Club World Cup champions Chelsea could see the second edition of the revamped FIFA tournament staged in their own backyard. World football's governing body is aiming to invite 16 extra teams to the next Club World Cup, as well as loosening the rules on the number of clubs allowed from single nations, potentially allowing more than two Premier League teams to participate. What's Clearlake's masterplan to claw back these losses? Exactly how money-spinning that event will be for participating clubs depends on a number of factors. That led some to accuse FIFA of artificially inflating the value of the deal in exchange for influence from Saudi Arabia, who will host the international World Cup in 2034 and have been mooted as a potential host for 2029 too. “The 2025 edition was seen as a hustle,” says University of Liverpool football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to the Chelsea Chronicle. “FIFA are desperate for normalisation and legitimacy on the back of that.” Could that normalisation and legitimacy from staging the tournament in an established footballing nation, like England? I suspect not,” says Maguire, “but the matches involving Chelsea and three or four teams, as well as those involving Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and so on certainly would. “But the issue is when you get Oceania's best team against the second or third best team in Africa, there might be a novelty value, but it won't be much more than that. Yes, but I think we underestimate the appeal of England to tourist fans. Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox By proceeding, you agree to our terms and conditions. For information about how we use your data, see our privacy policy. Tell us about yourself to improve your TalkingPoints experience! Tell us about yourself to improve your TalkingPoints experience!

Scott McTominay's bicycle kick goal in Scotland's victory over Denmark — a win that saw the nation qualify for their first World Cup in 28 years — has been commemorated with a mural outside Hampden Park. The victory also featured two more memorable goals with Kieran Tierney's 93rd-minute strike from the edge of the area and Kenny McLean's 98th-minute effort from his own half. McTominay's career has continued to soar since he left Manchester United and joined Napoli in the summer of 2024. The midfielder scored 13 goals and provided six assists to help Napoli win the Scudetto last season. The Scot has scored ten goals and provided four assists this campaign in 34 appearances. Scotland are next in action when they host Japan (March 28) and the Ivory Coast (March 31) in international friendlies. The game against Japan is being played at Hampden Park, while the Ivory Coast fixture is at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium. After qualifying for the 2026 Men's World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, their first appearance in the tournament since 1998, they were drawn into Group C alongside Brazil, Haiti, and Morocco. They begin against Haiti at the Boston Stadium on June 14. Find the hidden link between sports terms

Now 84° Sat 83° Sun 86° President Donald Trump holds a press conference after the Supreme Court decided he does not have legal authority to impose tariffs. by Grace Bellinghausen MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is set to take the podium at 1 p.m. Friday at Camillus House in Miami, joined by a heavy-hitting lineup of legal officials, victim advocates, and sports organizers. The event features a prominent coalition of legal and community leaders, including Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay, and representatives from the FIFA World Cup Miami Host Committee. See also: Feds seek to revoke ex-North Miami mayor's U.S. citizenship over alleged identity fraud The inclusion of Kristi's House CEO, Amanda Altman, and survivor mentor, Gloria Martinez, could highlight a collaborative effort between law enforcement and local advocacy groups to provide a safe environment for the upcoming event. While the logistics are unclear, it's evident that safety protocols and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup are the highlights of the conference. 2026 Sinclair, Inc.

NEW YORK -- The New York and New Jersey World Cup host committee has canceled its fan festival that had been planned to be held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The FanFest was announced in February 2025 by Tammy Murphy, wife of then-New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and chair of the New York/New Jersey host committee's directors, who said it would be open for all 104 matches of the tournament, which starts June 11. The committee said in a statement Friday an "expanded network of fan zones and community celebrations across 21 counties in New Jersey will serve as a cornerstone of the region's official fan engagement program." Mikie Sherrill, Murphy's successor as governor, announced a $5 million initiative Thursday to fund community World Cup initiatives. Tickets for the FanFest had been put on sale in December. One is now planed for the U.S. Tennis Association's Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens from June 17-28 and a fan village is scheduled for Manhattan's Rockefeller Center from July 4-19. Fan fests with large video screens have been a part of each World Cup's organization since 2006. FIFA is running the World Cup itself unlike in the past, when a local organizing committee was in charge of logistics. The host committees are limited to sponsorship agreements in categories not reserved by FIFA.

