Football Australia sued by players over Socceroos and Matildas pay Sport Business Australia’s men’s and women’s national football teams, the Socceroos and Matildas, are suing their football association in a seven-figure pay dispute. The claim is being brought by the player union Professional Footballers Australia against governing body Football Australia and has reached the New South Wales Supreme Court. PFA is reported to be arguing that FA [...]
Sport media rights value defies worries to hit record $66bn in 2026 Sport Business 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 [...]
Premier League gets US broadcast bounce after World Cup Sport Business The Premier League has received a US-shaped broadcast bounce with the World Cup inspiring Stateside viewership of the English top flight. Premier League viewership among adults aged 18-34 is up 20 per cent compared to last season, with Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles featuring in three of the top six Stateside broadcasts. The data, from sponsorship analytics [...]
Defiant Fifa president Infantino tells critics: I’ve never been more determined September 24, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has underlined his determination to stay in power, insisting he has “never been more determined and committed”. Infantino continues to face calls to quit over his now-aborted plan to sell stakes in Fifa’s World Cup business to private investors, including the extended family of Donald Trump. He addressed demands for reform [...]
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, [...]
New York named world’s top sport city as London trails in fourth place September 15, 2026 New York has been crowned the world’s leading sport city while London continues to lag in fourth place in a new independent ranking published today. The Big Apple has benefited from increased visibility in 2026, driven by hosting the World Cup final and the Knicks ending their long wait for the NBA championship. That lifted [...]
Fifpro demands Fifa Council probe amid Infantino World Cup sell-off row September 14, 2026 Global footballers’ union Fifpro has called for an independent review of the Fifa Council’s powers after it was apparently sidelined by Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan. The call comes in a communique issued as it published new research showing that the vast majority of value created at this year’s World Cup derived from Europe. [...]
Fifa World Cup ticket ‘misbehaviour’ warning to MPs over UK’s Sporting Events Bill September 3, 2026 Fifa has been accused of “misbehaviour” in its World Cup ticketing by resellers, who warn that such practice could become rife in the UK if a bill up for debate in Parliament today is passed. The Sporting Events Bill was drawn up to make it easier for the UK to host one-off events such as [...]
Why Manchester City’s £86m Bouaddi signing should ring alarm bells in French football August 25, 2026 Manchester City’s €100m (£86m) signing of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is more than just another example of a super-rich European giant hoovering up a promising talent. It is also the latest sign of French football’s talent drain, a phenomenon fuelled by the Premier League’s ever-growing spending power and the financial struggles of most of Ligue [...]
Pre-season tours: Inside the economics of football’s summer money-spinners August 14, 2026 Football’s summer tours have turned into travelling commercial platforms bringing together big fees, sponsors, merchandise, media and global fan growth, explains Simon Dent. For most football supporters, pre-season used to mean low-key friendlies against a local non-league team, some heavy-legged players and a chance to see the new signing for 30 minutes. For clubs, it [...]