AIG to acquire stake in Salford City Lionesses and expands partnership with Neville’s club Sport Business Insurance giant AIG is set to become the first Fortune 500 company to invest in an English women’s football team after agreeing to acquire a stake in Salford City Lionesses. The move is part of an expansion of the partnership between AIG and Salford City, the club co-owned by former Manchester United stars Gary Neville [...]
Extraordinary athletes, ordinary content: why even Nike should make more of its talent Sport Business Nike’s former global editor, Dan Rookwood, argues that brands are leaving value on the table by wasting their allocated time with star athletes. Since landing my first job on the sports desk of The Guardian’s website in 2000, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career interviewing athletes. Sometimes it has been a joy – [...]
Where Mbappe will go if he breaks up with Nike Sport Business With rumours swirling about Kylian Mbappe’s future with Nike, marketing expert Steve Martin breaks down what could come next. I have spent more than 30 years working in sports marketing, and one of the most consistent truths I have learned is that the football boot market is one of the most tightly controlled consumer categories [...]
Did this World Cup have too much of Sir David Beckham? July 18, 2026 Graham McKenna assesses whether David Beckham proves this World Cup had too much celebrity As the curtain starts to fall on another World Cup, a lot of conversation around this year’s tournament hasn’t been about the football itself, but the business surrounding it. The introduction of mandatory hydration breaks sparked plenty of debate, with many [...]
England v Argentina: Bellingham bounce attracts more bets than Messi to score July 14, 2026 Jude Bellingham’s emergence as England’s World Cup hero has seen him backed by more punters than Lionel Messi to score in Wednesday’s semi-final with Argentina. Data from Sportradar, which processes betting tickets for 250 gambling firms worldwide, reveals that Bellingham has accounted for more than half (52 per cent) of wagers in the goalscorer market. [...]
Sports hospitality has never been this good – but which sport does it best? July 13, 2026 | Sponsored It’s impossible to start this column without a mention of England and the World Cup. It felt like interest levels were low at the start of the tournament but England’s heroic performance in Mexico and their nervy win against Norway has got the whole country behind them. Will football finally be coming home? One thing’s [...]
Why England World Cup host city Miami is amazing for sports lovers July 6, 2026 The next England World Cup game takes place in Miami this Saturday 11 July, with the Brits facing Norway. England have made the World Cup Quarter finals after a 3-2 win against Mexico, which means this Saturday’s host city Miami is about to steal the limelight. Brits are expected to spend £250million if England reaches [...]
Manchester United debt pile may force owners to fund new stadium June 24, 2026 Doubts have emerged over Manchester United’s capacity to fund their £2bn-plus new stadium unless the owners inject cash. The club announced on Monday that they had secured the land required to build the 100,000-seater venue – dubbed a “Wembley of the North” – from Indurent, which lets industrial units. The 25-acre site is only 350m [...]
Adidas, Burberry and so much Beckham: The six best 2026 World Cup ad campaigns June 13, 2026 An unnecessarily serious review of the best ads around the 2026 World Cup, including campaigns by Adidas, Nike and Burberry, as picked by amateur footballer and professional creative Harriet Russell-Vick. Football ads in 2026 finally remembered a crucial detail: football is supposed to be fun. After years of ultra-serious slow-motion shots of rain hitting crossbars [...]
Sovereignty has replaced ownership as the real currency of power in football June 4, 2026 The City AM Football Power List illustrates the shifting sands of the sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, writes one of its judges, Amar Singh. We are days away from a truly super-sized Fifa World Cup – 48 teams, three host nations, and a tournament that will be watched by more people than any [...]