September 20 – The AFC Technical Committee has raised the coaching criteria requirements for coaches in its club competitions, saying that the regions needs to further “strengthen the foundations for the Continent’s coaches to further elevate the standards of the Asian game”.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 19 – Spanish women’s football has been plunged into yet more controversy and confusion after a raft of players continued to refuse to play for the national team despite new interim head coach Montse Tomé naming 15 of the World Cup‑winning squad for upcoming Nations League fixtures.
By Annette Taddeo, former member of the Florida State Senate
During the summer of 2026, North America will play host to the FIFA World Cup. This tournament, involving a record 48 teams playing matches at 16 venues spanning the continent, is set to be the biggest sporting event in world history.
September 19 – Dutch brewers Heineken have renewed their long-standing partnership with the UEFA Champions League until 2027.
September 19 – UEFA president Alexander Ceferin believes it would be harsh if Spanish justice prosecutes Luis Rubiales (pictured) over the ‘kissgate’ scandal but has re-iterated that what the former Spanish FA (RFEF) boss did was totally wrong.
September 19 – Manchester City begin their title defence of the Champions League at home to Red Star Belgrade to kick off the European club season in earnest tonight.
September 19 – Hundreds of fans stormed a hotel in Tehran on Monday hoping for a glimpse of Cristiano Ronaldo after he arrived with his Al Nassr teammates ahead of the first visit of a Saudi team to Iran since 2016 for the group stage of the Asian Champions League.
September 19 – Just as they start their latest quest to land the elusive Champions League, Paris St. Germain are alleged to be under scrutiny yet again by UEFA – this time over their summer sales to Qatar.
September 19 – Fortaleza might become the next Brazilian club to adopt the SAF model (that allows for private investment and ownership) with a vote among members scheduled at this weekend’s extraordinary general assembly.
September 19 – Turkey’s Samsunspor has signed a shirt sponsorship agreement with P&G brands Old Spice and Head & Shoulders.
September 19 – IMG has renewed exclusive international broadcast, betting data and video rights to the men’s and women’s A-League competitions in Australasia.
September 19 – Major League Soccer in the US, which owns the contracts of all players in the league, has terminated the contract of CF Montreal midfielder Matko Milijevic for breaking MLS player agreement rules.
September 19 – Italy’s Serie A has announced a partnership with TV streaming platform STARZPLAY, alongside PureHealth and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, as they prepare to launch collaborative original football reality TV show ‘The Italian Dream’.
By Paul Nicholson
September 18 – The AFC has announced newly formed Asia Football Group (AFG) as its new, exclusive commercial partner for the 2023-2028 term with immediate effect.
By Paul Nicholson
September 18 – The Spain, Portugal, and Morocco joint bid for the 2030 World Cup took another step forward over the weekend with the acting president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Pedro Rocha, hosting a meeting with his Portuguese and Moroccan counterparts.