Top footballers spend 87 per cent of time working, study finds December 6, 2024 Fresh concerns have been raised about player burnout ahead of next year’s Club World Cup after a new study found that top professional footballers typically spend 80 per cent of their time working. Drawing on data that it compiled for global players’ union Fifpro, independent consultancy Football Benchmark says that, for some individuals, the number [...]
Dazn scores exclusive global broadcast deal for Fifa Club World Cup December 4, 2024 Fifa has confirmed that its relaunched Club World Cup will be broadcast for free around the world on Dazn, the dedicated sports streaming platform. The 32-team tournament will take place in its new form for the first time next summer in the US, where Chelsea and Manchester City will be England’s representatives. Dazn said the [...]
Fifa risks legal battle by including Mexican teams in Club World Cup draw December 3, 2024 Fifa will include two Mexican teams with the same owners, Club de Futbol Pachuca and Club Leon, in the draw for the Club World Cup tomorrow despite facing potential legal action over their involvement in next summer’s competition. Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense have sent a formal complaint to Fifa on the basis that [...]
Club World Cup: Fifa to make City and Chelsea send strongest teams November 5, 2024 Manchester City and Chelsea will be obliged to field their strongest teams throughout next summer’s Fifa Club World Cup – while still having to release players for international duty immediately before it. The new 32-team event is scheduled to take place in the United States between June 15 and July 13 and has been the [...]
Premier League faces new legal battle – and nemesis barrister October 23, 2024 The Premier League is facing another legal battle with top players and clubs over its financial rules, having already suffered bruising defeats to Leicester and Manchester City this season. Footballers’ union the PFA has hired leading barrister Nick De Marco KC to challenge the top flight’s plans to introduce a new system of “anchoring” next [...]
Al Hilal boss: Club World Cup single most important competition October 20, 2024 The chief executive of Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal has insisted the Club World Cup remains the most important competition in club football despite issues surrounding player wellbeing. Esteve Calzada added that playing European clubs is the real benefit from winning the Asian Champions League, something Al Hilal have done on four occasions. “For [...]
Has Fifa wildly overestimated the value of Club World Cup media rights? October 11, 2024 Was Fifa too hasty in rejecting Apple’s reported $1bn (£760m) offer for media rights to next summer’s inaugural beefed-up Club World Cup? That is a question football’s governing body may have to ask itself as time ticks down towards the new 32-team tournament in the US next summer. With only eight months to go until [...]
Architect of Premier League calls for it to be cut to 18 teams September 29, 2024 The Premier League should be trimmed to just 18 teams in order to tackle the player workload row dividing the game, says former chief David Dein. Europe’s 20-team domestic leagues are coming under increasing pressure to slim down as clubs juggle additional European games and the imminent expanded Club World Cup. France’s Ligue 1 joined [...]
Fifa Intercontinental Cup: What is it and is it just the Club World Cup? September 21, 2024 When Fifa announced the expansion of the Club World Cup and its move from mid-season to the end of spring football fans thought they’d be done with a random week in December seeing them compete half-way around the world. But it appears as if a competition with a similar format to the old Club World [...]
Fifa wins backing for Club World Cup and reveals logo for new competition September 4, 2024 Fifa has also revealed its official logo for the tournament and announced that Gala’s Freed From Desire would be its official song.