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 8.15 pm kickoff versus Concacaf Gold Cup, Group D opponents, Saudi Arabia in a 1-0 win that again raised more questions than answers.
January 29 – Dimitris Papastergiou, Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance, has described the introduction of electronic tickets for football matches in the country as a huge success.
January 29 – With the World Cup officially only 500 days away, Local Organising Committees are shifting gears with the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 (SeattleFWC26) leading the way by unveiling a World Cup Small Business Initiative.
January 29 – Football clubs and their kits are big business, however the fans rarely have an input into what these kits look like. Manchester City and their kit provider, German sportswear giant, Puma, have turned that concept around by announcing a ‘fan vote’ to decide the club’s official 2026/27 Third kit.
January 28 – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has unveiled a three-year partnership with Unilever’s Rexona, marking the first-ever official sponsorship of the Kingdom’s women’s national football programme.
January 28 – Nqobile Magwizi has been elected as the new Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) President after a landslide victory, and now faces the task of stabilising an association that has been dogged by internal wrangling.
January 28 – The widow of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi has urged FIFA to commemorate her late husband at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
January 28 – In a new low, FIFA has rejected a request by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Africa to monitor the conditions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, the hosts of the 2034 World Cup.
January 28 – In a move aimed at boosting transparency and fan engagement, the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga will trial public referee announcements during Matchday 20.
January 28 – A revised fiscal outlook and a stock market tumble suggest EA Sports might be losing its once-firm grasp on the billion-dollar football gaming industry.
January 28 – Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has extended his contract until 2028 after leading the team to last year’s European Championship title.
January 28 – Defending African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Ivory Coast have been drawn against fellow tournament heavyweights Cameroon in the group stages of the 2025 iteration of the competition.
January 28 – Former English Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay and revealed that struggling to hide his sexuality contributed to the offensive rant about Jurgen Klopp that led to his dismissal.
January 28 – Speaking at SIGA’s financial integrity forum (FITS) in Lisbon, Portugal, Richard Weber, the former director of the US’s IRSCI (Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation) agency that broke the case that led to the US indictments in 2015 of eventually more than 40 FIFA officials and associates, said that the investigation “is continuing today”.
January 28 – Serie A champion, and former Belgian international, Radja Nainggolan has been arrested as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking into Europe from South America.
January 28 – The cancellation of injury-prone Neymar’s contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal could ease the path to a return to Santos in Brazil where he started his career. Rumours are that he could return as both a player and investor.