Ekstraklasa builds case for Polish esports league with Lagardère Sports
March 2 – Polish league Ekstraklasa has teamed up with Lagardère Sports Poland to explore the next steps for the league in establishing a stronger esports presence.
São Paulo swaps Under Armour for Adidas in improved kit deal
March 2 – The Brazilian club market for kit sponsorship deals is hotting up. Last week Santos forced Umbro into a renegotiation of a deal signed just four months ago. This week São Paulo announced they are ditching Under Armour for Adidas.
Tackling Matchfixing: FIFPro and the ICSA join conference as supporting partners
March 1 – International players union FIFPro and the ICSA, the UK governance institute, have become supporting partners of the first edition of the Tackling Matchfixing conference to be held at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in Chelsea, London, March 9-10.
AFC boss Shaikh Salman call for lifting of ban on competitive Iraqi home matches
March 1 – The head of Asian football has called on FIFA to lift its ban on Iraq being allowed to host competitive international matches after three decades.
‘Members or clients’? Dortmund boss says fans will win on Monday night TV protest
March 1 – German football may consider ditching Monday night league games following a string of protests by fans who have voted with their feet and stayed away, according to Borussia Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke (pictured).
Pakistan’s FIFA ban could be lifted following Lahore High Court judgement
March 1 – A judgement by the Lahore High Court (LHC) reinstating Faisal Saleh Hayat as the president of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) may lead to the lifting of the FIFA ban imposed on Pakistan in September 2015.
FIFA keeps close control of Cameroon as elections and new statutes prepared
March 1 – A normalisation committee imposed in Cameroon by FIFA to try and bring an end to years of internal rifts has reportedly been extended for another six months.
IMG and Perfom create FC Diez Media to market CONMEBOL club rights
March 1 – IMG and Perform have named their South American joint marketing agency venture FC Diez Media. The new company will advise CONMEBOL on their commercial rights for club competitions from 2019-22.
Brazilian police arrest seven over Fonte Nova construction corruption
March 1 – Brazil’s Federal Police are claiming the price tag of Salvador’s Fonte Nova stadium, a 2014 World Cup venue, was inflated by as much as $130 million. Seven arrest warrants have been issued in connection to the investigation, including for the former governor of Bahia Jaques Wagner.
LA takes a step closer to securing a happy ending and inclusion in 2026 United bid
March 1 – Los Angeles’ hopes of being one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup should the US-led bid win the vote appears to be back on track.
Neymar out of PSG vs Real Madrid CL clash as he heads to Brazil for surgery
March 1 – Any slight chance the world’s most expensive player had of making his club’s most important game of the season has been ruled out with the news that Neymar will have surgery after suffering a fractured metatarsal and sprained ankle.
Budweiser to fill England’s sponsorship pot after Carlsberg depart
March 1 – Budweiser will step in to fill the official beer partnership slot of the England Senior Men’s team after Carlsberg end their 22-year association after the Russia 2018 World Cup.
Feast and famine at Wembley. Crystal Palace top week’s attendance chart
March 1 – Last night’s FA Cup replay at Wembley’s 90,000 capacity stadium drew just 24,627 spectators for Tottenhams 6-1 thrashing of Rotherham in the snow. A far cry from the full house Wembley saw last Sunday for the Football League’s Carabao Cup final that saw Manchester City beat Arsenal 3-1.
Morocco close gap on United 2026 bid in battle for FIFA members hearts and votes
By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – Morocco looks to be closing the gap on its United States-led rival in the race to land the 2026 World Cup with the outcome in June by no means as clearcut as a few weeks ago, according to an ESPN report.
Big issues: FIFA to stream key conference on equality and inclusion from Zurich
By Paul Nicholson
February 28 – Focus this weekend will inevitably be on the game changing decisions regarding video assistant referees at the meeting of FIFA’s rule making committee. But on Friday the governing body addresses arguably even more important and potentially life changing issues with its 4th Conference for Equality and Inclusion at FIFA House in Zurich.