Haaland and Odegaard miss out on another major tournament
November 20 – Ballon d’Or runner up Erling Haaland is set to lose out on Euro 2024 qualification after his side’s thrilling 3-3 draw against Scotland on Sunday.
World Football
Mamelodi Sundowns women make it a club double with African Champions League win
November 20 – Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a second African Women’s Champions League with a convincing 3-0 win against Sporting Casablanca of Morocco.
France break scoring records with 14-0 drubbing of Gibralter
November 20 – A rampant France shattered the record for the biggest European championship qualifying victory in their thrashing of 10-man Gibraltar 14-0 in Euro 2024 qualifying this weekend.
Belgium secure top seed slot for Euro 2024 as Lukaku’s 4 in 5-0 win over Azerbaijan
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
November 20 – Belgium will be a top seed in the Euro 2024 draw after Romelu Lukaku’s four goals propelled his team to a routine 5-0 win against ten-man Azerbaijan in European qualifying.
FAI cuts debt by €13m, despite revenue drop
November 20 – The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have reduced their debts and loans from €63.5 million to €50.8 million in 2022, but fell short on generating commercial revenue and hence remained dependent on state funding.
UEFA and Disney extend Playmakers project to bring more young girls into football
November 17 – UEFA has extended its partnership with Disney until 2027, allowing the continuation of the UEFA Playmakers project which aims to use Disney storytelling to provide unique opportunities to girls as a safe, fun and engaging entry pathway into football.
Dutch hand sex-pest Overmars 2-year ban, but he can still work in Belgium
November 17 – Former Dutch international Marc Overmars has been banned from football in his homeland for a year after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues “over a period of time”.
Serbia to host Israeli clubs Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in UEFA club competitions
November 17 – UEFA has relocated the upcoming UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League matches featuring Israeli sides Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv to Belgrade, Serbia.
AC Milan’s Florenzi investigated for illegal betting
November 17 – AC Milan’s international defender Alessandro Florenzi has reportedly become the latest Italian player to be investigated by authorities over alleged illegal gambling activities.
Sofia in flames after protest against Bulgarian FA and its president turns violent
November 17 – Battle scenes accompanied the Euro 2024 qualifier between Bulgaria and Hungary, which was played in front of empty stands in Sofia as thousands of fans from dozens of Bulgarian clubs gathered to protest in front of the Vasil Levski national stadium.
Booking.com checks in for men’s Euro 2024 and women’s Euro 2025
November 16 – Online travel and accommodation platform Booking.com as agreed a sponsorship with UEFA for both the men’s Euro 2024 in Germany and Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
El Ghazi takes Mainz 05 to court for being sacked over pro-Palestine post
November 16 – Anwar El Ghazi, a Dutch international winger of Moroccan descent, is taking legal action against Bundesliga club Mainz 05 for wrongful dismissal over a pro-Palestine social media post.
Turkey’s Artas Holding opens talks with Romanian club Universitatea Cluj
November 16 – Turkish company Artaș Holding will invest in the Romanian elite FC Universitatea Cluj, though terms for the partnership are unclear.
Concacaf’s Moggio says the legacy of World Cup 2026 is happening now
By Paul Nicholson in Miami
November 16 – The US is perhaps the hottest place in world football right now in terms of the growth of the game, with major teams and leagues wanting to play there, new teams being announced seemingly every month and a Club World Cup and men’s World Cup on a rapidly nearing horizon.
Ellis describes Hayes as a ‘phenomenal hire’ as US women’s game grows to new levels
November 16 – Jill Ellis, who coached the US Women’s team to two World Cup wins but swapped pitchside for back office to head the San Diego Wave in the NWSL, described the hiring of Chelsea’s Emma Hayes as a “phenomenal hire”.