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. [...]
Messi, Ronaldo, Serena, Novak: What sport stars dodging retirement tells us Sport Business Sport heroes used to retire at the top but now the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Serena and Djokovic have other ideas, writes Matt Readman. Sport is nothing if not storytelling. And every athlete wants the perfect ending to their own story. The crowning moment. The final wave to the crowd. Departing with dignity on your [...]
Manchester United debt pile may force owners to fund new stadium Sport Business 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Why Messi taking 100 per cent stake in UE Cornella matters April 17, 2026 Lionel Messi’s purchase of Spanish fifth-tier side UE Cornella represents a broader trend of players seeing football assets as long-term investment opportunities, top football finance experts have said. The Argentinian, who will be heading to the Fifa World Cup this year looking to defend the title he won in Qatar, will own 100 per cent [...]
Trump-linked crypto firm Nexo in Fifa World Cup deal with Messi’s Argentina April 14, 2026 Donald Trump-linked crypto firm Nexo has announced a sponsorship deal with Lionel Messi’s Argentina ahead of this summer’s Fifa World Cup. The digital wealth platform will be the Argentine Football Association’s official digital asset partner when they attempt to defend their title at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The deal bolsters [...]
Messi no-show triggers MLS and Vancouver Whitecaps legal payout March 3, 2026 Major League Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps have agreed to pay half a million Canadian dollars to settle a legal claim made because Lionel Messi was withdrawn from a match. A man from the Vancouver area brought the civil class action after paying more than $400 for two tickets to the game between the Whitecaps [...]