Overseas games: Will World Cup success force Fifa’s hand over divisive issue? Sport Business Fifa’s staging of the World Cup in North America may have been a massive commercial win, but it might also have ramped up the pressure on world football’s governing body to make a decisive call on one of the game’s most contentious issues: domestic leagues taking matches to more lucrative overseas locations. The biggest ever [...]
Barcelona downgraded by credit ratings agency amid Spotify Camp Nou delays Sport Business Credit ratings agency Morningstar DBRS has downgraded the outlook for FC Barcelona due to delays in rebuilding their stadium, Spotify Camp Nou. The agency kept Barcelona’s main credit rating at BBB but changed their projections from “Positive” to “Stable”. The Spanish champions have faced repeated delays in reopening their revamped home, which will have a [...]
Morning Wire Football Power List 2026: Who really runs the world’s most popular sport? Sport Business 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 [...]
Premier League + and why owning the broadcast isn’t owning the fan May 17, 2026 The Premier League and Uefa’s moves into streaming platforms misunderstand the way fans want to consume football, says George Gilmore. In the last few months, the two leading lights in global club football, the Premier League and Uefa, have announced they will be launching direct-to-consumer broadcast offerings. In so doing, a revolutionary, if predictable, moment [...]
Arsenal in talks with architects Populous over Emirates expansion May 13, 2026 Arsenal are in talks with Populous, the architects behind the original Emirates Stadium design, as they weigh up how best to expand their 60,000-seater home. Sources familiar with the process insist that all options remain on the table, from major works that would likely require a temporary a move away from the Emirates, to smaller [...]
Death of Football Focus is a signal for every brand at the World Cup May 1, 2026 Brands will spend fortunes on this summer’s World Cup but they should heed the BBC’s warning when scrapping Football Focus, writes Amar Singh. I grew up with Football Focus. Saturday lunchtime, Bob Wilson in a grey suit, grainy footage of some Division Two ground in the rain. It was the traditional seat-warmer for a weekend [...]
LaLiga boss Tebas reignites war with Paris Saint-Germain chief Al-Khelaifi February 26, 2026 LaLiga president Javier Tebas has reignited his war of words with Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi by blaming him for the financial problems in French football. Tebas and Al-Khelaifi have clashed repeatedly in the past, most notably when PSG signed Neymar from Barcelona against the wishes of the Spanish club and its league in 2017. [...]
Ronaldo acquires stake in second division Spanish team UD Almeria February 26, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a stake in second division Spanish football team UD Almeria. The Portuguese footballer, who is currently playing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, has taken a stake in Union Deportiva Almeria, who are third in LaLiga 2. The club strengthens Ronaldo’s ties with the Middle Eastern kingdom, with Mohamed Al Khereiji [...]
LaLiga claims court order win over NordVPN February 17, 2026 Top flight Spanish football league LaLiga has successfully obtained legal orders against internet regulator bypasser NordVPN, it says. It is part of a sustained campaign by the Spanish league against piracy of matches both domestically and internationally. The Commercial Court demanded as part of its order that NordVPN and fellow site ProtonVPN now actively seek [...]
CVC’s Global Sport Group to announce deal with Gordon Brown-linked Pimco February 11, 2026 CVC Capital Partners’ new sporting arm Global Sport Group is set to announce a deal with Gordon Brown-associated asset management group Pimco. The deal will see the firm which manages around $2 trillion in assets heavily involved in debt financing, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman. The senior debt financing is set to be worth [...]