FIFA has confirmed the 12 stadiums that will stage the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States next summer.

The Athletic reported last week that FIFA president Gianni Infantino had promised global broadcasters that the Club World Cup venues would be announced by the end of September. FIFA has not announced a broadcast partner for the tournament.

Infantino confirmed the full list of venues on Saturday evening at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York.

“Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and in 2025 a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States,” Infantino said in a FIFA press release.

Lumen Field and the Rose Bowl are the only west-coast venues selected for next summer’s tournament. Lumen Field is the 68,000-capacity home of MLS side Seattle Sounders, NWSL club Seattle Reign and NFL franchise the Seattle Seahawks. The Sounders are one of the teams competing at the 2025 competition and are expected to play at least one game at Lumen Field.

Coming to the USA in 2025 #TakeItToTheWorld | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/ocAOgy87Fl

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) September 28, 2024

There are only two west-coast stadiums selected…

The German national team is ending its long-standing partnership with Adidas and has signed a deal that will see Nike make its kits from 2027.

Adidas last signed an eight-year contract with the Germany Football Federation (DFB) in 2018, meaning the men’s 2026 men’s World Cup will be one of the last times the German team’s kit is manufactured by the country’s most famous sportswear company.

During Adidas’ partnership with Germany, which has spanned more than seven decades, the team has won four men’s World Cups, three men’s Euros, two women’s World Cups and eight women’s Euros with the collaboration responsible for many iconic shirts during the 1980s and 1990s.

The DFB’s contract with Nike will run until 2034. “We are grateful to be able to look forward to an economically stable future again as an association thanks to Nike’s commitment,” DFB treasurer Stephan Grunwald said.

“The award to the future supplier partner Nike is the result of a transparent and non-discriminatory tender,” DFB chairman Holger Blask added.

“Nike made by far the best economic offer and also convinced with its content vision, which also represents a clear commitment to the promotion of amateur and popular sports as well as the sustainable development of women’s football in…

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has officially launched its bid campaign to host the men’s World Cup in 2034.

Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the sole candidate to host the tournament in October, after Australia decided not to bid.

SAFF has now begun its campaign which includes the unveiling of its bid logo and official website.

Under the slogan “Growing. Together”, SAFF says its bid seeks to highlight the parallel between Saudi Arabia’s rapid development and the transformative potential of hosting the World Cup while the logo is made up of intertwined rows of multi-coloured ribbons, displaying football and cultural symbols.

Much like 2022 host Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has come under intense scrutiny as has the country’s treatment of women and its view on same-sex relationships.

Mass executions, for a variety of crimes, are still common and critics of the government face house arrest, imprisonment and even torture while the conditions the vast migrant worker population live and work in have been heavily criticised as they were in Qatar.

GO DEEPER

Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup – what does it mean for wider world of football?

Human Rights Watch’s director of global initiatives, Minky Worden, said in October: “With Saudi Arabia’s…

Argentina captain Lionel Messi says his side’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil “could have ended in tragedy” after crowd trouble at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil captain Marquinhos added that it was a “very scary situation”, with photographs of the match and video on social media appearing to show police with batons clashing with supporters in the stands.

Ahead of kick-off, which had been scheduled for 9.30pm local time on Tuesday, Messi and other Argentina players went to the stands and spoke to fans, before going back to their dressing room. The Argentina players then re-emerged with the match starting almost half an hour late.

“We saw how they were hitting the people, again repressing the people,” Messi said, via Reuters.

“It already happened in the (Copa) Libertadores final (where there were clashes between Boca Juniors and Fluminense supporters and the police at the Maracana). We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, it could have ended in tragedy.”

Several fans appeared to sustain injuries during the crowd disturbances.

“We were worried about the families, women and children, that we were seeing in panic up there in the stands,” Marquinhos said.

“Down on the pitch, it was hard for us to…

So that’s that then. Roll up, roll up, for the Saudi Arabia World Cup. It might not be what you wanted but, hey, whether you like it or not is almost irrelevant at this stage. It is happening, it is unshakeable, and it is futile to think anything can be done about it.

Welcome to the future. Or, maybe, welcome to the new norm, given everything we have learned over the past few years about Saudi Arabia’s desire to reinvent itself as the most lucrative, tills-ringing, all-dancing place to play football on the planet.

You can be disappointed, exasperated, angry even, but nobody should be too surprised by the announcement from FIFA that, with Australia pulling out, the 2034 competition will go to Saudi Arabia as the only bidders.

Already, Saudi Arabia has lined up the FIFA Club World Cup in December, the Spanish, Italian and Turkish Super Cups next year, as well as bidding for the 2035 Women’s World Cup. And that’s just a small part of it.

Add to that the multitude of “Riyadh Season” events, the world championship boxing, the UFC events, Formula One races, WWE nights, the Equestrian World Cup and some rather mind-boggling plans,…

U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said he and Gio Reyna spoke over Zoom “weeks ago” and called it a “positive conversation” ahead of Reyna’s return to the U.S. team from injury — and his first camp since Berhalter was re-hired.

