In America, there's a very sizable contingent of once-every-four-year fans who usually only get their soccer fix via the rare SportsCenter highlight or through that one friend who's always at the Irish pub early on Saturdays. But when the World Cup rolls around, this crowd appreciates and gets down with the month-long spectacle, making the U.S. feel as soccer-mad as any other country on the planet.
MANCHESTER, England - Global soccer players union FIFPRO said that the World Cup should never again be squeezed into a November-December window, and that Raphaël Varane's international retirement should ring alarm bells about the sport's smothering schedule.
FIFPRO released their World Cup 2022 Post-Tournament Review and Player Survey on Thursday, and said the results confirmed their fears around players' mental and physical fatigue and injury risk.
With kick-off less than 20 weeks away (135 days) and Wednesday serving as the global celebration of International Women's Day, FIFA marked the occasion by unveiling the official poster for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The main poster is accompanied by one for each of the nine host cities, "highlighting the iconic and historical landmarks, wildlife and vibrant cultures that are unique to each."
FIFA's appointment of supermodel Adriana Lima as its global fan ambassador in a Women's World Cup year is "baffling" and sends the wrong message to players and fans, former FIFA Council member Moya Dodd said.
Brazilian Lima will "develop, promote and participate in several global initiatives" in her role as FIFA's first global fan ambassador, the governing body said in a statement on Monday.
On Saturday in London, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) gathers for its 137th annual general meeting regarding the Laws of the Game.
PARIS — Noel Le Graet has resigned as president of France's soccer federation amid allegations of harassment and sexual harassment and a government ministry audit this month that concluded the 81-year-old no longer had "the necessary legitimacy" for the job.
Le Graet, head of the French Football Federation since 2011, stepped back last month amid a legal investigation into allegations against him of sexual and moral harassment and after an audit and report commissioned by the sports ministry.
PARIS - Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.
The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup is quickly approaching. Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the tournament will feature 32 teams for the first time, eight more than the previous high. Let’s take a closer look at what countries qualified for the Women's World Cup.
FIFA had a council meeting on Tuesday in which they mostly talked about money and patted their own backs, saying they are the best organization in the universe since the Big Bang. But, hey! They also talked about soccer, revealing the number of teams representing each confederation in the revamped Club World Cup to be played in 2025.
If you were living inside a bubble, FIFA announced last year their plan to expand the Club World Cup from seven to 32 teams starting in 2025.
BERLIN - A future European Super League could include as many as 80 teams, Bernd Reichart, the chief executive of A22 Sports Management, a company formed to sponsor and assist in the creation of a breakaway soccer league, said on Thursday.
In a statement outlining the preliminary results of talks that A22 had with what it said was 50 European clubs and stakeholders of football, the company said change was necessary.