MLS and Continental Tire stay on the same road
October 8 – The MLS has renewed its sponsorship with Continental Tire for a new multi-year term. The tyre brand has been an MLS partner since 2010.
Down but not out, French turn on second half style to dump Belgians again
By Samindra Kunti in Turin
October 7 – With a phenomenal rearguard action, world champions France came from two goals down to triumph 3-2 over neighbours Belgium and book a place in the Nations League final against Spain.
Saudi Arabia’s lifting of beIN Sports ban could smooth path to Newcastle United acquisition
By Paul Nicholson
October 7 – The decision by Saudi Arabia to lift a four-year ban on Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sports could remove a key impediment in the way of the Saudis taking ownership of Newcastle United.
Blatter and Platini to face Swiss court over ‘disloyal payment’
October 7 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini will go before a Swiss court to decide their case concerning the CHF2 million ‘disloyal payment’ made by FIFA to Platini in 2010.
Barca CEO says ESL was a move against state-backed clubs to find a better money model
October 7 – FC Barcelona have formally reported their mammoth loss of €481 million for the 2020-21 season, with CEO Ferran Reverter going on the record saying that the Catalans backed the breakaway Super League as their life raft to a more sustainable financial model in the long run.
FIFA launches host bidding process for 2023 Beach World Cup
October 7 – FIFA has launched the bid process for hosting the 2023 Beach Soccer World Cup with a deadline for declarations of interest of 29 October 2021.
French skipper Lloris says World Cup should be protected as ‘something rare’
By Samindra Kunti in Turin
October 7 – France captain Hugo Lloris (pictured centre) has voiced his opposition to FIFA’s plans to stage the World Cup every two years, arguing that the global finals should be protected as “something rare”.
Edmonton to host Canada’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers as bid for 2026 host status intensifies
October 7 – The fast-improving Canadian men’s team will host two of their crucial Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying matches in Edmonton, Canada, one of the two Canadian cities bidding for a 2026 World Cup hosting.
Vietnam’s Hung Thinh Land follows the Qatar 2022 qualifier trail with AFC global deal
October 7 – Vietnamese real estate developer Hung Thinh Land has become an Official Global Supporter of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar which enter their third match day in the final round today.
LaLiga and Microsoft launch Beyond Stands enhanced data portal for fans
October 7 – LaLiga and Microsoft have combined to launch a new football statistics portal, Beyond Stats, that they say will revolutionise the fan experience with deeper insights into game play.
Houston harnesses power of community to showcase 2026 World Cup hosting bid
October 7 – World Cup 2026 bid city Houston kept their focus on the hosting prize with the launch the ‘Spirit of Houston’ campaign yesterday marking the start of the campaign with a social ‘roadblock’ that saw organisations and indivduals share the campaign launch video.
Spain end Italy’s record unbeaten run with 2-1 Nations League semi-final win
By Samindra Kunti in Milan
October 6 – Spain and Ferran Torres overpowered Italy 2-1 in a fluent, attacking display to end the European champions’ world-record unbeaten run of 37 games and claim a spot in the Nations League final.
FIFA floundering with CWC 2021 hosting. UAE could be their last-minute face-saver
October 6 – FIFA is scrambling to find new organisers of this year’s Club World Cup after South Africa announced they have withdrawn their interest to host the tournament in December.
Glazers put 9.5m Man Utd shares on sale, valued at $186.6m
October 6 – The Glazer family, Manchester United’s owners, have put up another 9.5 million shares, with a value of $186.86 million for sale.
ELEVEN grabs AFC rights to drive Asian expansion
October 6 – Fast growing broadcast platform ELEVEN has secured a package of Asian football rights from the AFC to spearhead the launch of its channels into Hong Kong and five south-east Asian territories.