“The 2026 tournament is the 10th since it was expanded in 2017, from 38 to 47 teams. And it wasn’t just an expansion of teams in the tournament, it was also an expansion of the tournament’s length. 10 years ago, the Libetadores’ schedule was expanded from a 6 month-time-frame to a whopping and roster-depleting 11 month-long tournament (to the detriment of smaller clubs). Since then, no team from a country other than Brazil or Argentina has won the title. Brazilian teams have won it 8 times since the tournament-expansion, and an Argentinian team has won it once since then. And Brazilian sides have won the last 7 titles. (Copa Libertadores winner in 2025 was Flamengo, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; it was the club’s 4th Libertadores title. Copa Sudamericana winner in 2025 was Lanús, a club from the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina.) …”
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W – 2026 Copa Libertadores
2026 Copa Libertadores
Daily Archives: February 3, 2026
‘They’re not getting a cent of my money’: how readers feel about World Cup ticket prices
“The 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is less than six months away. Fifa’s ticketing process has been met with demand and controversy. Security concerns for fans traveling to the US have risen. We asked readers to share their experiences of buying World Cup tickets – or deciding not to. These are some of the stories we received. ‘When President Trump placed aggressive tariffs on Canadian exports, I completely swore off travel to the United States. So, when Fifa selected me during the ‘Domestic Exclusivity’ phase, I leapt at the opportunity to buy tickets to a match in Canada. Each step of the online process was somewhat confusing, including a counter-clockwise circular countdown with imperceptibly slow movement and multiple login requests. Nevertheless, after a 90-minute wait, I was able to purchase tickets for my family to Canada’s last group game. They cost $270 (Canadian) each. The price was high, but that’s just the reality for North American sports today. There are tickets at that price and above for every NFL or NHL game. The price of the hotel I booked outside Vancouver was far more shocking. John, Winnipeg, Canada …”
Guardian
Pep’s Spurs curse? Three issues on Sunday have haunted them many times this season
“Pep Guardiola was defiant in his press conference after Manchester City threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Spurs, but he did admit his side have ‘difficulties for many things’. They are the kind of things that mean City’s latest dropped points cannot be explained by the unusual Tottenham curse, which has seen them win just four of their 12 matches against the Londoners since the start of the 2021-22 season. If there is an underlying reason for that poor head-to-head record then it may be that Spurs, seemingly no matter how much they may be struggling, relish the opportunity to hit teams on the break, and have been able to turn over City when they have been trying to find some momentum themselves. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)
