April 17 – FIFA says its revamped volunteer programme has now passed the one million mark since its launch in December 2020. However, while the organisation celebrates growing numbers, the reality on the ground in some host cities paints a more complex picture.
April 17 – With an outstanding away performance and a late Gabriel Martinelli strike, Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 2-1 to eliminate the European champions 5-1 on aggregate from the Champions League.
April 17 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the online retail company NostroLux. The agreement will come into effect in August this year, when the new season starts in Bulgaria.
April 17 – Spain’s Villarreal CF continues its quiet infiltration of the US youth soccer market with the opening of an academy in Hailey, Idaho—marking the club’s 14th affiliated academy in North America.
April 17 – Former Argentine great Carlos Tevez is planning his farewell game in Buenos Aires, and hopes to include former teammates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
April 17 – FC Barcelona’s sponsorship with music streaming giant Spotify continues to blend football with music, with the upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid on May 11 seeing the club feature Travis Scott branding on their iconic Blaugrana shirt.
April 17 – FC Union Berlin’s main sponsor HomeToGo has dreamed up a novel way for supporters to spend more time at their beloved Stadion An der Alten Försterei – by letting them literally spend the night there.
April 16 – The Asian Football Confederation has again expressed unity in its support for the Palestine FA and called for FIFA to respond swiftly to the complaint against the Israeli FA (IFA) calling for it to be sanctioned with a suspension.
April 17 – With accusations of match-fixing now commonplace in the Brazilian club game, the Brazilian FA (CBF) has extended its integrity partnership with Sportradar Integrity & Regulatory Services, in a bid to enhance efforts to combat match-fixing in Brazilian football.
April 16 – French football is once again teetering on the brink of a financial crisis after domestic media partner DAZN rejected a compromise to end the Ligue 1 broadcast deal.
April 15 – With the FIFA World Club Cup rapidly approaching, ticket sales are nowhere near Taylor Swift territory, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino is displaying unwavering confidence in his competition as it arrives shortly on American shores for the first time.
April 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is accelerating its entry into the virtual football space with the official launch of the AFC eChampions League Elite (eACL Elite) this month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – the brainchild of its first-ever Football eSports Forum in Kuala Lumpur in late 2024.
April 16 – The Singapore Festival of Football is set for a long-term revival following the signing of a five-year partnership between TEG Sport and the Singapore Tourism Board. The pre-season event, which previously attracted strong crowds and top European clubs, will return this July with Arsenal, Newcastle United and AC Milan confirmed to take part.
April 16 – The road to continental youth glory is set following the UEFA U19 EURO group stage draws for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, which were conducted on Tuesday morning. Spain, reigning champions in both competitions, will be looking to defend their crowns this summer as Europe’s top young talents prepare to converge in Romania and Poland.
April 15 – In a scene that perfectly captured the growing football fever sweeping across America’s heartland, KC2026 unveiled the winning Official FIFA World Cup 26 Kansas City Host City Poster before a packed house at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday night.