By Paul Nicholson
February 7 – Russia has increased its government spending on the 2018 World Cup by 19.1 billion rubles ($325 million) according to documents published on a government website. Total spend on the World Cup is now going to hit $10.8 billion.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 2 – With his country under global scrutiny because of the ongoing doping scandal, Alexei Sorokin, the public face of the 2018 World Cup, has come out fighting and taken a swipe at Russia’s mounting number of critics.
January 20 – A British worker has lost his life working on Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar which will host the group matches and a quarter final at the 2022 World Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – The Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO) statement calling for a ban on all Russian participation and hosting of international sporting events – which would include the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup – has been described as “strange” and “beyond the scope of their activities” by Russian minister of sport Pavel Kolobkov (pictured).
By Andrew Warshaw
January 5 – Russia’s staging of the 2018 World Cup has been placed under fresh scrutiny following reports that a Moscow-based non-governmental think tank specialising in monitoring racism and extremism has been blacklisted by the authorities.
December 13 – Qatari authorities say they have finally abolished the antiquated ‘kafala’ system tying foreign workers to their employers and which has caused so much conflict amid preparations for the 2022 World Cup.
Let’s be clear: the McLaren Investigation Report, the second part of which was unveiled in London last week, poses no threat to Russia’s World Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
November 30 – Qatar’s showpiece Lusail Stadium for the 2022 World Cup will be built as a Qatar-China joint venture between the China Railway Construction Corp. Ltd. and Qatari contractor HBK Contracting Co. The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2020 and will host the opening match and World Cup Final in 2022.
November 16 – Widely criticised over the treatment of migrant workers employed on construction sites, organisers of the World 2022 in Qatar have given the green light for its stadiums to be inspected by officials of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a global federation of some 300 trade unions in the building industry that has a combined membership of more than 12 million workers.
By Samindra Kunti
November 15 – The Arena Corinthians, the World Cup showcase stadium in Sao Paulo that became the home of reigning Brazilian champions Corinthians, is facing severe structural damage due to a massive water leak beneath the facility. The condition may threaten the sustainable use of the venue and again questions the legacy of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
November 11 – Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election has provided an “added layer” to today’s eagerly awaited World Cup qualifier between the US against Mexico, according to US captain Michael Bradley.
By Samindra Kunti
November 11 – Neymar and Phillipe Coutinho starred in Brazil’s comprehensive 3-0 win against Argentina in Belo Horizonte. The result leaves Argentina in danger of missing out on Russia 2018.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – The chief organiser of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has dismissed any suggestion of the Gulf state being stripped of host status by saying it is a “done deal.”
November 9 – Israel has warned fans not to attend the upcoming World Cup qualifier in Albania even though the match has been relocated to a different part of the country because of a planned Islamic State terrorist attack.
November 8 – Qatar is putting sustainability at the top of its stadium development agenda for the 2022 World Cup and FIFA has endorsed the use of Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) to make sure that happens.