Formula 1’s reaction to season disruption a lesson for Fifa World Cup May 10, 2026 Formula 1 is firmly back on track but the consecutive Bahrain and Saudi Arabian race cancellations, the result of events in the Middle East, have highlighted how quickly established sporting fixtures can face significant disruption. The cost of the decision to cancel both races, given the potential risk to safety of staff working in the [...]
Sir Dave Brailsford has left his role as director with Manchester United May 7, 2026 Sir Dave Brailsford has left his role as director with Manchester United just over two years after his Ineos pal Sir Jim Ratcliffe invested into the Premier League club. Brailsford has had a long-standing relationship with petrochemicals firm Ineos, having become team principal of the Ineos Grenadiers grand tour cycling team after its switch from [...]
Could jet fuel shortages stop fans going on holiday to Fifa World Cup? May 6, 2026 Fans could stay away from next month’s Fifa World Cup as jet fuel shortages cause price hikes and travel uncertainty, experts have warned. The World Cup is being staged across North America with the United States, Canada and Mexico acting as co-hosts, but issues stemming from President Trump’s conflict with Iran could limit the numbers [...]
Fifa defends World Cup ticket prices: ‘We had to apply market rates’ May 6, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has defended the price of tickets at this summer’s World Cup, insisting football’s world governing body “had to apply market rates”. Tickets for the tournament are the most expensive in its history and have triggered a wave of criticism, including a formal complaint from a fans’ group to the European Commission. [...]
Arsenal Champions League final run banks £123m and sets up record revenue May 6, 2026 Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final has already banked the club more than £120m in prize money, paving the way for their highest-earning season ever. The north Londoners reached the final for only the second time in their history in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid, which clinched a 2-1 aggregate victory. And the [...]
Diageo shares jump as World Cup hype helps drinks giant back to sales growth May 6, 2026 Shares in Diageo jumped on Wednesday morning as high hopes for a high-drama World Cup has helped lift the drinks firm’s sales back into positive territory. The Guinness and Johnnie Walker maker, which has been battling a slowdown in demand for spirits, said it had seen “some benefit” of “advance sales” ahead of the start [...]
HMRC handed red card in £584,000 football referee tax lawsuit May 5, 2026 HMRC has lost a long-running legal battle against the UK’s football refereeing body over the employment status of 60 referees, after the tax authority issued a £584,000 tax bill. In a judgment on Friday, the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) upheld that the referees were self-employed and not employed by the body, the Professional Game Match [...]
Fifa World Cup sponsors outperform FTSE 100 and S&P 500 May 5, 2026 Major Fifa World Cup sponsors outperform FTSE 100 returns by a factor of five and the S&P 500 by three as brands look to dominate the conversation during the tournament. IG research looking at the performance of major World Cup sponsors saw an average return of 7.1 per cent during tournament cycles – from 30 [...]
Anti-US sentiment and Iran to have major World Cup security impact May 5, 2026 Anti-US sentiment and the conflict in Iran is set to have a major impact on the Fifa World Cup, security experts have warned. The United States – which is currently engaged in a conflict with World Cup qualifiers Iran – will host the majority of this summer’s tournament, which kicks off in just over a [...]
Why we can’t just dismiss Infantino’s sports diplomacy with Trump May 3, 2026 Former FCDO special adviser, Flint Global’s Alan Sendorek, discusses the sport diplomacy playing out with Fifa’s Infantino and Trump at its centre. Gianni Infantino’s efforts to cultivate a visibly warm relationship with Donald Trump have been mocked in many quarters. From the award of the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to hailing the President as ‘my [...]