December 18 – In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, European lawmakers have expressed “grave concern” over the hosting of the 2034 World Cup by Saudi Arabia.
December 18 – The European Super League (ESL) is dead in name only. It’s backer, A22 Sports Management, has proposed an alternative league hierarchy compromising 95 clubs across four leagues.
December 18 – Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed that he wants to run for the presidency of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) with a programme that will restore the prestige of the country’s game.
December 18 – In a further decentralisation of the organisation, FIFA have announced that the world governing body will be opening an office in Rabat, Morocco.
December 18 – The expanded FIFA Club World Cup has already drawn widespread criticism for cramming more fixtures into an already congested football calendar. But if the backlash over its scheduling wasn’t enough, the recently revealed ticket prices for the tournament could escalate the controversy to new heights.
December 18 – UEFA has begun the first stage of a tender for exclusive hospitality sales, marketing and production rights for UEFA EURO 2028, publishing a Request for Information (RFI) to hospitality companies worldwide.
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 18 – The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga is making Bundesliga live content more accessible in select international markets by expanding its ‘Bundesliga Pass’ OTT service with OneFootball to Vietnam and South Africa.
December 18 – Tottenham Hotspur continues to remain ‘Spursy’ on the pitch, however, when it comes to marketing and partnerships, the North London club roar. In a new deal, the club has announced that Tiger Beer will be its ‘Official International Beer Partner’ in an effort to capitalise on the team’s growing presence in Asia.
December 18 – In the United States, the pinnacle for collegiate athletes is winning a National Collegiate Athlete Association (NCAA) title, and on Monday in a thrilling overtime classic, unseeded Vermont (15-2-6) won its first men’s soccer NCAA championship in programme history beating Marshall University (15-1-7).
December 18 – Sloboda Tuzla, a club from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Premier League, has fired all of its coaches and players following a string of poor results. The news was delivered by club president Azmir Husić (pictured) after the team’s final match of the year.
December 18 – Tottenham Hotspur have lost their appeal against the severity of Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban for making an offensive comment about South Koreans in relation to a remark about Spurs teammate Son Heung-min.
December 17 – Women’s Euro 2021 champions England will open their title defence against France at the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland next summer.