August 25 – Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was named UEFA men’s player of the year on Thursday and his manager Carlo Ancelotti took the coaching award after they led the club to a 14th Champions League title last season.
August 26 – New season, new brand identities. UEFA has unveiled the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League final identities for Istanbul, Budapest and Prague.
August 25 – Not just Qatar, but Saudi Arabia will seek to welcome the world this November and December. In a bid to capitalise on the influx of football fans in the Gulf during the World Cup, Saudi Arabia will issue a special 60-day visa for holders of a Hayya card, a fan-id required to enter Qatar.
August 25 – Iranian clubs will continue to be denied entry to the AFC Champions League until the Iranian FA changes its club licensing criteria to be complaint with the regional confederation’s rules.
August 25 – The 32-team draw for the lucrative group stage of the Champions League takes place later today in Istanbul – host of this season’s final with all manner of mouthwatering ties in prospect.
August 25 – Arsenal’s Ukrainian international defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has hailed the resumption of domestic football in his homeland for the first time since the Russian invasion in February but says his compatriots face danger by even stepping on to the pitch.
August 25 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked FIFA to lift the federation’s suspension after control over day-to-day affairs was returned to the ruling body.
August 25 – Iranian women will be allowed to attend Thursday’s domestic top flight match between Esteghlal and Mes Kerman, but doubts remain over the reality behind the ticketing process and the preparedness of Iranian officials to accommodate female supporters despite pressure from FIFA.
August 25 – Football Australia has extended the contract of its CEO James Johnson until the end of 2024.
August 25 – England’s all-time women’s record goal scorer Ellen White has announced her retirement at the age of 33, saying all her football “dreams came true” in winning Euro 2022.
August 24 – Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Newcastle United: Middle East-based interests have already snapped up their share of Western trophy sports assets. The region has also hosted dozens of high-profile international sports events, none more glittering than the FIFA World Cup, whose kick-off in tiny but mega-wealthy Qatar is now less than three months away.
August 24 – With just months to go until the kick-off of the World Cup, hosts Qatar have deported 60 migrant workers after they protested against unpaid wages, some of whom said they had not been paid for seven months.
August 24 – On the day that domestic football returned to Ukraine, Dynamo Kyiv were eliminated from the Champions League, losing 5-0 on aggregate to Lisbon giants Benfica.
By Paul Nicholson
August 23 – The Chilean FA have expressed increasing concern over FIFA’s delay in ruling on their appeal over whether Ecuador should be expelled from the 2022 World Cup for fielding an ineligible player.
