Football News

Sixth edition of the CAF African Nations Championship starts this weekend Tournament reserved for African players competing in continent’s national leagues For some teams, also serves as dress rehearsal before Qatar 2022 qualifiers resume ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ goes the old adage. And for African football fans, opportunities to see many of their top internationals can be rare, with a lot playing outside the continent. This could explain the enthusiasm with which fans greet each edition of the CAF African Nations Championship. This competition is reserved exclusively for players from the Mother Continent who are active in its national championships, thereby enabling fans to see players they watch week-in week-out in the domestic leagues proudly donning their national team colours....

FIFA has today been informed by Auckland City FC that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities, the club will be unable to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2020™.  Despite FIFA’s regular exchanges with the club, New Zealand Football and the OFC in recent days, the requirements of the New Zealand authorities in relation to isolation and quarantine go beyond FIFA’s remit and, therefore, it was not possible to reach a solution. FIFA together with the Qatari authorities, will implement a comprehensive medical and security protocol providing the safeguards required to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in the competition. Following the withdrawal of Auckland City, the FIFA Club World Cup 2020™ will be c...

After ending time with Chile, Rueda returns to his homeland It will be his second stint at the helm of his national team The objective? Qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Colombian Reinaldo Rueda has become the new head coach of his homeland's national team, confirmed by the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) on Thursday 14 January. "Coach Rueda will be in charge of leading our national team in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as well as in the Copa America Argentina - Colombia 2021. We wish him and his team much success, convinced that they will do an excellent job in the task ahead," said the FCF in its official statement. Rueda replaces Carlos Queiroz, who left the position in December 2020 after the team's poor start to the South American qualifiers, whe...

Palmeiras saw off River while Santos prevailed against Boca The final will take place on 30 January at the Maracana Winners will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup Palmeiras and Santos, the top two sides in the group stage, put paid to the hopes of River Plate and Boca Juniors in their respective semis to set up an all-Brazilian final in the Copa Libertadores 2020. This will be the fourth time the tournament’s deciding game will be contested by two teams from the same country, and the third between Brazilian clubs. The nation last provided both finalists in 2006, when Internacional defeated Sao Paulo before going on to upset Barcelona in the Club World Cup final. The final, which is a single game, will take place on Saturday, 30 January at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. As well as...

FIFA has opened two invitations to tender (ITT) simultaneously for the media rights to the FIFA World Cup 2022™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, FIFA’s flagship men’s and women’s competitions, in Italy. The first ITT is for the media rights to the FIFA World Cup 2022™. The second ITT is for the media rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. The FIFA World Cup 2022™ will be the 22nd edition of the competition and a unique edition, as the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and the first to take place in November/December. With ultra-modern venues, optimal playing conditions and a compact event footprint, the host country will be a very special setting in which to celebrate the game and its ability to connect and inspire people around the world. The tournament will feature 3...

Aron Gunnarsson has captained Iceland for the past eight years He now plays his club football in Qatar with Al Arabi Midfielder talks tattoos, wonder goals and World Cup hopes with FIFA.com Bearded, tattooed and brimming with passion, Aron Gunnarsson is widely seen as the embodiment of Iceland’s national team. He was named captain at 23, and a famous back tattoo – based on the country’s coat of arms – reflects his pride in holding that position. When Iceland beat England to reach the UEFA EURO 2016 quarter-finals, it was Gunnarsson who led the first player-fan rendition of the now-legendary ‘Viking Clap’. But from the moment Lars Lagerback and Heimir Hallgrimsson began moulding a team that would write football history, they had identified this all-action midfielder as the rock on whi...

Five of six zones now under way in the race for FIFAe Club World Cup spots Favourites beginning to emerge Overview of the second round of FIFAe Club World Cup qualifying The first week of qualifying of the new year saw more zones begin their path to the FIFAe Club World Cup 2021, to be held from 24 to 28 February 2021. With the exception of Zone 1, which will be kicking off next Thursday, all of the other zones are now battling it out for the limited number of spots at what will be the biggest EA SPORTS FIFA club event of the year. The complete set of results is available on FIFA.gg. These six zones are divided up into various conferences, which are then split into divisions 1–3. The top two teams in each conference after the final week will qualify for the FIFAe Club World Cup 2021,...

The first ever FIFA Club World Cup was held in 2000 16 tournaments so far with 10 different winners Club World Cup 2020 to take place from 1 to 11 February In around three weeks’ time, the FIFA Club World Cup 2020™ will be held in Qatar. We already know six of the seven participants, and you can see the full list of matches here. The draw to decide the match pairings will take place on 19 January 2021 at 16:00 CET in Zurich, with everyone keen to find out who will succeed Liverpool and lift the most prestigious trophy in world club football. Around 13 months ago, the Reds finished off 2019 with a win over Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo to claim the Club World Cup, but they will not be able to defend their title. Last summer, Bayern Munich won the UEFA Champions League and now have th...

Al Duhail won the Qatar Stars League last season The Red Knights are set to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™ Manager Sabri Lamouchi talks about his side’s goals for the tournament Qatar Stars League champions Al Duhail are set to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020™ where they will rub shoulders with continental champions from all around the planet. The Red Knights experienced a dip in results and performance this season, prompting the club’s management to appoint Sabri Lamouchi as head coach back in October. The Frenchman of Tunisian decent has been working hard to get the club back on track since then. FIFA.com spoke with Lamouchi, who expressed his excitement about the forthcoming global showpiece. "It’s a great opportunity, even if I wasn’t at the hel...

Millie Bright was named in the FIFA FIFPro World11 2020 The Chelsea and England stalwart speaks about her place among the elite Bright also reflects on World Cup regrets and Olympic dreams Straightforward and self-assured, Millie Bright speaks the same way she plays. That unfussy honesty has also marked her steady, sustained rise to become one of the world’s leading players. Bright’s status among the elite was further cemented last month when the England and Chelsea defender was named in the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11. That honour, bestowed following a poll among players across the world, reflects the esteem in which she is held by colleagues and rivals alike. The 27-year-old could not, however, be described as having been destined for such heights. She wasn’t an avid follower of f...