Telstra and Aussie FA sign 5-year digital deal
May 11 – Telstra and Football Federation Australia (FFA) have signed a five-year digital rights and sponsorship agreement, with Telstra securing the live mobile rights for football until 2023.
Gold Cup 2025
Houston we don’t have a problem. Gold Cup delivers a Central American football feast
Honduras 2 – El Salvador 0
June 21 – A piece of Central America proudly and unashamedly parked itself in Space City tonight. The Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has frequently staged Gold Cup nights of passion and community. This Saturday is was extra special.
US dismiss Morocco calls for its territories to be pulled from FIFA’s 2026 vote
May 11 – Morocco’s rivals to stage the 2026 World Cup have defended the right of four US-governed territories to take part in next month’s vote after the north Africans complained in writing to FIFA about a potential conflict of interest.
Wenger warning for top Euro leagues, saying big club Super League is inevitable
May 11 – Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the introduction of a European super league, resisted for years by football’s authorities, is “inevitable” and says Premier League matches will ultimately be moved to midweek.
New CIES study reveals global flows of football talent
May 11 – A report by the CIES Football Observatory provides insights into the global flows of football expatriates, revealing that the labour market of footballers is increasingly internationalised with player flow between countries still on the increase.
Morocco call for four US territories to be pulled from 2026 vote
By Andrew Warshaw
May 10 – The new voting process to select the 2026 World Cup hosts has led to yet more claims of unfair tactics by underdogs Morocco who have requested FIFA exclude four United States-governed territories from the ballot in June.
SIGA Expert Summit: Anti-matchfixers call for criminal regulation to fight tsumani of fixers
By Paul Nicholson
May 10 – The battle against betting related match-fixing needs to be stepped up with stronger regulation and real co-operation between the anti-matchfixing stakeholders, was the overriding message from the first SIGA Expert Summit on Sports Betting, Integrity and Media that closed in Porto, Portugal, this week.
Transfer costs: Man City top Barca by €7.6m in Euro ranking of average player values
May 10 – With the summer transfer window merry-go-round already starting its first revolutions, the CIES Football Observatory has produced a report on the average transfer values of Big 5 league squads.
Jordaan says SAFA exco will mandate which way the 2026 World Cup vote goes
May 10 – South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has been forced to diplomatically backtrack over a previous pledge that his federation would be voting for Morocco to stage the 2026 World Cup.
Russian Cup launch gives gamers chance to qualify for FIFA eWorld Cup 2018
May 10 – Russia will have its own round of the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series with VY Esports having struck a deal to for the Russian Interactive Football Cup to become an official qualifying competition.
Swedish fans chip in with tactical tips on Andersson’s walk to work
May 10 – At last, a FIFA World Cup story that is not about corruption. Sweden’s football fans are being given the opportunity to help national team manager Janne Andersson with his tactics for Russia 2018.
FIFA cuts comms lines, scrapping daily 2018 World Cup briefings
May 10 – In a move that seems likely to be regarded in some circles as a protectionist measure to avoid negative publicity, FIFA has scrapped its daily media briefings at next month’s World Cup, with a need-to-know policy installed instead.
FIFA refereeing boss Busacca says VAR will ‘not be an experiment’ in Russia
May 10 – Following an almost incessant spate of controversial incidents using VARs in countries where it has been experimented with, FIFA’s Director of Refereeing has shrugged off concerns about the system being a success at the World Cup.
World Leagues Forum adds voice to criticisms of Infantino’s global calendar cash grab
May 9 – FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino is facing mounting opposition to his plan for a revamping of the global football calendar with an expanded Club World Cup and the addition of a Global Nations League. The latest body to speak out against is the World Leagues Forum (WLF).
Blatter says 2026 bid evaluation Task Force has too much power
May 9 – Sepp Blatter, who continues to speak out about the way FIFA has been operating since he was forced to step down before being banned from the game, has urged his old organisation to allow Morocco to take part in the 2026 World Cup ballot.
QNET take Man City Women’s sleeve in WSL first
May 9 – Manchester City Women have become the first team in the Women’s Super League to sign a sleeve sponsor with Asian firm QNET taking the branding position and becoming the official direct selling partner of the women’s team.