February 10 – Argentinian legend Jorge Valdano has painted an optimistic picture about Qatar’s footballing future, insisting the country is “well-placed to surprise many people” with its hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – Qatar’s World Cup organisers have described a fact-finding mission to England as a key development in what will be a “milestone year” in terms of planning for the 2022 tournament.
January 7 – Brazil has released detail of its increased security plan for the World Cup later this year, saying it will be doubling the number of security personnel in comparison to the 2013 Confederations Cup, to 100,000.
By Paul Nicholson
February 5 – The scale of the financial commitment the Qataris are making in providing in-country infrastructure as it builds towards the 2022 World Cup was made clear again yesterday with $205 billion to be spent in the period up to 2018, according to a senior figure at the state’s largest bank.
February 5 – FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke says all Brazil’s World Cup stadia, most notably Curitiba, will be completed by April even though that is only two months before the start of the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – Qatar World Cup organisers are in England this week as part of a fact-finding trip designed to boost trade relations between the two countries ahead of the 2022 tournament.
February 3 – The base camps for all the 32 teams at the World Cup have been confirmed by world federation FIFA, with two thirds choosing the more developed south of the country despite the fact that they have to travel huge distances for matches.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 31 – The workers’ rights issue that has plagued 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar is back in the spotlight after FIFA set a February 12 deadline for the Gulf state to explain what measures were being undertaken to improve the situation.
January 31 – There is no let-up in the demand for tickets for Brazil 2014 as the five-time world champions battle against infrastructure delays to stage the tournament for the first time in over half a century.
January 30 – The Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), whose remit is becoming increasingly relevant in terms of both match-fixing and stadium safety, has announced a partnership with Germany’s football league to enhance operations at event venues round the world,
January 29 – While attention and nervousness surround preparations and fast-approaching deadlines for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, the Russians are more quietly and methodically making their preparations for 2018.
January 29 – The local organising committee for the 2022 World Cup has been formally activated following a shake-up of the board of the directors that, until now, had been known as the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 28 – Brazil’s assistant coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has added his voice to growing concerns over delays in World Cup preparations, saying it’s “a joke” that it took so long to start work on some of the infrastructure projects and blasting the authorities for “total neglect”.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – The staging of this year’s World Cup in Brazil has come under renewed intense scrutiny following fresh street protests over the cost of hosting the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 24 – Two days after one of Brazil’s 12 World Cup stadia learned it may have to be scrapped from the schedule because of construction delays, Brazil’s leader Dilma Rousseff and FIFA president Sepp Blatter presented a joint charm offensive following a courtesy meeting at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.