March 8 – Lionel Messi has returned to the Argentina squad for the first time since the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He will join Lionel Scaloni’s team later this month against Venezuela and Morocco.
March 6 – Russia is in talks to break new ground by hosting next year’s South American Supercup, according to the country’s sports ministry.
February 25 – Brazilian elite football has adopted VAR for the upcoming 2019 season after a unanimous vote in favour of the video review technology. Next year the Supercup will be reintroduced, but a measure to limit teams to firing one coach per season was rejected.
February 22 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) will present a number of measures to the technical council of its top league clubs to “advance” Brazilian football. They include adopting VAR in the Serie A, limiting the number of managerial changes and the introduction of a Brazilian Super Cup in 2020.
February 14 – Juan Carlos Osorio and Paraguay have parted ways by mutual consent just months before this summer’s Copa America. The Colombian took over Paraguay in September, but he cited family reasons for his unexpected departure.
February 11 – Rio de Janeiro has declared three days of mourning as investigators seek to determine the cause of the fire that ripped through a dormitory and killed 10 promising teenage footballers at the training ground of leading club Flamengo on Friday.
February 8 – In a seven-hour testimony former CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero has pleaded his innocence to FIFA’s Appeals Committee in a bid to avoid an enforced exit from Brazil’s supreme football body. Del Nero was banned for life from football by FIFA in April 2017 for taking bribes.
By Samindra Kunti
January 29 – FIFA and the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) have confirmed the release of the money for $100 million 2014 World Cup legacy fund. The world governing body had up to now repeatedly refused to release the money over compliance concerns.
By Samindra Kunti
January 25 – Hosts Brazil were handed a dream draw for the 2019 Copa America as they were paired with Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia in Group A. The Brazilians will kick off the three-week long tournament against Bolivia on June 14 in Sao Paulo.
By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
November 10 – River Plate won the Copa Libertadores for a fourth time by defeating arch rivals Boca Juniors 3-1 in extra-time on Sunday in the dramatic, rearranged final in Madrid. But even this finale was subject to a last gasp appeal to CAS by Boca to suspend the match.
By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
December 7 – On Sunday, at last, the final of all finals will come to an end as River Plate and Boca Juniors face off for glory in the Copa Libertadores in Madrid. Governing body Conmebol shifted the game over security concerns to the Spanish capital, where a huge security operation is underway.
December 7 – Peruvian Football Federation president Edwin Oviedo (pictured) has been arrested over his alleged role in a criminal network that paid for several judges to attend last summer’s World Cup, Peru’s first appearance in the finals for 36 years.
December 7 – Tite and the Brazilian national team will not meet with newly elected president Jair Bolsonaro before or after the Copa America, the Brazil coach has said. Before the World Cup in Russia Tite had also refused to meet outgoing president Michel Temer.
December 6 – After all the criticism about playing on neutral ground thousands of miles from Buenos Aires, Boca Juniors and River Plate have both arrived in Madrid for the eagerly anticipated twice postponed Copa Libertadores final second leg.
December 5 – Diego Maradona has waded into the row over switching the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate to Madridwith some choice words against Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez.