“It is nine weeks since Sheffield Wednesday last played a home game but the flyposting around Hillsborough helps to illustrate a long summer of rancour. ‘Chansiri out’ is the simple, scrawled message, set against a collage of cult heroes and trophy lifts. Wednesday’s happiest recent times in the early 1990s, when they were regulars in the upper echelons of the top flight and frequent travellers to Wembley in cup competitions, seem a long time ago. It is 25 years since they were last in the Premier League and Wednesday now resemble a decaying club under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri, a 57-year-old businessman whose family own the Thai Union Group (TUG), the world’s largest producer of canned tuna. The money has dried up and so, too, has hope. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Daily Archives: July 2, 2025
FIFA urged to use ‘influence’ over President Trump’s ‘abusive’ immigration policy ahead of World Cup
“FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received a letter signed by over 90 civil society groups, the majority of which are based in the United States, expressing ‘deep concern’ about immigration policies and enforcement measures in the U.S. and their potential impact on the World Cup in 2026. The letter urges FIFA to use its ‘influence’ to call on the administration of President Donald Trump to guarantee the fundamental rights of the millions of football fans who will seek to attend the World Cup next summer. The groups reference Infantino’s ‘high-profile engagements’ in the White House and his recent trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, when he accompanied President Trump at an investment summit as evidence of his proximity to the U.S. President. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Real Madrid 1 Juventus 0: Gonzalo keeps shining, Mbappe’s return and a fine Alexander-Arnold cross
“Gonzalo Garcia kept up his sensational Club World Cup scoring form to send Real Madrid through to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win against Juventus. Gonzalo’s 54th-minute header was his third in four games in the United States and was enough to give Xabi Alonso’s team the edge at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The striker was later replaced by Kylian Mbappe for the Frenchman’s first appearance at the tournament after suffering from viral gastroenteritis. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
How Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal stunned Man City in Club World Cup – ex-Premier League stars, kick-off protest and cost of exit
“Al Hilal eliminated Manchester City from the Club World Cup in a landmark victory for the Saudi Arabian team, winning a remarkable last-16 game 4-3 in extra time to cap a day of upsets. The Saudi side have shopped significantly for European stars since the state’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) took control of four teams in the Saudi Pro League in 2023 as part of its global sports push. Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034 and the sports investment arm of PIF invested a reported $1billion (£750m) in DAZN, the broadcaster that bought the rights to the Club World Cup for the same amount from FIFA, which in turn has offered an overall prize pot of $1bn for this competition. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Bravo for $2 hot dogs. Boo for $19 beers. The cost of food and drink at the Club World Cup
“This summer’s FIFA Club World Cup is a valuable indicator for what we might expect at next year’s World Cup in the U.S.. For players, it is a wake-up call as to the weather conditions they might face. For FIFA, a forecast for interest, including not just attendance, but also atmosphere. For fans, it has revealed one thing that has surprised many: the price of food and drink at stadiums. To try and establish the truth among much online commentary, The Athletic felt it was our duty to ‘investigate’ the food and drink on offer at the following Club World Cup venues. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
