November 14 – In an ironic twist, Byron Castillo, the player at the centre of the bitter, long-running dispute over his World Cup eligibility, has been left out of Ecuador’s squad for the finals tournament.
November 10 – His country having just been cleared to play in the World Cup despite an appeal by Chile and Peru that they should have been thrown out for fielding an eligible player in qualifying, Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso (pictured) has decided not to attend the high profile opener against Qatar, citing domestic unrest.
November 8 – In a move highlighting how football is closing ranks against the constant barrage of criticism of World Cup hosts Qatar, South America’s governing (Conmebol) said it is time to focus on football and for “disagreements to take a back seat”, echoing FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
November 8 – Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino will not play at the World Cup after Brazil coach Tite picked Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli over him. The 39-year-old Daniel Alves was also included among the 26 players who will go in search of a sixth world title for Brazil in Qatar.
November 8 – Argentine authorities have drawn up a list of 6,000 fans who will be banned from attending the World Cup.
November 7 – Vasco da Gama will return to the Brazilian top flight next season after a 1-0 victory against Ituano with a first-half penalty goal from Nene.
November 4 – Lautaro Javier Martinez, an Argentinean native, born on August 22, 1997, is already one of Europe’s most sought-after center forwards. This month he could turn himself into a national icon as the perfect foil for Lionel Messi as the country goes into Qatar 2022 as one of the favourites.
October 31 – Flamengo defeated Athletico Paranaense 1-0 on Saturday to win a third Copa Libertadores title and cement their dominance at the top of the South American club game.
October 28 – Flamengo will be sky-high favourites to win the Copa Libertadores for the second time in three years, taking on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Athletico Paranaense in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in Saturday’s final.
October 23 – With a week to go until the decisive second round in the Brazilian presidential elections, Neymar has thrown his weight behind the far-right sitting president Jair Bolsonaro, saying he will dedicate his first goal at the World Cup to the incumbent.
October 20 – After a tense 120 minutes, Flamengo rallied to win the Copa do Brazil on penalties against Corinthians, just nine days out from the all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final with Atletico Paraneanse.
October 18 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has condemned the growing fan violence in the club game following a series of incidents that have tarnished the game recently.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 14 – Just weeks before leaving for the World Cup, Brazilian ace Neymar stands trial next week on fraud and corruption charges over his transfer to Barcelona from Santos in 2013.
September 23 – After two seasons in the doldrums, Brazilian giants and Ronaldo-owned club Cruzeiro have returned to the domestic top flight following a 3-0 win against Vasco Da Gama.
September 8 – Flamengo will face Atletico Paranaense in the final of the 2022 Copa Libertadores after the Curitiba club eliminated defending champions Palmeiras 3-2 on aggregate.