Football

Organisers of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have warned officials in the country’s capital of Brasília that if they do not sign a contract by the middle of November to host football events during next year’s sporting spectacle, the city will be stripped of its seven scheduled matches.

Fifa has today (Wednesday) confirmed that seven candidatures have been received for the presidency of world football’s governing body, with former Trinidad and Tobago international midfielder David Nakhid the omission from the officials who were thought to have entered applications by Monday’s deadline.

LaLiga, the organising body of the top two divisions of Spanish football, has revealed that it is to debut a new fan experience initiative in Doha, Qatar.

Franz Beckenbauer, who led Germany’s local organising committee for football’s 2006 World Cup in the country, has admitted that a transfer of €6.7m ($7.4m) to the sport’s global governing body Fifa in 2005 was a mistake.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino and Liberian Football Association president Musa Bility became the latest officials to formally declare applications for the Fifa presidency on Monday afternoon, ahead of today’s deadline for submissions to become the next leader of world football’s governing body.

South African businessman and former political prisoner Tokyo Sexwale, along with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) leader Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, have become the latest officials to formally join the race to become the next president of Fifa, football’s world governing body.

The US has been confirmed as the host of a special edition of the Copa America national football team tournament next year.

Spanish LaLiga champion Barcelona has confirmed record turnover of €608m ($691.3m) for its 2014-15 financial year, but has delayed a decision on its shirt sponsorship situation that was initially due to be made on Sunday.

Former Fifa official Jerome Champagne has today (Friday) returned to the race for the presidency of world football’s governing body by formally submitting his candidacy for the position.

Wolfgang Niersbach, the president of the German Football Association (DFB), has said he cannot explain fully why a payment of €6.7m ($7.5m) was made to the sport’s governing body Fifa a year before Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup.

The North American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has unveiled a new expansion franchise in Orlando, while a bid from football superstar David Beckham to launch a Major League Soccer (MLS) team in Miami has been given a major boost with Tim Leiweke reportedly being added to his management team.

The investigatory chamber of Fifa’s Ethics Committee has confirmed that proceedings in the Fifa corruption scandal relating to Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Ángel María Villar and Germany national team legend Franz Beckenbauer have progressed to the adjudicatory chamber as it detailed a list of high-profile names who are being investigated.

Football’s European governing body Uefa has released the seventh edition of its licensing benchmarking report, detailing “huge” growth in both club revenue and wages over the past 20 years.

The payment that led to the suspensions of Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa leader Michel Platini has been denounced as a “classic conflict of interest,” by Domenico Scala, the independent chairman of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee.

Fifa today (Tuesday) confirmed that the election to determine its new president remains set for February 26, as initial plans were detailed from the Fifa Reform Committee.

Former Swiss international footballer Ramon Vega has called on Uefa president Michel Platini to step aside from the race for the presidency of Fifa, adding that he has been approached to run for the top job in world football and is considering his options.