By Duncan Mackay
August 16 – Pelé’s profile, already skyhigh thanks to his position as the world’s best-ever footballer, is set to rocket even higher after he signed a deal that will see him become the face of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.
By David Gold
August 15 – Adidas is asking football fans across the world to vote for the name of the ball that will be used during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 8 – FIFA’s former head of security has dramatically claimed that Greece’s 2010 World Cup game against Nigeria might have been fixed and is under investigation.
By David Gold
July 31 – Brazil has unveiled its security plan for the 2014 FIFA World Cup host cities, with R1.17 billion (£370 million/$578 million/€472 million) to be invested in keeping the competition safe.
By David Gold
July 17 – FIFA and Brazil’s largest public television network, Globo, has confirmed that there will be free access to small public gatherings showing matches during the World Cup in 2014.
By David Gold
July 16 – The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF), FIFA and the Organising Committee for Brazil 2014 have joined together to launch a Football for Health programme.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Former England manager Fabio Capello and ex-Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola are among 13 candidates being touted as the new Russia national team coach as the country looks ahead to the 2018 World Cup.
By David Gold
July 6 – Russia 2018 has been learning from Ukraine and Poland’s ultimately successful hosting of this year’s UEFA European Championship.
By David Gold
July 5 – Russia 2018 chief executive Alexey Sorokin has not ruled out having as many as 12 cities staging matches during the World Cup in six years’ time.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – England could be invited to play a friendly in Brazil to mark the opening of the new Mineirão 2014 World Cup stadium in Belo Horizonte, insideworldfootball has learned.
By David Gold
July 1 – Russia 2018 chief executive Alexey Sorokin has revealed to insideworldfootball that FIFA will make a decision on the host cities of the World Cup at the end of September.
By David Gold
June 28 – FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke has visited Recife in Brazil as he conducts a three-day trip to the 2014 World Cup hosts and has said he is confident that the north eastern city will be ready for the 2013 Confederations Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – With three months to go until the Russian cities bidding to host the 2018 World Cup learn their fate, a FIFA inspection delegation has moved on to Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, two of the lesser-known prospective venues.
By David Owen
June 15 – Intense interest in the 2014 World Cup has ratcheted up official hospitality sales to record levels with two years still to go before kick-off.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 14 – Qatar 2022 have promised to give labour rights in the Gulf state key consideration after a lengthy report suggested they were not up to international standards.