Mexico dominate USA to retain their Gold Cup title
Mexico 2 USA 1
July 6 – In front of a sold-out crowd of 70,925 in the NRG Stadium in Houston, Mexico beat the USA 2-1 to win the 2025 Gold Cup.
Women's Euro 2025
Swiss bring the party, Walti and co secure the points
July 7 – Indescribable pressure. That’s how captain Lia Walti has described the environment around the host nation at Euro 2025 even following an alleviating 1-0 victory against Iceland, Switzerland’s first win of the tournament.
Other Stories
Serial non-payers Macclesfield made to pay with points deduction and relegation
August 13 – Macclesfield Town have been relegated from League 2 after the English Football League (EFL) won an appeal against a points deduction that in turn triggered a further points penalty. As a result of the ruling, Stevenage will retain their League Two status.
Real Betis secure two-year record deal with Betway, if regulators allow
August 12 – With doubts still remaining over whether LaLiga clubs will be able to take shirt sponsorship from betting brands, Betway has announced a new agreement with Real Betis, a record for the club.
Barca’s positive Covid test will not derail Champions League date with Bayern
August 12 – FC Barcelona have confirmed a positive coronavirus test ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, but the club said the respective player has not had contact with any of the squad members that will travel to Lisbon.
Analysis: Overdrive or overkill? Roadkill looks a certainty on FIFA’s panicked highway
By Andrew Warshaw
August 11 – A strongly worded press release in Q and A format; a hastily arranged virtual press conference denouncing the Swiss judicial authorities; an attack on the reform process under the previous regime; letters fired off to every national association and every member of the all-powerful FIFA Council; and, if rumours are to be believed, the hiring of at least three (no doubt expensive) external specialist lawyers to help fight the case.
Bundesliga’s plan to return fans to stadia is torpedoed by health authorities
August 11 – Bundesliga clubs have had their hopes dashed by local authorities of allowing fans back into stadiums in time for the new league season that kicks off September 18.
Jack isn’t back. Warner loses election to regain a parliamentary seat
August 11 – Former Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner’s attempted re-entry into public life in Trinidad and Tobago has ended as fast as it begun after he failed to win election as a member of parliament in the country’s just completed elections.
Player wages: Barca average $12.28m, Man City $9.15m, Liverpool $7.25m
August 11 – Barcelona pay their players an $12.28 million annually, more than any other club in the world. That is more than a million more than Real Madrid (the world’s second highest payers) at $11.5 million.
Leeds United go all-in with SBOTOP betting brand’s record £6m shirt sponsorship
August 11 – Newly promoted Leeds United, back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence, have unveiled online betting brand SBOTOP as the club’s new shirt sponsor.
2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia shortlist England’s Neville for head coach
August 11 – Phil Neville has been shortlisted for the role of head coach of Australia Women. In June, the English FA announced that his contract with England would not be extended.
Boris joins Toon Army questioning PL over the colour of Saudi money
August 11 – It isn’t every day that the prime minister of a country gets involved in a specific club take-over, but Boris Johnson has called on the English Premier League to explain why it neither approved nor rejected the recently failed Newcastle United deal.
AC Milan Women open new account with Banco BPM
August 11 – AC Milan Women, who are ploughing their own sponsorship furrow separate to their men’s team, have announced Italian bank Banco BPM as their new shirt sponsor.
Infantino and FIFA executive scramble to build a wall of Member Association support
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – It has been a busy few days of letter sending by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino who have scrambled to inform FA presidents their version of the circumstances surrounding the criminal investigation into Infantino’s meetings with the Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Portuguese grant whistleblower Pinto more freedom as he co-operates with law
August 10 – Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower whose string of incriminating revelations shook the footballing world before he was controversially extradited from Hungary to his native Portugal, has been freed from house arrest while remaining under judicial control.
Bell hits wrong notes as Pieth turns focus back on ‘bizarre’ claims and a ‘panicked’ FIFA
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – FIFA’s newly hired external PR teams went into overdrive at the weekend with a stunning assault, led by FIFA’s new-found media luvvie Alasdair Bell, the organisation’s deputy general secretary, on the FIFA reform process led Basel criminal law professor Mark Pieth (pictured) as being a useless waste of money.
Atletico land in Lisbon with two players testing positive for Covid-19
August 8 – Atletico Madrid, due to play in the Champions League quarterfinals this week, have confirmed two positive cases of coronavirus from testing carried out on Saturday.