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 [...]
2026 World Cup: How England went from misery to magnet for blue chip brands June 16, 2026 As they begin their 2026 World Cup campaign, the England brand is unrecognisable from 10 years ago – and it is paying off in growing revenues for the FA. This month marks a decade since one of the darkest days in the Football Association’s history, when England’s men were humbled by Iceland – a nation [...]
Sovereignty has replaced ownership as the real currency of power in football June 4, 2026 The City AM Football Power List illustrates the shifting sands of the sport ahead of the 2026 World Cup, writes one of its judges, Amar Singh. We are days away from a truly super-sized Fifa World Cup – 48 teams, three host nations, and a tournament that will be watched by more people than any [...]
Fifa boss Infantino pips PSG chief Al-Khelaifi in City AM Football Power List June 4, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has topped the inaugural City AM Football Power List, a week before the biggest ever men’s World Cup is due to kick off. The ranking, compiled with a 16-strong panel of expert judges drawn from across the sports industry, is designed to be a snapshot of who controls the most popular [...]
City AM Football Power List shows that systems, not individuals, control sport June 4, 2026 Ed Warner, one of the judges for the City AM Football Power List, gives his take on what the rankings reveal about the game. Here’s your gentle starter for 10: who’s the most powerful man in world football? Easy, right? Gianni Infantino. But who are the 24 people you’d rank immediately behind Fifa’s president? I’ve [...]
City AM Football Power List 2026: Who really runs the world’s most popular sport? June 4, 2026 The City AM Football Power List seeks to answer a simple question: ahead of the 2026 World Cup, who really runs the planet’s favourite sport? To answer it, we assembled a panel of experts from across the sports industry and picked their brains for nominations and, ultimately, a top 25. You can read more about [...]
Uefa warns Kang and London City Lionesses over multi-club rules May 20, 2026 Uefa has warned Michele Kang and other investors that women’s football will not be granted an exception to its rules on multi-club ownership. It means US billionaire Kang may have to sell or place into a blind trust either French side OL Lyonnes or London City Lionesses if they both qualify for European competition in [...]
Uefa probes Brighton and Hearts connection under Tony Bloom ownership May 20, 2026 Uefa is scrutinising the relationship between Hearts and Brighton and Hove Albion, with both clubs connected to Tony Bloom on course to qualify for Europe. Brighton owner Bloom holds a 29 per cent stake in Hearts – deliberately below the 30 per cent threshold Uefa prohibits owners from holding in more than one club in [...]
Premier League + and why owning the broadcast isn’t owning the fan May 17, 2026 The Premier League and Uefa’s moves into streaming platforms misunderstand the way fans want to consume football, says George Gilmore. In the last few months, the two leading lights in global club football, the Premier League and Uefa, have announced they will be launching direct-to-consumer broadcast offerings. In so doing, a revolutionary, if predictable, moment [...]
Aston Villa facing Premier League scrutiny over £55m Warehouse sale April 22, 2026 Aston Villa’s latest accounting manoeuvre – selling “The Warehouse” to the club’s owners for £55m – is yet to be signed off by the Premier League. Some top-flight clubs have avoided breaching spending rules in recent years by selling their stadiums and women’s teams to companies within the same ownership group. In a new twist, [...]