December 18 – FIFA has apologised to the Ukrainian FA for displaying a map during the European section of the 2026 World Cup qualifying draw that excluded Russia-occupied Crimea from the country’s territory.
December 18 – Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has finally got his hands on a major global player award.
December 18 – Saudi Arabia has been dry since 1952, and we’re not talking about rain. King Ibn Saud banned alcohol that year, and the chances of football fans being allowed to drink in stadiums during World Cup 2034 are about as strong as Budweiser Zero.
December 17 – BBC Sport and ITV have renewed their deal to share live coverage of the men’s World Cup for both 2026 and 2030 editions, ensuring continued free-to-air access for football fans across the UK.
December 16 – English FA president Debbie Hewitt has defended her organisation’s backing of Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup, a decision that FIFA and its membership rubber-stamped last week.
December 16 – The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) will close out 2024 at the summit of the FIFA world rankings, reclaiming their dominance after a turbulent year. The latest update, released on Friday, confirms their position ahead of reigning World Cup champions Spain, who remain in second place.
December 16 – Mexico’s Pachuca will play Real Madrid in the final of the Intercontinental Cup after defeating Egypt’s Al Ahly in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw.
December 13 – Thomas Tuchel’s first official duty as England’s new head coach was to see his team drawn in a 2026 World Cup qualifying group with Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra today.
December 13 – Fans visiting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup will live in a “bubble” during the tournament and will not see what really goes on behind the scenes, according to a Saudi rights activist living in the UK.
December 13 – Following in the footsteps of Europe, South America will stage a standalone qualifying tournament for the Women’s World Cup, the region’s governing body Conmebol confirmed on Thursday.
December 12 – In a joint statement, 22 organisations from human rights bodies to trade unions and fan groups, have condemned FIFA’s award of 2034 World Cup hosting to Saudi Arabia saying that it “marks a moment of great danger”.
December 12 – Environmental groups and activist player David Wheeler have condemned FIFA for awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s leading polluters.
December 12 – Following the highs of a league and Libertadores double, Botafogo were stunned by Concacaf champions Pachuca 3-0 to exit the FIFA Continental Cup at the first hurdle.
December 12 – AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated Saudi Arabia on being confirmed as the host of the 2034 World Cup saying he was confident that the country would leave a lasting legacy, not just in Asia but within the wider football world.
December 11 – The formality is now reality. At a virtual meeting of FIFA member federations today and despite widespread human rights concerns, Saudi Arabia were officially granted 2034 World Cup host status by acclamation while 2030 went to six nations across three Continents in the most contentious and murky bidding process in recent history.