Saudi Arabia 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1
June 22 – Saudi Arabia lived dangerously at the end of their final group encounter against Trinidad and Tobago at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to secure a spot in the quarter finals. Having dominated possession for most of the game, Trinidad came to life in the final 15 minutes but failed to put away a succession of chances.
May 30 – The Qatar-based beIN Media Group, the biggest sports broadcaster in the region, has urged FIFA to take legal action against what it called pirate broadcasters in Saudi Arabia ahead of the World Cup.
May 30 – West Ham United have been catapulted straight into the top division of the restructured Women’s Super League in England, while Manchester United have been awarded a license for the second tier Women’s Championship for their newly formed team.
May 30 – Maltese-based bookmaker ManBetX has become LaLiga’s official betting partner for Asia in a multi-million Euro three-year deal that will begin with the new season this September.
May 30 – The chief executive of the English Football Association says the potential sale of the national stadium at Wembley will not be a “betrayal” but makes sound economic sense.
May 30 – FC Cincinnati, founded only in 2016 but playing before average 24,500 crowds in the second tier USL this season, is the newest recruit to the MLS and will start play in the 2019 season.
May 30 – England players have discussed the prospect of racism during the World Cup amid concerns that Russian fans might target its black players.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – As tension mounts ahead of the eagerly awaited technical inspection report that will determine whether 2026 World Cup candidates Morocco can join the heavyweight North American bid on the ballot paper next month, both contenders have been summoned to FIFA for final talks with members of the evaluation team.
May 29 – The rollercoaster that has been Danny Jordaan’s life in football was given another five-year ride over the weekend as he was elected unopposed as South African Football Association (SAFA) president, taking him through to 2022.
May 29 – A tub-thumping Michel Platini has vowed to return to football after Swiss prosecutors said no evidence has been found “so far” in their investigation into possible financial wrongdoing.
May 29 – Just as he did at the FIFA presidential election two years ago, Liberia’s maverick, controversial and still-in-place federation president Musa Bility is breaking Africanranks and will vote for the joint North American bid for the 2026 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – One month after the British government delayed renewing his visa amid increasing diplomatic tension between London and Moscow, Chelsea’s billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich no longer needs one to visit the UK after managing to quickly become an Israeli citizen.
May 29 – Jose Hawilla (pictured), the ‘Mr Big’ in the football corruption cases brought by the US Department of Justice and who co-operated to bring down a cabal of crooked football administrators, has died in a Sao Paulo hospital aged 74.
May 29 – Being arguably the most powerful woman in sport and certainly in football has not stopped FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura encountering prejudice.
May 29 – The Chinese are ramping up their engagement with the World Cup with Bull, a Chinese electrical devices provider, agreeing a deal with Tencent, for a series of eSports events and marketing campaigns throughout the country during the Russian tournament.
By Samindra Kunti in Kiev
May 29 – Substitute Gareth Bale scored twice for Real Madrid to win the Champions League 3-1 win against much-fancied underdogs Liverpool. Mohamed Salah dislocated his shoulder and Loris Karius was the anti-hero, conceding two astounding goals that led Madrid to glory. Madrid’s win was historic in collecting a 13th European Cup. The victory may also have signified the end of an era.