Holiday Inn owner suffers Middle East slowdown as Iran war hits tourism August 11, 2026 The owner of Holiday Inn has suffered a slump in revenue at its Middle Eastern business as the Iran war knocked the region’s tourist economy. Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) said its revenue per available room in the Middle East slipped by 19 per cent in the three months to June. This followed a two per [...]
Fifa crisis: Is it possible to defend Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan? August 6, 2026 Crafting a defence of Infantino isn’t easy, but it is possible to assemble both a behavioural excuse and a commercial justification for the Fifa president’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. One newspaper evocatively likened Gianni Infantino to Icarus at the weekend after his proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup melted [...]
Luis Figo: ‘Deceitful and cravenly self-interested’ Infantino must quit Fifa now August 5, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has come under fire from another high-profile figure after Portugal great Luis Figo joined calls for him to quit without further delay. Infantino is clinging to his job despite senior Fifa figures condemning his plan to sell stakes in a new commercial vehicle that would manage the World Cup to private [...]
Fifa won’t fix itself – scrap it now and set up a World FA, led by Uefa and South America July 31, 2026 Football’s world governing body Fifa is beyond reform; a better idea is to abolish it and replace it with a new organisation, argues ethics expert Thomas Beschorner. The games are over, but the aftertaste remains. As wonderful as the matches on the pitch were, Fifa, as organiser of this summer’s World Cup, has once again [...]
Fifa refuses to back down on World Cup sell-off in face of European boycott July 31, 2026 Fifa has refused to abandon its plans to sell off stakes in a new $20bn commercial vehicle despite all Uefa nations vowing to boycott future World Cups if it proceeds. All 55 European nations in Uefa, including England’s Football Association, yesterday voted to support a boycott of all Fifa tournaments in protest at the divisive [...]
Uefa blocks Fifa’s World Cup sell-off if it stands up to Infantino again July 30, 2026 If Gianni Infantino’s plan to carve out the commercial rights to Fifa events including the World Cup is to be nipped in the bud, the rearguard action will – as it has in the recent past with similar power grabs – likely have to be led by Uefa. Here’s why. Uefa has repeatedly shown itself [...]
Adidas shares plunge after hike in World Cup marketing spend July 30, 2026 Adidas shares sank this morning after the sportswear behemoth missed quarterly profit expectations amid a hike in World Cup marketing spend. Shares in the German firm opened more than 15 per cent down after missing second quarter profit expectations. The dent came despite revenues rising 14 per cent to £5.7bn but the firm maintained its [...]
Commonwealth Games must prove crises are thing of past July 23, 2026 There is no evidence of Commonwealth Games fever in downtown St Peter Port. Guernsey, an island of 65,000 people, is sending 22 athletes to Glasgow 2026, down from 38 to Birmingham 2022. Colleagues on the island report far less public interest than four years ago. There you have these slimmed-down Games which start today in [...]
A photography expert’s guide to the best images from the World Cup July 21, 2026 After a thrilling World Cup, City AM Picture Editor Andy Blackmore ranks his favourite images from the tournament. Aside from war, about the only other human experience that spans such a wide range of emotions is sport. Of all the sports, perhaps football is the most emotive, and photographers at the World Cup hold the [...]
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 [...]