Legendary Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has rubbished suggestions that Pep Guardiola's eventual departure could lead to the club suffering a similar decline to the one Manchester United experienced when Sir Alex Ferguson retired. According to reports, there is an expectation that Guardiola could step down from his role at the end of this season after 10 years as City coach. Aguero won five Premier League titles in his decade at City, with three of those coming under Guardiola before the striker left for Barcelona in 2021 and soon after was forced to retire from the game due to a heart condition. Guardiola has led City to six league titles in his nine years as well as landing them their first ever Champions League crown in 2023 when they completed a treble. The Athletic has reported that there is a growing expectation that this could be Guardiola's final season in charge of City, which has led them to consider potential successors such as Enzo Maresca. Guardiola, however, has refused to comment on the speculation, insisting he does not know what the future holds for him. Speaking via Stake, Aguero said: "Pep has repeatedly stated in recent months that he has one more year on his contract, so there's no point in speculating now about whether or not he'll leave at the end of the season." Roberto Mancini was manager then and Aguero collected his second Premier League crown two years later in Manuel Pellegrini's first season in charge, also lifting the League Cup. And the Argentine does not fear for City's future when the serial-winning boss eventually decides to walk away. "It's always the case that when such a successful manager leaves, there's some kind of reshuffling," added Aguero, who is City's all-time top scorer with 260 goals in 390 games in all competitions. "But I have a feeling that City will know how to replace him very well when the time comes. And whoever arrives will have a solid foundation to continue growing." Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting If this is to be Guardiola's final season with City, he will be determined to go out on a high by winning a seventh Premier League title. And City are edging closer to that goal after cutting the gap on leaders Arsenal to five points with a game in hand. Arsenal have dropped points in their last two games against Brentford and Wolves while City have won their last two league matches, against Liverpool and Fulham. He said on Friday: "Newcastle is all I am concerned with. I don't know what is going to happen these next 12 games. I didn't speak one second about that with my players. Ask me this question with two or three games and I will answer but 12 games left is an eternity.

