December 19 – After much too-ing and fro-ing and having pulled out of an original deal last summer, The Friedkin Group (TFG) has finally completed its majority takeover of Everton, ending the turbulent tenure of Farhad Moshiri and sparking fresh hope for fans of one the Premier League’s longest standing clubs.
December 19 – The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will be staged from December 21 to January 18, 2026, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed.
December 19 – Real Madrid defeated Mexico’s Pachuca 3-0 to clinch the Intercontinental Cup and land manager Carlo Ancelotti a record fifteenth trophy at the club.
December 19 – Premier League attendance remains in a strong position despite the festive season being in full flow. Usually this stage would record a drop off in attendance due to money saving or family priorities, but match week 16’s average of 97.89% marks a strong score for the period.
December 19 – FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé has emerged as the most-used outfield player in world football, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory report. The French international clocked an extraordinary 5,872 minutes across 69 matches, showcasing both his durability and importance to club and country.
December 19 – Vinicius Junior has hit out at his critics after bouncing back from losing out at the Ballon d’Or by winning the FIFA Best trophy award, accusing his detractors of trying to “invalidate” and “diminish” him.
December 19 – The highly anticipated return of FC Barcelona to their spiritual home, the iconic Camp Nou, looks set to be delayed yet again.
December 19 – Bulgaria’s Botev Plovdiv management has invited the deputies of six political parties to a meeting as the club seeks answers to questions on the travel restrictions imposed on the club’s Russian owner, Anton Zingarevich.
December 19 – Hot on the heels of announcing a deal with the beer giant of Asia, Tiger Beer, Tottenham Hotspur, is back with another Asian-themed partnership, this time in the form of the Netflix smash hit, Squid Game, which was developed in the country of their captain, Son Heung-min of South Korea.
December 19 – The start-up Northern Super League, the professional women’s league that launches in 2025 with six teams, has unveiled hummel as its official kit provider.
December 19 – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has expressed his full support for Mykhailo Mudryk in the wake of the Ukrainian international winger failing a drugs test.
December 19 – UEFA Club Competitions SA (UCCSA), the joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) that manages the commercial business of UEFA’s club competitions, will launch a tender process for Women’s Champions League media rights on January 3.
December 18 – In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, European lawmakers have expressed “grave concern” over the hosting of the 2034 World Cup by Saudi Arabia.
December 18 – The European Super League (ESL) is dead in name only. It’s backer, A22 Sports Management, has proposed an alternative league hierarchy compromising 95 clubs across four leagues.
December 18 – Brazil legend Ronaldo has confirmed that he wants to run for the presidency of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) with a programme that will restore the prestige of the country’s game.