Vinícius Júnior and Aitana Bonmati scoop FIFA’s ‘Best’ awards
December 18 – Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has finally got his hands on a major global player award.
Booze ban unlikely to be lifted for Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup
December 18 – Saudi Arabia has been dry since 1952, and we’re not talking about rain. King Ibn Saud banned alcohol that year, and the chances of football fans being allowed to drink in stadiums during World Cup 2034 are about as strong as Budweiser Zero.
Fifpro study finds some women’s workload split between too many games and not enough
December 18 – Some elite-level female professionals are dealing with a packed schedule whereas at the opposite end of the scale, others don’t have enough games to play, according to global players’ union Fifpro.
Bundesliga uses OTT streamer OneFootball to spearhead international expansion
December 18 – The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga is making Bundesliga live content more accessible in select international markets by expanding its ‘Bundesliga Pass’ OTT service with OneFootball to Vietnam and South Africa.
Spurs partner with Singapore’s Tiger Beer
December 18 – Tottenham Hotspur continues to remain ‘Spursy’ on the pitch, however, when it comes to marketing and partnerships, the North London club roar. In a new deal, the club has announced that Tiger Beer will be its ‘Official International Beer Partner’ in an effort to capitalise on the team’s growing presence in Asia.
NCAA Soccer has a new Cinderella
December 18 – In the United States, the pinnacle for collegiate athletes is winning a National Collegiate Athlete Association (NCAA) title, and on Monday in a thrilling overtime classic, unseeded Vermont (15-2-6) won its first men’s soccer NCAA championship in programme history beating Marshall University (15-1-7).
Sloboda Tuzla owner fires his whole playing department after just 2 points and 5 goals from 17 matches
December 18 – Sloboda Tuzla, a club from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Premier League, has fired all of its coaches and players following a string of poor results. The news was delivered by club president Azmir Husić (pictured) after the team’s final match of the year.
Spurs lose appeal over Betancur’s 7-match ban for ‘abusive and insulting’ Son comments
December 18 – Tottenham Hotspur have lost their appeal against the severity of Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban for making an offensive comment about South Koreans in relation to a remark about Spurs teammate Son Heung-min.
England, France and Netherlands drawn together in Euro 2025 ‘group of death’
December 17 – Women’s Euro 2021 champions England will open their title defence against France at the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland next summer.
UEFA boosts Euro 2025 prize money to €41m with per diems set at €657 per player
December 17 – Prize money for next summer’s 2025 Women’s European Championship will increase by a whopping 156% compared to the previous edition, with the 16 teams sharing €41 million.
The MLS-Liga MX Summer face-off for the Leagues Cup to change format in 2025
December 17 – The Leagues Cup will undergo a dramatic change in 2025 according to Liga MX president Mikel Arriola, who spoke to reporters on Sunday having taken over the reins as acting commissioner of the league after the surprise ousting of Juan Carlos Rodriguez.
PSG-Lyon game interrupted as homophobic chanting continues to plague French league
December 17 – French authorities are considering what action to take after the high-profile clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon was briefly interrupted Sunday because of yet more homophobic chanting by PSG fans, a stain on the game that continues to blight top fixtures across the country.
Galician Rafeal Louzan wins Spanish FA presidency
December 17 – Rafael Louzan has been elected president of the Spanish FA (RFEF) after more than a year of turmoil at the scandal-ridden body following the downfall of former chief Luis Rubiales and his right-hand man Pedro Rocha.
Vancouver Whitecaps owners hang up For Sale sign on MLS club
December 17 – In the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) only three franchises have been sold after formation (Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, Orlando City SC). We can now make that four as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC ownership group of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash has put their team up for sale.
Diallo returned as French FA chief on platform of more cash for grassroots and women’s development
December 17 – With a programme focused on the development of amateur and women’s football, Philippe Diallo has been re-elected as chairman of the French Football Federation (FFF), defeating Pierre Samsonoff in the vote.