July 12 – While racism has been virtually non-existent at the World Cup, the anti-discrimination group advising FIFA says broadcasters have focussed too much on picking out attractive females and that there has been too much sexism generally in and around cities.
July 12 – It will hardly register amid the disappointment of semi-final elimination but the English FA has been fined CHF70,000 after three players – Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling – wore unauthorised equipment at the World Cup.
July 11 – FIFA is investigating a new video of Croatia defender Domagoj Vida’s comments in the wake of his side’s quarterfinal World Cup victory over Russia.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – Whether Russian football will revert to its pre-World Cup domestic issues of racism and fan violence once the tournament is over remains to be seen. But for the last four weeks the country has bent over backwards to be as welcoming and accommodating to the thousands of foreign visitors attending games.
By David Owen
July 10 – Belgium will try to keep the Adidas flag flying at Russia 2018 in St Petersburg tonight.
July 9 – In the latest political row involving players at the World Cup, Croatia’s Domagoj Vida has avoided punishment from FIFA after being filmed proclaiming “glory to Ukraine” in the wake of his side’s quarterfinal victory over Russia.
July 9 – One of the big success stories of the World Cup so far has been the welcome the Russians have given to visitors regardless of nationality, colour or religion.
By David Owen
July 6 – There is World Cup history attached to both of Friday’s quarter-final match-ups in Russia. In the case of France versus Uruguay in Nizhny Novgorod, I do not see it having any particular bearing on this week’s outcome; in that of Belgium versus Brazil, it very well might.
July 5 – FIFA has apologised on behalf of Diego Maradona for comments he made about the officiating in England’s last-16 World Cup tie against Colombia.
By David Owen
July 5 – Manchester City have more World Cup survivors at the quarter-final stage than any other club.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – The hoodoo is over but not without considerable controversy. As England fans revel in World Cup progress after their team finally banished decades of heartbreaking penalty shootout eliminations in the most nail-biting of circumstances, Colombia’s coach has refused to go quietly.
July 4 – Nigerian captain John Obi Mikel has revealed how he played through his country’s crucial World Cup tie with Argentina knowing that his father had been kidnapped.
July 4 – Joachim Low is to stay on Germany’s manager despite their shock group stage exit from the World Cup.
July 3 – As Brazil await a mouth-watering World Cup quarterfinal against Belgium, the focus of attention is once again on their mercurial striker Neymar – but not for the right reasons.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 2 – The controversies continue to rage but FIFA’s refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina and his colleagues insist the introduction of video assistant referees (Vars) has been an unqualified success in Russia.