By Andrew Warshaw at the Doha Goals conference in Qatar
December 11 – Britain’s Sports Minister Hugh Robertson met for the first time today with organisers of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and pronounced planned facilities as “mind-blowing”.
By Andrew Warshaw at the Doha Goals conference in Doha
December 11 – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy added his voice to the growing calls to switch the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup to the winter when he made his first public speaking appearance since May today by addressing the conference here.
By Tom Degun
December 11 – Architecture firm Populous, who created the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford, has won the contract to design the Rostov-on-Don Stadium in Russia, which is one of twelve venues that will be used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
December 11 – Senior officials from the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee (Q22) – organisers of the World Cup in 10 years’ time – have met with FIFA to update football’s world governing body on strategy and infrastructure plans.
By Tom Degun
December 10 – The magnificent new 60,000 capacity Arena Grêmio has opened in Porto Alegre in Brazil despite the fact that it was controversially overlooked for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – Blighted by an alarming crime rate, Brazil is boosting its 2014 FIFA World Cup security budget to 1.879 billion Brazilian real (£560 million/$900 million/€680 million) to make sure the event is “one of the most protected sports events in history,” the Government has announced.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – Brazilian football authorities should have kept faith with Mario Menezes instead of sacking him just 18 months out from the FIFA World Cup, according to Mário Zagallo, one of Brazil’s greatest names.
By Duncan Mackay
December 4 – A massive infrastructure project has been launched in Russia to ensure that the country is ready to host the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
December 1 – A protest march has been held against the privatisation of Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium, which is currently being redeveloped for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – Considerable work still needs to be done to bring Brazil up to speed for both next summer’s Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup, according to FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – FIFA has modified its World Cup sponsorship rules by changing the “national supporter” category to “continental supporter” – starting with the 2018 event in Russia.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – All 12 stadiums will be ready to stage the 2014 World Cup despite continuing concerns over construction delays, according to FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Marco Polo Del Nero, Brazil’s FIFA Executive Committee member, has been interrogated by police investigating financial crimes and extortion – the latest blow to the image of both football’s world governing body and the 2014 World Cup hosts.
By Duncan Mackay
November 26 – A unexploded World War Two bomb has been discovered on the site of a new stadium being built in Moscow for the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
November 26 – Fuleco is the name chosen by the Brazilian public for the controversial cartoon armadillo who will be the official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, it was announced today.