Mexico

CONCACAF has unveiled a new qualification format for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after COVID-19 forced a rejig of the usual system, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean said on Monday.

The new format, which will feature all 35 of the region's members, has been split into three rounds with the first being played in October and November with teams ranked from No. 6 to No. 35 in CONCACAF as of July 16 drawn into six groups of five.

Liga MX hit pause on Thursday's season-opening match between Atletico San Luis and FC Juarez, moving the match to Monday after a number of positive coronavirus tests were reported.

According to a report from Record.com.mx, more than 10 FC Juarez players tested positive for the coronavirus. While the number remains in question, the club did admit to multiple positive tests.

In a world marked by unpredictability, chaos and ever-shifting plot lines, it’s only right that Liga MX returns this week with the beginning of the Apertura tournament (renamed Guardianes in honor of Mexico’s healthcare workers).

For supporters of Club Deportivo Chivas de Guadalajara, the return of the top flight can’t come soon enough. Chivas, after winning the 2017 Clausura, experienced a dramatic decline that cost Matías Almeyda his job while missing out on five consecutive liguillas, recording finishes of 13th, 17th, 11th, 14th and 10th. 

It’s been a long time coming but the Real Madrid Femenino team has finally arrived, and there’s some North American representation in the form of Mexican defender Kenti Robles.

Previously known as Club Deportivo Tacón, Real Madrid officially announced the absorption of the team back in June of 2019 following its promotion to the Primera División. The club spent the 2019-20 season as Tacón, finishing in 10th with a record of six wins, five draws and 10 defeats in a season that was brought to a premature end by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Wolves boosted its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with an emphatic 3-0 home win over Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

Victory lifted Nuno Espírito Santo’s side up to sixth in the standings with 55 points — four points behind fourth-placed Leicester City who plays Bournemouth later on Sunday. Everton remained in 11th place on 45 points, with Carlo Ancelotti's dreams of European qualification fading with only three games left in the season.

FIFA wants VAR video reviews to be applied in the same way across all competitions, as they take over direct responsibility for the system.

Issues concerning VAR have been handled primarily by IFAB, the game's law-making body, during the system's two-year experimental phase and its introduction as part of the laws of the game. Soccer's global governing body FIFA, however, took over the role of supporting competition organizers with the implementation of VAR from July 1.

The number of COVID-19 cases per football league is a question on everyone’s mind these days. The ebb and flow of the virus around the world has left our leagues in different states of recovery.

Here we’ve made a list of the number of COVID-19 cases per football league and the number of COVID-19 cases in their respective regions of the world. 

The list of the number of COVID-19 cases per football league comes in no particular order, but we will save the best for last, so be ready.

One of the most commonly Googled phrases right now is “when are sports coming back?” Most pro sports outside of soccer are not scheduled to return for some time in the U.S. Fortunately, soccer leagues around the world have returned or will resume play soon, but the question remains: when is international soccer coming back?

Jürgen Damm, one of the fastest footballers in the world, is coming to America. The Mexican winger signed a deal to join Atlanta United after Damm’s contract with Tigres UANL expires at the end of the 2019-20 season, the Five Stripes announced Wednesday.

More importantly, Damm announced his move with the best dance moves I’ve ever seen. I cannot stop watching this video with a goofy-ass grin on my face.

The NWSL returns June 27 with its Challenge Cup, the first major pro team sports league to resume play in the U.S. since the novel coronavirus pandemic shut down sports. While MLS returns July 8, the first men’s team sports league to return to North America will actually take place south of the border. So what is this Copa por México tournament anyway?