Ukraine federation to boycott FIFA Congress in Moscow in June
April 24 – In a major geo-political snub to neighbouring Russia, Ukraine’s football federation (FFU) has announced it is boycotting the FIFA Congress in Moscow in June.
FIFA drives deeper in China’s digital heartland with WeChat and manadarin microsite
April 26 – FIFA has expanded its digital media footprint in China with the launch of an official FIFA WeChat account and a microsite in Mandarin, FIFAofficial.cn, in advance of its showpiece World Cup in Russia.
Morocco scorn Infantino’s use of Samoura’s alleged ethics violations to tar 2026 bid
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Fresh suspicions that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may be behind an alleged plot to exclude Morocco from the 2026 World Cup vote have provoked a furious response from the North African underdogs as tensions escalate ahead of the ballot in June.
AFC’s Salman pledges continued support for Palestinian football and free movement
April 25 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reiterated its support for Palestinian football during a visit by AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to the country.
SIGA to host Expert Summit on Sports Betting Integrity, May 8, Oporto
April 25 – The Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) is holding an Expert Summit on Sports Betting, Integrity & Media in Oporto, Portugal, May 8.
UEFA hand Panathinaikos European ban as club’s debt crisis mounts
April 25 – Greek football, consistently in turmoil on and off the pitch, has been plunged into yet more ignominy with the country’s oldest and most revered club Panathinaikos banned from European competition for a year for failing to pay their debts, with the sanction covering the next three seasons.
Brazil’s women win Copa America live on Twitter
April 24 – Brazil’s women continued their dominance of the Copa America with their seventh win in the eighth edition of the CONMEBOL tournament. Brazil’s matches were streamed live on Twitter in a first for a national team tournament.
Arsenal plug China’s BYD Auto into global sponsorship roster
April 25 – Premier League Arsenal has signed a global partnership with Chinese firm BYD Auto for the electric car giant to become the club’s official car and bus partner.
Man left critically ill after clash between Liverpool and Roma fans
April 25 – Violence before the Liverpool-Roma Champions League semi-final clash at Anfield has left a 53-year-old male Liverpool fan in critical condition in hospital.
Infantino calls Confederation bosses to Zurich for emergency session
By Paul Nicholson
April 25 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has summoned the FIFA Bureau to Zurich at short notice to discuss issues arising from the Bogota, Colombia, FIFA Council meeting where he infamously tabled the $25 billion offer for the Club World Cup and Nations League competitions.
CAF chief tells Europe to back Morocco for 2026 and Africa will return the votes for 2030
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – With precision timing given the growing geo-political tension between FIFA and UEFA, the head of African football has urged Europe to back Morocco’s bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA’s global calendar shake-up: Who gets what for $25bn?
By Paul Nicholson
April 24 – Detail is starting to emerge on FIFA’s proposed $25 billion revamp of its global competitions structure. With FIFA Bureau members heading for Zurich for emergency meetings and FIFA saying it will call an unscheduled FIFA Council meeting before its Congress in June, FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s cards, or at least some of them, are slowly being laid out on the table.
Germany submits EURO 2024 bid book promising to ‘build bridges’ between people
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – With so much focus concentrated on the narrative over the 2026 World Cup vote, it may have been forgotten that there is another battle going on to stage the European Championship finals two years earlier.
Qatar Airways lands on Roma shirt in time for Liverpool clash
April 24 – High flying Roma, who tonight play Liverpool in the first round of the Champions League semi-final, have announced Qatar Airways will become the club’s new shirt sponsor in a three-year deal.
Juve and Napoli players wear red stripes in stand against domestic violence
April 24 – When Juventus and Napoli met in an all-important fixture at the top of Serie A last weekend, television viewers worldwide may have wondered why both sets of players had red stripes on their faces.