City of the future’ tag gives Houston 2026 bid a boost
June 26 – Houston’s bid to be one of the US cities selected to host the 2026 World Cup was given a boost last week after it was named in the top 10 ‘Americas Cities of the Future’.
Concacaf League match-ups drawn for August kick off
June 27 –There is no slacking in the pace of Concacaf events to the end of the year. As soon as the Gold Cup completes in early August in Las Vegas, Concacaf will be back on the road again with its 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League (SCL) club competition.
Denmark upgrade status from fairytale to contender as Welsh heart is broken
By Samindra Kunti in Amsterdam
June 27 – It took Denmark 27 minutes to break Welsh resistance. From the edge of the box, Kasper Dolberg took a couple of touches to engineer space and curl a sumptuous strike in between two defenders and goalkeeper Danny Ward. The Johan Cruyff Arena exploded with raucous joy. The press box was showered with beer and half-naked men ran around in wild celebration.
US gambles on Gold Cup selections, but insistent its MLS cohorts will be competitive
By Paul Nicholson
June 25 – The US men’s team, still basking in the glory of having beaten arch rivals Mexico in the Nations League final, have gambled on pretty much a complete squad turnover for the Gold Cup, but still maintain they will be competitive.
No gold at the end of the rainbow. Belgian Meunier says ‘coming out’ is still an issue for gay players
June 25 – Belgian international Thomas Meunier has said football is not ready for openly gay players, arguing that the sport’s mentality is not developed enough for a player to comfortably come out.
UEFA scraps away goals rule opting for extra time and penalty deciders
June 25 – In an historic move, the away goals rule, in place since the mid-1960s, is being scrapped in all European club competitions from the start of next season.
OL switch to electric with MG Motor France sleeve sponsorship
June 25 – French Ligue1 Olympique Lyonnais have signed MG Motor France as a major partner in a three-year deal starting with the 2021-22 season.
Palestine qualify for inaugural Arab Cup with imposing win over Comoros
June 25 – Palestine rallied from a goal down to crush Comoros 5-1 and seal a ticket for the Arab Cup, where they will face Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in Group C.
UEFA opens investigation into ‘discriminatory incidents’ at Germany vs Hungary match
June 25 – UEFA have appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate “potential discriminatory incidents” during Euro 2020 Group F match between Germany and Hungary at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
US dominate women’s rankings ahead of Olympics, France make gains
June 25 – FIFA’s latest ranking of Women’s national teams sees the US still top and extending their lead, but France have moved into the top three ranking positions, jumping ahead of the Netherlands. Germany are second.
US women dominate overseas player movement as leagues show signs of maturing
June 25 – The women’s professional game is getting older and more internationally mobile with the increasing influence of the leading men’s clubs in the women’s game bringing structural change.
Carabao renews EFL Cup title sponsorship for another two years
June 24 – Thai energy drink Carabao has added another two years to its title sponsorship of the English Football League’s cup competition – the Carabao Cup – taking the partnership through to the end of the 2023-24 season.
Euro 2020 gets to last 16 with giant clashes and giant killing to come
By Andrew Warshaw
June 24 – So now we know the last-16 line-up at Euro 2020 and some pretty tasty ties there are too.
Derby fined £100K but Championship status looks safe as new owner sought
June 24 – Derby County have been fined £100,000 for breaching English Football League (EFL) accountancy rules but look set to escape a points deduction that would see them relegated to League One and Wycombe Wanderers keep their place in the Championship.
How Much is Euro 2020 Worth?
June 24 – Euro 2020, the most significant international tournament outside of the World Cup, is currently recording impressive viewing figures across the continent, with some nations enjoying success on and off the field.