Hated World Cup hydration breaks here to stay for even hotter 2030 and 2034 July 1, 2026 Hydration breaks are expected to remain a feature of future World Cups despite attracting widespread criticism, City AM understands. The divisive three-minute pauses, taken midway through each half, have become one of the tournament’s hottest talking points. They have effectively turned football into a game of four quarters and head coaches have said they are [...]
Everton renew Stake partnership just months after Gambling Commission warning June 30, 2026 Everton could face fresh scrutiny from the Gambling Commission after extending their partnership with bookmaker Stake.com, which is not licensed to operate in the UK. The controversial brand has been the club’s main sponsor for the last four seasons but has now switched to being their sleeve partner ahead of the Premier League’s incoming ban [...]
West Ham to announce betting front-of-shirt sponsor after Premier League relegation June 30, 2026 West Ham United will this morning announce that they are keeping betting brand Boyle Sports as its front-of-shirt sponsor next season after being relegated from the Premier League. The London club had the Irish family-owned firm across its claret and blue shirts across last season’s Premier League campaign but risked losing them after top flight [...]
Unilever chief on how to activate 35 brands at the Fifa World Cup June 30, 2026 With the World Cup a sponsor’s heaven, Matt Hardy asks Unilever how the FMCG behemoth activates 35 brands amid a need to be noticed. A number of the brand campaigns at this Fifa World Cup have been sublime, others have fallen a little flat. Activating at a tournament watched by billions across nearly 200 countries [...]
Enzo Maresca pays Chelsea compensation to become Manchester City manager June 29, 2026 Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca as manager – but only after he personally paid compensation to former club Chelsea. City are themselves reported to have paid £17m to the Blues in order to secure Maresca’s signature on a three-year contract, but Chelsea have made clear that the Italian was also forced [...]
World Cup: How brands will activate as the knockouts begin June 27, 2026 Most eyes will be firmly fixed on the pitch as the World Cup enters the knockout phase next week. But for the discerning observer, there is another contest playing out in the background: what are the sponsors up to? With marketing and sponsorship deals related to the World Cup reported to generate between $2.5bn and [...]
World Cup proves film and music walked in the US so that sports can run June 26, 2026 With the US experiencing football fever Alistair Watkins argues that we have seen this before, with sport following in the footsteps of film and music When people think about European culture making its mark in the United States, they tend to think of music, film and television. From The Beatles to Harry Potter and One [...]
World Cup spending: England fans could spend £150m if they beat Panama June 26, 2026 An England win against Panama at the World Cup on Saturday could lead to an extra £150m in consumer spending, while fans are expected to fork out an extra £22m in pubs across the country this weekend. England are top of Group L, level on points with Ghana, ahead of Saturday’s final match of the [...]
Yokohama F Marinos: City Football Group offloads second club in space of six months June 25, 2026 City Football Group, owner of 10 football clubs including Manchester City, has divested its minority stake in Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos to carmaker Nissan. The J1 League outfit will remain a CFG partner club but is now wholly owned by Nissan, who founded them as a works team in the 1970s. It comes six [...]
Messi, Ronaldo, Serena, Novak: What sport stars dodging retirement tells us June 25, 2026 Sport heroes used to retire at the top but now the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Serena and Djokovic have other ideas, writes Matt Readman. Sport is nothing if not storytelling. And every athlete wants the perfect ending to their own story. The crowning moment. The final wave to the crowd. Departing with dignity on your [...]