It will be the first time the manager and player have been together since controversy unfolded after the World Cup. The issues began with Reyna’s behavior at the tournament in Qatar and Berhalter alluding to those problems during comments at a leadership conference, albeit without mentioning Reyna by name. That eventually led to Reyna’s parents, U.S. Soccer veterans Claudio and Danielle Reyna, providing information to then-U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart about an incident 30 years ago in which Berhalter kicked his then-girlfriend, now-wife when they were freshmen at the University of North Carolina. That prompted an investigation into Berhalter that stretched for months. Berhalter was cleared for employment at U.S. Soccer in March and eventually re-hired as manager of the national team in June.

GO DEEPER

How did we get here? A timeline of the Berhalter and Reyna family’s rift

“First of all, the conversation was a positive conversation,” Berhalter said. “Appreciative of him taking time and being able to…

Rachel Daly believes heat and humidity could make it unsafe to play matches in the afternoon during the 2026 men’s World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Daly, now at Women’s Super League side Aston Villa, played college football in New York with St John’s Red Storm and had professional stints at three sides in LA, as well as spending six years at Houston Dash in the NSWL.

The 31-year-old England international was asked about her experiences competing in extreme conditions during her time in the U.S., including over summer, and how that might impact players at the 2026 World Cup.

“The humidity is what gets you the most,” Daly said. “And with heat as well, it’s not the best — especially midday.

“Three o’clock kick-offs is something I think should be avoided because it’s not safe.

“The temperatures rise so high there and, from personal experience, it’s not a safe place to be. Hopefully, they can take the times into account.”

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was moved from the summer — when the tournament is traditionally held — to the winter because of concerns over extreme temperatures in the Gulf state. Many stadiums at last year’s tournament had air conditioning as a means of combatting the heat, with several of the U.S. venues for 2026 also able to…

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and CF Pachuca’s Jenni Hermoso are among those nominated for The Best FIFA men’s and women’s awards 2023.

Messi, 36, won the 2022-23 Ligue 1 title with former club Paris Saint-Germain and also became the all-time goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues. The qualification period for the award, however, does not include the men’s World Cup in 2022.

Hermoso, 33, won the women’s World Cup with Spain in August and was awarded with the World Cup silver ball following her impressive form at the tournament.

Five Manchester City players have been nominated for the men’s award after the English side won an historic treble in 2022-23. Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Rodri and Bernardo Silva are all on the shortlist. Former City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who moved to Barcelona in the summer, was also named.

Four England players occupy the women’s list, including last season’s Women’s Super League top scorer Rachel Daly, Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood, Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh and Chelsea forward Lauren James. USWNT captain Lindsey Horan and Australia striker Sam Kerr are also among the nominees.

City manager Pep Guardiola and Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou have been nominated for The Best FIFA men’s…

“I’m watching Argentina on mute,” Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said over the phone on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s no need to hear the broadcast to enjoy it.”

Martino lived at a hotel near Inter Miami’s training complex in Fort Lauderdale for over a month after joining the club in late June and stayed there at the start of their remarkable 11-game unbeaten run. The move to a new apartment has been a welcome change. Martino is now more settled in the city, living with his wife and son Gerardo, 27, who’s also an assistant on the Inter Miami coaching staff. 

Before Argentina kicked off their World Cup qualifier against Bolivia, Martino and his son watched Inter Miami central defender Sergii Kryvtsov start against Italy in a Euro 2024 qualifier. They then became fans and turned their attention to the current world champions as they outclassed a listless Bolivia side in La Paz. 

Lionel Messi, Argentina and Inter Miami’s captain, was on the bench for the Albiceleste, but not part of the match-day squad. The 36-year-old was a game-time decision leading up to the game after admitting that he was fatigued after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on September 7. He’s been very busy since he started playing for Miami in late July. 

Messi and Martino will travel…

If there was a ranking of people who shape sports consumption in the United States, Burke Magnus would be very high on the list. A nearly 30-year employee at ESPN, Magnus was promoted to president of ESPN’s content in March 2023. This means he has oversight of ESPN’s live events, studio shows, newsgathering, investigative journalism, original content/ESPN Films, the talent office, audio, digital, and social media. It is a significant portfolio, with thousands of talented people working under him.

This week, he came on my Sports Media Podcast for an hour to discuss a variety of sports media storylines as the news cycle has been on hyperdrive, particularly involving his company.

The interview below has been edited for clarity and length.

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How aggressive will ESPN be regarding renewing your media rights agreement with the NBA?

We’ve been real clear on this, and I think everyone in the industry knows where we stand. We have an unbelievable relationship with the NBA. (Disney CEO) Bob (Iger), (ESPN chairman) Jimmy (Pitaro), myself, all the way on down through the company, we have a ton of avid NBA fans. It’s a great game. It’s ascendent on a global level. It’s run by extremely smart people who are savvy about where we are at this point in time in the media landscape. It’s…