March 21 – The French Professional Football League (LFP) has entered exclusive negotiations with private equity firm CVC Capital for a €1.5 billion investment in a new commercial subsidiary that will handle the LFP’s commercial rights.
March 21 – Football’s commercial sponsorship backlash over the Russian invasion of Ukraine is continuing. Russian online bookmaker Fonbet has had three major club sponsorships cancelled, while Parimatch tech is redefining its deal with Chelsea.
March 21 – FIFA has sent medical supplies to the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) and allocated $1 million to the FIFA Foundation for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
March 21 – So near but so far. Iraqi dreams of hosting their remaining home tie in the final group stage of Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying have been dashed following unrest in the country.
March 21 – Vanuatu have withdrawn from Oceania’s eight-team World Cup qualifiers because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad. The Cooks Islands’ second game was also postponed due to positive coronavirus cases.
March 21 – beIN SPORTS will launch four new dedicated channels for the 12 remaining matches of the the AFC World Cup 2022 qualifiers that will be played over two match days.
March 21 – The vice-like grip Mexico’s clubs have held on the Concacaf Champions League is being challenged with this year’s final guaranteed to have a challenger from the MLS.
March 21 – FC Hyderabad claimed their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) crown following a penalty shoot-out victory over three-time finalists Kerala Blasters. After 120 minutes of football, each side had scored a single goal.
March 18 – Holders Chelsea will face 13-time winners Real Madrid in the glamour tie of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
March 18 – Russia’s participation in the World Cup in Qatar is almost certainly over after a move to temporarily freeze their FIFA ban was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
March 18 – The dates of the final rounds of qualifying for the Concacaf W Championship to be held in Monterrey, Mexico, in July, have been confirmed for women’s international match window in April.
March 18 – The USL has announced that its professional women’s Super League that will kick off in August 2023 will not be played as a calendar year competition but will align with the international women’s football calendar.
March 18 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that the Champions League Group J centralised matches will be hosted in Buriram, Thailand, and played from April 16 to May 1.
By Paul Nicholson
March 18 – Brian Lewis, president of the Trinidad & Tobago National Olympic Committee and CANOC, issued a challenge to sport and to football in particular to do more to combat discrimination in all its forms.
March 18 – The FA Cup, the world’s oldest domestic knockout tournament, resumes at the quarterfinal stage this weekend with much of the focus on crisis club Chelsea’s visit to second-tier Middlesbrough.