Indian FA president Kalyan Chaubey accused of corruption
December 23 – Shaji Prabhakaran, a former high-ranking official in Indian football, has accused current Indian football boss Kalyan Chaubey of ethics violations.
Stoke, England and human rights champion George Eastham passes, aged 88
December 23 – Former England midfielder George Eastham, a member of the country’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad who became equally well known for blazing a trail for player freedom of movement, has died aged 88.
Scouting report identifies world’s fastest developing talent
December 23 – The stars of tomorrow are already making waves today. A scouting report by the CIES Football Observatory and Wyscout has identified the best-performing footballers born in 2004 or later across 65 leagues worldwide.
Fox out in the cold as Netflix grab rights to 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups
December 23 – FIFA and Netflix have inked a deal for the exclusive rights in the US to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, marking another significant streaming deal for a major tournament.
MLS unveils 2025 schedule; Leagues Cup waits until FIFA have left town, Inter Miami open in NY
December 23 – Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will be the first MLS team in action in 2025 – of course – kicking off the season on February 22 at home to New York City FC at the Chase Stadium.
Bumper Christmas opening for Premier League clubs as nine clubs go over 98%+ capacity
December 23 – The Premier League has shaken off any talk of a pre-festive slump, proving once again that it thrives in the winter spotlight. Attendance figures this week revealed a remarkable overall stadium capacity of 98.3%, comfortably above the season’s average.
Saints hire Ivan Jurić in last ditch bid to salvage season, or at least some pride
December 23 – Premier League Southampton have confirmed Croatian Ivan Jurić as their first team manager.
Elitbet mops up club sponsorships outside Bulgarian top tier
December 23 – Bulgaria’s Etar Veliko Tarnovo has signed a sponsorship agreement with the betting company Elitbet. The contract between the two parties is for two years.
Saudi Arabia to guest at 2025 Gold Cup in US; final qualification play-offs set
December 20 – Saudi Arabia will compete at the 16-team Concacaf Gold Cup next summer, to be played predominantly on the West coast of the USA.
A22 says it consulted stakeholders. European Leagues say no-one spoke to them
December 20 – The European Leagues organisation has insisted it was not consulted by the promoters of the proposed European Super League regarding the relaunch of the breakaway concept as the Unify League.
Swedish FA appeals chair quits accusing SvFF of ‘spineless’ behaviour over 2034 award
December 20 -A senior Swiss lawyer who for nine years has sat on various Swedish FA committees and is currently chair of its appeals committee, has resigned from the federation over its failure to protest the award of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
AFC draws groups for Beach Soccer Asian Cup in Thailand; top three qualify for World Cup
December 20 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has drawn the groups for the 16-team AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup to be played in Thailand in March next year.
Control of Serie A’s Genoa passes to Romanian Dan Secu for €40m
December 20 – Romanian businessman Dan Șucu has taken control of the storied Italian club Genoa, ending months of uncertainty under the ownership of 777 Partners.
UEFA names new second-tier club competition Women’s Europa Cup
December 20 – UEFA has named its newly launched second-tier women’s club tournament the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.