Magnificent Seven: Record number of bidders for 2031 Asian Cup
April 11 – A record seven member associations have formally expressed interest in hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2031, all submitting their candidatures by the March 31 deadline.
Concacaf draws groups for Gold Cup; Mexico paired with Costa Rica, US to greet Saudi guests
April 11 – Reigning champions Mexico have been drawn with Costa Rica in group A of the Concacaf Gold Cup. Mexico will open the finals on June 14 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
US Soccer settles antitrust suit, clearing Relevent to bring non-domestic league games to US
April 11 – The squeaky wheel does get the oil as Relevent Sports now has a clear path to stage foreign league matches on American soil after settling its antitrust lawsuit with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), according to a filing with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mizuno expands into France with AS Monaco kit deal
April 11 – AS Monaco have announced a new five-year partnership with Japanese sportswear manufacturer Mizuno, who will become the club’s official kit supplier from July 1, 2025.
Legendary Dutch manager Leo Beenhakker dies, aged 82
April 11 – Leo Beenhakker, the former manager of Real Madrid, Ajax, and the Netherlands national team, has passed away at the age of 82.
Messi double dumps LAFC out of Champions Cup
April 11 – Lionel Messi has once again pulled Inter Miami CF back from the brink. Trailing 1-0 from the 1st leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarter final against fellow MLS club LAFC, Miami soon found themselves 2-0 down on aggregate and heading out of the competition.
Colombia’s Ramón Jesurún keeps his seat on FIFA Council
April 11 – Colombia’s Ramón Jesurún has retained his seat on the FIFA Council. At Thursday’s 80th Conmebol Congress, Jesurún was re-elected unopposed to serve another term on the FIFA Council, the highest decision-making body of the world federation.
Mbappé has PSG bank accounts frozen as he chases €55m unpaid wages claim
April 11 – Kylian Mbappé’s legal team is making aggressive moves to resolve the dispute surrounding a claim of €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages from PSG.
Denver NWSL franchise fails to win city support for new stadium build
April 11 – Having pre-sold 10,000 season tickets for the new NWSL franchise in Denver, the city has baulked on greenlighting $70 million of public money for land acquisition and improvements for a women’s soccer stadium.
Concacaf and Molten launch 2025 Gold Cup match ball
April 11 – Concacaf has unveiled the official match ball for this summer’s 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The ‘Molten Concacaf Gold Vantaggio 5000’ was revealed during the tournament draw in Miami on Thursday and will be used throughout the Gold Cup as well as in future men’s national team competitions.
Cherno More coach rants live on-air at TV journo, but issues apology the following day
April 11 – The head coach of Cherno More and manager of the Bulgarian national team, Ilian Iliev, lost his self control and launched into a verbal attack on a television journalist live on-air, following his club’s draw against CSKA Sofia.
Superbet swoops up Brazil second division title rights
April 10 – Betting operator Superbet has become the new title sponsor of Brazil’s second division, the Série B.
Chelsea partner with Vietnamese giant FPT to expand global reach
April 10 – Chelsea have signed a new global partnership with Vietnamese technology giant FPT Corporation, aiming to accelerate the club’s digital transformation and expand their global reach.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Donnarumma ranked top-performing goalkeeper by CIES
April 10 – Paris Saint-Germain and Italy star Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named the top-performing goalkeeper in world football over the past year, according to new research from the CIES Football Observatory.
Women’s Olympic football expands to 16 teams
April 10 – The Women’s Olympic football tournament will expand to 16 teams for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed on Wednesday, with the men’s tournament downsized to just 12 teams.