HMRC investigations into football net extra £110m October 16, 2026 HMRC investigations into the UK’s football industry netted the organisation an extra £110m last season, new data has claimed. A total of 68 tax investigations were opened in the year to April across players, clubs and agents – down on 118 from the previous accounting period – and netted an extra £110m for HMRC coffers, [...]
Fifa still refusing to share World Cup sell-off papers, says FA chair October 15, 2026 Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt says the Fifa Council is still being denied full transparency over Gianni Infantino’s aborted World Cup sell-off plan. Infantino apologised to the Council today as it met for the first time since controversy erupted over Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new private company Infantino lined up investors for without telling [...]
Why Peppa Pig and the Lionesses is a partnership to bring home the bacon October 15, 2026 Peppa Pig and the Lionesses isn’t the most obvious pairing. One’s a muddy-puddle-loving pig loved by my kids and toddlers everywhere and the other is England’s women’s national football team, equally loved by my kids after their heroics in 2025. But when you take a deeper look behind the Football Association and Hasbro deal, it [...]
Saudi Arabia expected to axe 2034 World Cup stadium projects October 15, 2026 Saudi Arabia’s plans for hosting the 2034 World Cup look set to be significantly scaled back after doubts emerged over five new stadium builds. The country’s Public Investment Fund will inform Fifa of its intention to scrap construction of the quintet of new venues, including ambitious projects in Qiddya and Neom, Semafor reported. The other [...]
Football regulator’s reputation rests on its handling of Manchester City October 15, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator has improving English clubs’ failing finances in its sights but its treatment of Manchester City is what will likely define it, writes Ed Warner. What word or phrase to you best describes the state of English football? Would broken, bust or (morally and/or financially) bankrupt fit your bill? A tad sensational, [...]
Sport media rights value defies worries to hit record $66bn in 2026 October 14, 2026 Sports media rights values hit record levels this year and are forecast to continue defying warnings of the bubble bursting, according to a new report. The World Cup and bumper new agreements for the NBA and UFC drove the total aggregate value – the main revenue source for all major sports – from $62.4bn in [...]
Burnham denies Man City chiefs raised Premier League charges October 14, 2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has denied Manchester City representatives raised the Premier League charges against the club during his past meetings with them. The former Mayor of Manchester was forced to address accusations that he had fudged the truth after reports this week suggested meetings with senior Manchester City figures, notably chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, [...]
NFL tickets discounted to fill Wembley Stadium October 14, 2026 A 90,000-strong Wembley Stadium crowd for this weekend’s NFL fixture is under threat, prompting ticket discounts in areas of the London stadium. The fixture between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans has not yet sold out, after a struggle to shift tickets for the first of three NFL matches – at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium [...]
Women’s British and Irish Lions to play first match in Cardiff October 14, 2026 The first ever women’s British and Irish Lions team will look to sell out the 74,000-capacity Principality Stadium before an inaugural tour to New Zealand. The touring team – made up of players from the Home Nations and the Republic of Ireland – will play France in a send-off match sponsored by insurance giant Howden [...]
Tottenham Hotspur owed money after Big Zuu water brand Drip is liquidated with £9m debts October 14, 2026 They say it never rains but it pours: struggling Tottenham Hotspur’s latest problem is Drip, the canned-water company owned by celebrity chef Big Zuu, whose liquidation has left the club high and dry. Spurs signed a deal in 2024 making Drip the official front-of-training-wear partner of the women’s team, with much fanfare around the shared [...]