By Samindra Kunti in Jeddah
December 22 – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is relishing the challenge of taking on Fluminense and their idiosyncratic style in the final of the Club World Cup as the European champions seek to wrap up their best year ever.
December 22 – The FIFA men’s rankings have been nudged only slightly in the latest update, as OFC nations battle it out in the Pacific Games whilst the rest of the world remains focused on domestic leagues. Argentina remain on top.
December 22 – The Asian Football Confederation has introduced an all-new match predictor game ahead of the start of the Asian Cup next month, giving fans the chance to win prizes for guessing the correct scores for Asian Cup fixtures.
By Samindra Kunti in Jeddah
December 22 – The Norwegian FA (NFF) has slammed FIFA’s bidding process for the 2034 World Cup, calling it a “foregone conclusion” and pointing at “a lack of transparency” in the decision making.
For more than two months, the world has been watching with horror and incredulity how civilians are being slaughtered in Gaza.
December 22 – The Albanian government has decided to reward all players and coaches of the Albanian national team with diplomatic passports.
December 22 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced it will establish a new Reform Taskforce to continue and build on the reforms of 2016.
December 22 – The AFC has reaffirmed its commitment to expand its social development programmes via its Dream Asia Foundation aimed at empowering the continent’s most vulnerable communities.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 21 – In a bombshell decision that could have significant ramifications, the European Court of Justice ruled today that UEFA and FIFA broke EU competition rules by attempting to block the seemingly doomed breakaway Super League.
December 21 – Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) president Yasser Al-Misehal has said that ‘Everyone will be welcome’, including LGBTQ+ fans, at the 2034 World Cup, a tournament FIFA is set to formally award to the Arab Kingdom next year.
December 21 – The UK government’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee is urging the Premier League and sports governing bodies to slash the volume of gambling ads within stadiums to protect children from exposure to betting logos and subsequent gambling.
December 21 – The Russian Football Association has voted against leaving UEFA to join the Asian Football Confederation despite its teams having been banned over the conflict in Ukraine.
December 21 – Brazil and Barcelona star Dani Alves’ trial for alleged sexual assault will start February 5.
December 21 – Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has told any supporter “not in the right shape” for Saturday’s top-of-the-table Premier League encounter with leaders Arsenal to give their ticket to someone else as the Anfield crowd disappointed again last night.
December 21 – The CIES Football Observatory has revealed the tallest and shortest teams in world football in its latest study, which ranks the clubs in 53 leagues around the world according to the average size of the line-ups fielded in the current or last completed season.