, increasing pressure on an already congested calendar.
June 19 – The latest report from the CIES Football Observatory highlights the growing dominance of a select few major sports agencies in European football, with the top firms now representing player assets worth billions of euros across the big five leagues.
June 19 – Chelsea and Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk is facing a potential four-year suspension after being formally charged by the Football Association for a doping violation.
By Samindra Kunti in Philadephia, USA
June 19 – Countering a major international backlash, FIFA played anti-racism messages at Wednesday’s Club World Cup matches to mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
June 19 – The Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) has signed a cooperation agreement with the online platform Scouty.bg. The web-based forum enables players to create professional profiles, showcasing their skills, sharing matches, and displaying various performance statistics and achievements.
June 19 – Just when you thought the Glazers couldn’t find new ways to squeeze every last penny out of Manchester United’s supporters, along comes a substantial increase in ticket prices for high-profile fixtures.
June 19 – Atlético Madrid have pitched up in the City of Angels with “Casa Atleti,” a multi-day brand circus that’s part retail therapy, part fan festival, and cleverly designed to separate Americans from their hard-earned dollars while competing in the FIFA Club World Cup.
June 19 – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have once again mixed football, fashion, and music. The French giants have teamed up with singing superstar The Weeknd and his XO brand, this time with a glitzy “Beyond Limits. Beyond Borders” campaign that’s got the City of Angels, Los Angeles written all over it.
June 18 – In the most surreal moments of the Club World Cup to date (and there have been a few), FIFA President Gianni Infantino paraded players and management from the Juventus team at the White House while US President Donald Trump was in the midst of a press briefing where he was answering questions about whether the US would be engaging militarily in the Israel/Iran conflict.
June 18 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has launched its Sport Transparency Index, a benchmarking tool to assess transparency and good governance across the European Sport ecosystem.
The Index focuses on European Sport Stakeholders, from professional clubs to leagues, national federations and international governing bodies. In its first iteration the Index ranks almost 650 organisations, predominantly from Germany, Italy, France and Spain.