FC Barcelona debts set to surpass €2bn after fresh Camp Nou loan September 22, 2026 FC Barcelona’s debts are set to surpass €2bn after the club’s owning members sanctioned a mega €500m loan to help finally complete reconstruction of their Camp Nou stadium. The fan-owned club will use €300m of the fresh €510m injection on the long-running works to make their home a 105,000-capacity venue, while the remainder of the [...]
Up for the cup: Chelsea captain Erin Cuthbert on her coffee side hustle, Ruby Alba September 22, 2026 Being captain of the team that has won the Women’s Super League eight times in the last decade might be enough to keep most people busy, but not Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert. Off the pitch, Cuthbert has her own coffee business, Ruby Alba, which she launched earlier this year in order to satisfy her entrepreneurial cravings [...]
Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorship revenues rise to £444m September 21, 2026 Premier League clubs’ front-of-shirt sponsorship revenue has risen eight per cent to £444m despite implementing a voluntary ban on gambling firms. The English top flight agreed to ban betting and casino brands from the lucrative front-of-shirt sponsorship slot in a move that lost the 20 clubs a collective £67m. But Premier League teams have managed [...]
Reynolds, Mac and Apollo buy Wrexham pub September 21, 2026 Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and Apollo Sports Capital have purchased a pub in a move that expands Wrexham AFC’s footprint. The Turf, which used to look over the stands and into the Championship football ground, has been added to a portfolio by the club’s owners which includes both Wrexham and their Racecourse Ground home. The [...]
Wrexham and Atletico Madrid owner Apollo nears Yankees stake in $12bn deal September 21, 2026 Apollo Sports Capital is expanding its portfolio by adding a minority stake in the New York Yankees to its investments in Atletico Madrid and Wrexham AFC. The deal, which is reported to be close to completion, would also give Apollo an interest in AC Milan, New York City FC and media and hospitality businesses. Apollo [...]
What London losing athletics to Nairobi tells us about future World Cup and Olympic bids September 20, 2026 England winning a World Cup in our lifetime. This may appear as elusive as ever, but hosting it may be more achievable. Particularly given our stadia, infrastructure and track record for hosting major global events. The signals from Downing Street suggest a similar plan. There’s talk of a potential 2042 World Cup in Great Britain, [...]
Kylian Mbappe receives shares in On as he jumps ship from Nike deal September 18, 2026 Swiss sportswear brand On has pulled off a marketing coup by luring Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe from Nike to launch its football products. Mbappe, who was previously on a £13m-a-year contract with Nike, is working alongside former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star Thierry Henry to develop On’s forthcoming football range. The 27-year-old [...]
China’s EV brands are all over sport in the west. Why? September 18, 2026 Electric vehicle brands from China are snapping up sport sponsorship opportunities across the west. Matt Hardy asks why. The automotive sector has long had an association with sports sponsorships: think the century-old deal between Ford and AFL side the Geelong Cats, or Volkswagen’s enduring patronage of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, originally a works team from its [...]
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur criticised for unlicensed gambling deals September 18, 2026 Clubs including Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been criticised for doing deals with unlicensed gambling firms as the government continues a consultation on banning such organisations from sponsoring sport. Chelsea and Spurs are two of 11 Premier League clubs which hold agreements with betting companies not licensed in the UK. Others include Aston Villa and [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo can cash in from Saudi Pro League streaming initiative September 17, 2026 The Saudi Pro League is giving Cristiano Ronaldo another way to top up his £170m salary by incentivising players to promote livestreams of matches via social media. The SPL’s “Share and Earn” initiative will allow players and influencers to share links to broadcasts of the league, whose stars also include Sadio Mane, Gabriel Martinelli and [...]