If not listed, please contact your TV provider. Roughly four months and 120 miles away from the Los Angeles-area stadium, where he will likely make his World Cup debut, Matt Freese was staying in the moment. In that particular moment, it was probably just as easy said as it was done – there were fire pits and palm trees in his line of sight, he and his New York City FC teammates trading one of the East coast's most brutal winters in recent memory for comfortable days in Palm Springs with a week and change left to go until their MLS season opener at the LA Galaxy. MLS' decision makers will have their hands full with capitalizing on an event that rarely comes to their shores, all while hoping the arrival of global superstars like Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min creates meaningful momentum along the way. They will balance those tasks with implementing the finishing touches on their switch to a fall-to-spring calendar that will be complete next year, a move that brings them in alignment with many of the sport's top leagues. For a selection of players, though, the timing is more pressing. The start of the MLS season marks a final chance to impress national team coaches before roster selections are due in late spring, a feeling that is especially pertinent for American players. Since taking charge in October 2024, U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has picked frequently from MLS' talent pool and is slated to bring a healthy number of players from the domestic league to a World Cup on home soil. The odds of earning a role that only comes around every four years naturally vary from player to player, but they share both a common goal and the unique balancing act of club and country responsibilities in a World Cup year. "[I'm] incredibly grateful for that opportunity," Freese said about his reps with the USMNT before pivoting, "and really, really just focused on staying as present as possible and doing as well as I can and improving every day so that I can pay them back for that trust they've shown in me." Freese was a regular fixture with NYCFC before he received his first call-up to the national team last January and did not earn his first cap until June, his rise up the USMNT's goalkeeper depth chart hard to predict. It happened all at once, though – successive starts en route to the Concacaf Gold Cup final and some penalty heroics along the way mean the job has been his ever since, a quick turn of events. "I think a lot more opportunity presented itself and a lot more minutes but it wasn't necessarily unexpected because I had been training for that and working for that moment, so that when it came, because I had faith that it would come, just to be ready for it," Freese said. "It happened quickly, but it was what I had been working for and what I had been preparing for and so no, I didn't do too much reflecting on that or anything like that in the offseason." Heading into his eighth MLS season and his fourth as a regular starter, the new campaign will be his first with a World Cup on the horizon, which comes with a new workload – but not with new priorities in the offseason. He did not have a specialized training regimen during the winter and instead stuck to familiar patterns, including a chance to unwind after the 2025 campaign came to a close. "I think it would be a mistake to change the way I prepare for a season just because of the potential of such a big moment in the middle of it," he said. "The first 10 days of every offseason for me and many of the guys is really just absolutely no soccer conversations, nothing – no soccer-watching, soccer playing, no working out, nothing. I just tried to keep it as low-key as possible because I wanted the reset to be refreshing rather than tiring." The way his season ended, with a 5-1 defeat at Inter Miami a week before the Florida side won their first MLS Cup, keeps him just as motivated to perform for NYCFC as a chance of impressing during his first World Cup does. "I want to win a trophy," he admitted. "I look at our new sporting director, Todd [Dunivant, a four-time MLS Cup-winning player], and he has so many trophies in his cabinet and when I heard about him and quickly read up on him when he was named the sporting director, my first thought was, 'Oh my god, he has so many trophies and accomplishments,' and that example kind of shows how trophies live forever and that really just your name or your team's name in history so that is, on the club side, a massive, massive goal from me this year." Freese's ambitions are lofty, which only reinforces his need to stay focused on what's directly in front of him. "I'm a pretty old-fashioned, stay in the moment-esque guy," he said. "I don't use my phone a lot. I really try to just avoid the distractions that come with being a professional athlete in the 21st century and two more things. Getting too far ahead of himself is not his style, joking that he will reflect on his career when he's 40 and retired. "It's a long story," he said apologetically in reference to a remark about penalty kicks "being his thing" during last summer's Gold Cup. "I don't really want to get into it. While Freese is likely to be a headliner on a list of MLS players who will be World Cup-bound in the summertime, the league's 30 clubs are full of players who will take a very different approach to the upcoming tournament. There's Cade Cowell, a one-time U.S. youth international who is the New York Red Bulls' marquee signing ahead of a rebuilding season. Reminders of the senior national team are all around him, even if he has not been in camp for roughly two years – the World Cup is top of mind for most, while the Red Bulls' new head coach Michael Bradley comes with a decorated USMNT pedigree of his own. "I think every American player, it's still a goal to be on the World Cup [roster] and last year, I didn't get a chance to go to any camps," he said. "I know the window's tight, but it's in God's hands and whatever happens, I'm going to work my hardest to get there … When you're in the camps it's a very, very good culture. Pochettino's project to cast a wide net with his player pool means players like Cowell still hope for a World Cup roster spot, even if there are only 26 to go around every four years, the dream at least providing "motivation to keep [going]," in the player's words. Pochettino's open-door policy comes with a hint of added incentive for someone like Cowell, a winger hopes to integrate seamlessly into Bradley's version of the Red Bull way that hopes to attack quickly and settle into a defensive shape just as fast. "Every attacker doesn't like to do it but it's something we have to do and finishing off plays, whether that's a shot or a cross and just making the right decision once you're in front of goal." Then there's LAFC captain Hugo Lloris, for whom World Cup experiences are unforgettable – and in the rearview mirror. He captained France to their World Cup triumph in 2018, took part in their run to the final in 2022 and retired from the national team soon after, now in a fully different phase of his career ahead of his third MLS season. It's very different than [what] I used to face in Europe but my motivation is still the same." "I think we used to be really good and we developed a strong reputation the way we used to play, especially in transition, using the speed and the pace from offensive players," Lloris said. "I think today we want to keep this strength but at the same time, we want to get more control of games so we try to be more in possession, try to occupy our opponents' field in a better way, so by bringing more discipline in terms of positions with and without the ball. Lloris' World Cup days are behind him but as he contemplates at age 39 if this will be his final season as a professional, he embodies the multi-pronged approach many in North America have taken with this summer's tournament in mind. The ex-France international is an ambassador for soccer in a country that's still learning to embrace it, choosing to carry out his duties by sharing his experiences with players and other club staff eager to integrate any lessons in their day-to-day. I'm also here to share my experience in football so I have this responsibility to lead the youngest players in a roster. Lloris, though, feels that things are already trending in the right direction. It's growing in terms of demand and I think for the American national team, it's also a big challenge ahead of them because they [have a] responsibility, they are the face of soccer in the U.S. and they have to perform and show a great identity towards their fans but I'm quite comfortable about the future of soccer. I'm sure it will continue to grow in the U.S." There is no gambling offered on this site. This site contains commercial content and CBS Sports may be compensated for the links provided on this site.

