Did this World Cup have too much of Sir David Beckham? Sport Business Graham McKenna assesses whether David Beckham proves this World Cup had too much celebrity As the curtain starts to fall on another World Cup, a lot of conversation around this year’s tournament hasn’t been about the football itself, but the business surrounding it. The introduction of mandatory hydration breaks sparked plenty of debate, with many [...]
England v Argentina: Bellingham bounce attracts more bets than Messi to score Sport Business Jude Bellingham’s emergence as England’s World Cup hero has seen him backed by more punters than Lionel Messi to score in Wednesday’s semi-final with Argentina. Data from Sportradar, which processes betting tickets for 250 gambling firms worldwide, reveals that Bellingham has accounted for more than half (52 per cent) of wagers in the goalscorer market. [...]
Sports hospitality has never been this good – but which sport does it best? Sponsored It’s impossible to start this column without a mention of England and the World Cup. It felt like interest levels were low at the start of the tournament but England’s heroic performance in Mexico and their nervy win against Norway has got the whole country behind them. Will football finally be coming home? One thing’s [...]
Why England World Cup host city Miami is amazing for sports lovers July 6, 2026 The next England World Cup game takes place in Miami this Saturday 11 July, with the Brits facing Norway. England have made the World Cup Quarter finals after a 3-2 win against Mexico, which means this Saturday’s host city Miami is about to steal the limelight. Brits are expected to spend £250million if England reaches [...]
Manchester United debt pile may force owners to fund new stadium June 24, 2026 Doubts have emerged over Manchester United’s capacity to fund their £2bn-plus new stadium unless the owners inject cash. The club announced on Monday that they had secured the land required to build the 100,000-seater venue – dubbed a “Wembley of the North” – from Indurent, which lets industrial units. The 25-acre site is only 350m [...]
Adidas, Burberry and so much Beckham: The six best 2026 World Cup ad campaigns June 13, 2026 An unnecessarily serious review of the best ads around the 2026 World Cup, including campaigns by Adidas, Nike and Burberry, as picked by amateur footballer and professional creative Harriet Russell-Vick. Football ads in 2026 finally remembered a crucial detail: football is supposed to be fun. After years of ultra-serious slow-motion shots of rain hitting crossbars [...]
Sovereignty has replaced ownership as the real currency of power in football June 4, 2026 The Morning Wire 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 Morning Wire Football Power List June 4, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has topped the inaugural Morning Wire 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 [...]
Morning Wire Football Power List shows that systems, not individuals, control sport June 4, 2026 Ed Warner, one of the judges for the Morning Wire 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 [...]
Morning Wire Football Power List 2026: Who really runs the world’s most popular sport? June 4, 2026 The Morning Wire 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 [...]