Paul Nicholson

October 28 – The Welsh FA and its chief executive Noel Mooney maintain that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino should resign following his World Cup sell-off plans. “The governance of the global game needs to be reviewed – the system is not working for us,” Mooney said. “We were the first country globally to say that we weren’t going to support his (Infantino’s) re-election as president. Our position certainly hasn’t changed.” “What you want from a Fifa president, Read more …

October 29 – America’s big money sports event ticket and hospitality buyers delivered a third of FIFA’s $15 billion revenue from the 2026 World Cup. The $5 billion figure was $1.7 billion more than budgeted $3.3 billion, and despite a number of matches, particularly in the group stages, that were not sold out. FIFA, who controlled the ticketing through their own site, dumped large volumes of unsold tickets into the resale markets that held their price values well. Read more …

October 29 – Sports tech giants Sportradar have expanded their integrity partnership with Borussia Dortmund (BVB). Sportradar’s integrity division is best known for its monitoring of the betting markets and identifying match fixing and match fixers. It has built a knowledge base and an investigative and analytical unit around that expertise. The BVB agreement builds on their existing relationship “and reflects the growing importance of robust due diligence processes in modern sport,” said Sportradar. Read more …

October 30 – Legends Global will be the operating partner for the VinFast-Trong Dong Stadium in Hanoi, a 135,000-capacity venue that would be the largest stadium used for sport in the world. The agreement with Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, covers facility management, vendor coordination and on-site operations. The two will work together to attract major sporting, cultural and entertainment events, and Legends will help train Vingroup’s venue staff. The stadium is due to open at the end of July 2027. Read more …

October 30 – Tubi will stream two Major League Soccer (MLS) matches on Decision Day, November 7, the first live MLS games on Fox’s free streaming service. Inter Miami against Charlotte FC and LAFC against the Seattle Sounders will be simulcast using MLS’s own production for Apple TV. All 30 teams play on the final day of the regular season. Terms were not disclosed. It is the latest attempt by MLS to reach audiences beyond Apple TV, Read more …

October 30 – Serie A brought former Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero to Vinitaly USA 2026 in New York as part of its partnership with the Italian Trade Agency and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Del Piero, a Serie A ambassador, joined the ribbon-cutting at the international wine trade event and visited stands run by Italian producers. The event brings Italian wineries together with US buyers, importers, distributors and sommeliers. He was joined by Matteo Zoppas, Read more …

October 30 – Concacaf will not renew its commercial agreement with Soccer United Marketing (SUM), ending a partnership that dates back to 2016. Instead Concacaf will bring the sales in-house, saying the change gives it “greater flexibility to develop and manage its commercial partnerships and work with different partners across its competitions and commercial properties.” SUM, Major League Soccer’s marketing arm, has sold partnerships in the US for Concacaf’s top competitions. Read more …

October 30 – Bulgarian First League club Dunav Ruse has been given a €100,000 grant from the local municipality. The funds are to support the the senior squad and the club’s youth academy through the end of 2026. The financial package, approved by the Ruse Municipality parliament, will primarily cover operational expenses for Dunav’s championship participation through the end of the calendar year, including match fees, organisational costs, team transportation, and ongoing training and development for the youth academy’s young footballers. Read more …

The H3R Story Foundation is taking steps to fill a critical gap for women, and young girls in particular, across a broad platform of social, career and life opportunities, including sport and football, media, technology, and financial literacy. By Nichelle Gainey, founder and executive director The systems shaping our future — AI, blockchain, decentralized networks — are not new inventions. They are new names for something sport and culture have always known on a subliminal level. Read more …

October 30 – Few things in football divide opinion as much as international breaks. Supporters want to see their national teams in action, but for many they would prefer club fixtures to meaningless internationals. After the three-week October international break a growing number of club managers have voiced strong opinions against them. The debate around international breaks goes beyond the dugout. A break in club action can disrupt form, and increasingly players are returning tired and injured, Read more …