AFC Champions League reaches Round of 16 with new faces upsetting the old order
May 6 – While UEFA and Concacaf are concluding their Champions League seasons, in Asia the AFC’s Champions League is now only reaching the knock out rounds.
Chile demand World Cup slot claiming Ecuador’s Castillo is a Colombian
May 6 – Chile have filed a claim with FIFA, questioning Ecuador’s World Cup spot over the eligibility of player Byron Castillo, alleging he used a false passport and birth date to represent the country.
Feyenoord and Roma end long waits as they head to Tirana for Conference League final
May 6 – Two decades after winning the UEFA Cup, Feyenoord Rotterdam return to a European club final after edging out Marseille to reach the apex match of the Conference League.
Christmas in Qatar. World Cup final gets 3m ticket requests
May 6 – World governing body FIFA has received 3 million ticket requests for the World Cup final in Qatar and high demand to attend some of the tournament’s marquee group-stage games.
Benfica striker Núñez heads ranking of highest value players outside Big-5 leagues
May 6 – With the transfer window about to re-open the big clubs in Europe’s Big-5 leagues will be looking for value buys. But buying outside the Big 5 leagues doesn’t necessarily mean buying cheap.
Top 10 football betting apps that are worth a punt
May 6 – It is estimated that football has over 3.5 billion fans around the world. It’s no surprise that it’s also one of the most popular sports to bet on.
Mediapro scores hattrick of court wins over Rubiales’ RFEF for abuse of dominant position
May 5 – Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales (pictured) has lost another battle in court in his war against Mediapro who have now scored a hat-trick of decisions against the RFEF this year.
Houston 2026 bid prioritises human rights with backing of Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports
May 6 – The Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee, who are expected to learn whether they have secured one of the 10 US hosting slots in the coming weeks, have backed the City of Houston’s adoption of the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports.
NISA confirms June start for third edition of Independent Cup
May 6 – The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which runs a USSF-recognised third tier league in the US, has announced the return of the NISA Independent Cup (NIC).
Spurned by US seller, Ratcliffe bangs the drum for keeping Chelsea British
May 5 – British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has gone public saying he is “not giving up” on taking over Chelsea despite apparently being told to forget his £4.25 billion offer.
Seattle Sounders break Mexican grip on Champions League with history making win over Pumas
May 5 – MLS club Seattle Sounders broke the vice-like grip LigaMX clubs have held on the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League with a 3-0 win over Pumas UNAM in the second leg of the final at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Out of step: Infantino’s whitewashing comments on migrant workers continue to offend
May 5 – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said Gianni Infantino insulted migrant workers in Qatar after the FIFA president said they get “dignity and pride” from their work.
With Champions League groups complete, Buriram steps up to fill AFC Cup hosting gap
May 5 – Having just completed hosting a centralised group stage of the AFC’s Champions League, Buriram in Thailand has stepped up again to fill the hosting gap left in the AFC Cup.
UCL: Real Madrid shatter Man City dreams to book Paris trip for Liverpool rendezvous
By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – It’s happened again, only this time it’s scarcely believable. Just like Paris St Germain, Manchester City are still chasing the most coveted prize in European club football after being knocked out in the semi-finals of the Champions League by a Real Madrid team who yet again defied the odds to take their place in the final against Liverpool on May 28.
FIFA picks Qatar’s Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium for final World Cup play-offs
May 5 – FIFA has selected Qatar’s Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium as the venue for the intercontinental play-off matches that will decide the final two places for the 2022 World Cup finals in the country later this year.