The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) sacked head coach Julen Lopetegui two days before Spain’s opening match in the World Cup against Portugal. One day earlier Lopetegui agreed to succeed Zinedine Zidane as the new Real Madrid boss after the World Cup. This decision was made without the knowledge of RFEF.
The FIFA World Cup, the biggest sporting carnival on the planet, is all set to kick-start on Thursday. As Russia gets dressed to host the much-awaited event, fans from all over the world are set to see their favorite superstars in action. Brazilian great Ronaldo and British pop star Robbie Williams will be present at the opening ceremony.
United States Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro said the United 2026 bid focused its efforts on shoring up votes from North and South America, before targeting Asian football federations. The US, Mexico, and Canada secured hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup in a landslide vote over Morocco at the 2018 FIFA Congress in Moscow.
The Russian economy is expecting to get a significant financial boost from an increased tourist flow during the FIFA World Cup, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said. “According to our estimates, foreigners will spend over 100 billion rubles (US$1.6 billion) during the World Cup in Russia,” Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin told Sovetsky Sport newspaper.
Sportswear giant Nike says it has withdrawn its supply of boots to Iranian footballers ahead of the World Cup because of new US sanctions. The decision has frustrated Iranian players and head coach Carlos Queiroz, who asked FIFA to help his players.
In the spirit of Russia and the 2018 World Cup, US President Donald Trump reportedly penned three letters to FIFA to assuage travel concerns related to the 2026 World Cup bid. The letters, first reported by the New York Times, are meant to clear up concerns about entry to the U.S. for players and officials.
The big five European leagues generated a record €14.7bn in revenue in 2016-17, a 9% annual increase, according to new figures from Deloitte. It says the European football market is now worth some €25.5bn and the English Premier League was the market leader, with record revenue of £4.5bn, as each of the 20 clubs se their own annual revenue record.
Argentina's national team have cancelled an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the Holy See has announced. The Albiceleste are preparing for the World Cup and have been training in Barcelona since May 31.
United States boxer Floyd Mayweather has regained his title in the Forbes rankings of the world's top 100 earning athletes. He earned US$ 275m for his boxing match in August against UFC star Conor McGregor, who is number four on the US business magazine's list.
Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has put the club's stadium plans on hold after delays to the renewal of his UK visa. The estimated cost for a new 60,000 seat Stamford Bridge has increased to £1bn after delays, which included a dispute with a local family.