Gianni Infantino, Victor Montagliani and Concacaf
Saturday

FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended a Caribbean Football Union under-14 tournament in the Dominican Republic despite Concacaf president Victor Montagliani asking him to stay away. Montagliani warned Infantino’s presence would distract from the youth event amid FIFA’s governance crisis.

Infantino proceeded with the visit, meeting political and football officials and attending a CFU dinner. Montagliani, also a FIFA vice-president and possible election rival, had argued the controversy surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise would overwhelm coverage of the tournament.

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Crystal Palace
Saturday

Jean-Philippe Mateta is challenging the validity of the final 10 months of his Crystal Palace contract after arguing the club’s optional extension should not bind him. The France striker has taken the dispute to FIFA after an independent Premier League tribunal.

The tribunal is understood to have left Mateta’s contract binding, while FIFA ruled that overturning it was outside its jurisdiction. A successful challenge could have opened a path toward free agency before his current Palace deal expires in June 2027.

English grassroots football leagues, clubs and the Football Association
This summer

Grassroots leagues across England are delaying season starts after extreme heat and drought left pitches dangerously hard. The Anglian Combination postponed its campaign by two weeks after reports of severe injuries, including fractured skulls and smashed elbows during summer matches.

England recorded its driest July since records began in 1836, leaving cracked and hardened grass surfaces nationwide. The FA is advising clubs to assess safety individually, while some fixtures are being postponed, reversed or moved to artificial pitches.

Premier League clubs and commercial sponsors
Saturday

The Premier League has begun its first season since 2003-04 without any betting company appearing on a front-of-shirt position. Clubs have replaced gambling partners with finance, technology, software, tourism and existing commercial partners after a voluntary league-wide ban took effect.

Eleven clubs carried betting brands last season, generating up to £100m combined, making the transition a major commercial reset. Finance companies now sponsor six teams, while clubs including Aston Villa, Newcastle and Fulham have secured replacement deals from different sectors.

Bordeaux, Paris Administrative Court and Sparta Capital
Saturday

The Paris Administrative Court has upheld Bordeaux’s administrative relegation to Regional 1, France’s sixth tier, after rejecting financial guarantees supplied by new owner Sparta Capital. The ruling removes the six-time Ligue 1 champions from France’s national football divisions.

Sparta proposed €10.6m to settle outstanding debts after buying Bordeaux for a symbolic €1, but the court ruled the guarantees insufficient. The club now faces amateur football and possible judicial liquidation if its new ownership decides against funding regional operations.

Argentina, Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina and FIFA
Friday

FIFA has sanctioned Argentina players and staff after the brawl following their World Cup final defeat to Spain. Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, Nahuel Molina seven games and Thiago Almada one, while team official Roberto Ayala received three.

Argentina’s federation was also fined and ordered to play its next home match with a 50% stadium closure over fan behaviour, discrimination and political demonstrations. The association says it may appeal the punishments through FIFA and potentially the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Liga MX, Mexican Football Federation and Liga Expansion clubs
Thursday

Liga MX and the Mexican Football Federation have unveiled a new sporting model that closes the door on restoring promotion and relegation. League decisions will shift toward an 18-owner committee, with officials favouring a franchise-driven structure and greater infrastructure investment.

Promotion and relegation has been suspended since 2020 despite legal challenges from second-division clubs and a CAS recommendation to consider its return. The new direction means ambitious Liga Expansion teams may need ownership transactions rather than sporting promotion to reach Liga MX.

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union
Friday

Major League Soccer has fined Lionel Messi an undisclosed amount after he struck Philadelphia Union attacker Quinn Sullivan during Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw. Messi was not cautioned during the match, but the league took retrospective disciplinary action afterward.

MLS also rescinded Philadelphia teenager Cavan Sullivan’s red-card suspension after an independent review panel unanimously overturned the decision. The Messi sanction is his second MLS fine since joining Inter Miami, following a separate post-match confrontation in February 2025.

Atletico Madrid supporters and Julian Alvarez
Friday

Atletico Madrid supporters have escalated their backlash against Julian Alvarez by placing protest banners outside the club’s training ground demanding his departure. The demonstrations follow hostile chants during the La Liga opener after Alvarez pushed for a move away this summer.

Diego Simeone continues to say Alvarez remains central to his plans, while Atletico have refused to sanction his preferred Barcelona move. The increasingly public fan revolt adds another complication to a transfer dispute that has already damaged the striker’s relationship with supporters.

Premier League and its 20 clubs
Friday

The Premier League begins the 2026-27 season under new financial regulations, replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules with Squad Cost Ratio rules. Clubs are generally limited to spending 85% of relevant income on player and head-coach wages, transfers and agent costs.

Breaching the 115% red threshold can trigger a fixed six-point deduction plus additional points linked to the size of the excess. New sustainability tests also measure working capital, liquidity and equity, substantially changing how Premier League clubs manage spending.