The Olympics are winding down and the FIFA World Cup is taking shape. Here's what to know ahead of the international soccer tournament. The global tournament is set to run from June 11 through July 19, 2026. Mexico's team will play in the inaugural match, set to be held in Mexico City on June 11 at 3 p.m. The opposing team will be South Africa. Team USA is scheduled to debut on Friday, June 12, in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium against Paraguay. After that, the U.S. team will play on Friday, June 19, at Seattle's Lumen Field against Australia, and then return to Los Angeles for a match on June 25 against a team that has not been determined yet. Additional match dates for Team USA will be announced as the tournament progresses, depending on their performance in the group stage and whether they advance to the knockout rounds. The World Cup final is slated to take place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on July 19 at 3 p.m. The venue sits in the borough of East Rutherford, eight miles west of Manhattan. Telemundo and Fox Sports will broadcast the World Cup games live in Spanish and English respectively. Fans can also stream the games on Fubo, Peacock, Sling TV, or on any live TV streaming service that includes Fox Sports or Telemundo. Here's is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage schedule. Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network.

‘At The Sea' Review: Amy Adams Sinks In Vapid, Misguided Alcoholism Drama By ‘Pieces of a Woman' Director [Berlin] ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die': Gore Verbinski, Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz & Michael Peña On Wild Monologues, Genre Anarchy, & Marvel Returns [The... ‘The Beauty': Vincent D'Onofrio On Being A “Horror Show,” Working with Ashton Kutcher & Isabella Rossellini, & ‘Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2 [Bingeworthy Podcast] ‘The Beauty': Evan Peters & Rebecca Hall On Ryan Murphy's Most Unhinged Series Yet, Globetrotting Adventure, & Marvel Character Returns [Bingeworthy Podcast] ‘Sinners,' ‘The Studio,' ‘Palm Royale,' ‘Skeleton Crew,' ‘One Battle After Another,' & Lady Gaga Top 2026 Make-Up And Hair Styling Guild MUAHS Awards [Complete... ‘At The Sea' Review: Amy Adams Sinks In Vapid, Misguided Alcoholism Drama By ‘Pieces of a Woman' Director [Berlin] ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die': Gore Verbinski, Sam Rockwell, Zazie Beetz & Michael Peña On Wild Monologues, Genre Anarchy, & Marvel Returns [The... ‘The Beauty': Vincent D'Onofrio On Being A “Horror Show,” Working with Ashton Kutcher & Isabella Rossellini, & ‘Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2 [Bingeworthy Podcast] ‘The Beauty': Evan Peters & Rebecca Hall On Ryan Murphy's Most Unhinged Series Yet, Globetrotting Adventure, & Marvel Character Returns [Bingeworthy Podcast] ‘Sinners,' ‘The Studio,' ‘Palm Royale,' ‘Skeleton Crew,' ‘One Battle After Another,' & Lady Gaga Top 2026 Make-Up And Hair Styling Guild MUAHS Awards [Complete...

US soccer fans are furious over a major World Cup fan fest in New Jersey being axed. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. The event was scheduled to take place from June 11 through July 19. “From fan zones to neighborhood watch parties to street fairs, we are investing in the communities and small businesses that make New Jersey extraordinary,” Gov. Stadium chiefs threaten to axe England and Scotland World Cup games in £6m row England chaos as officials threaten to CANCEL matches at World Cup stadium Fans have shared their disappointment over the fan fest decision. “As a JC resident, this is devastating news,” one wrote on X. Phillies reporter who left viewers in awe with stunning outfits axed by NBC Ice hockey semi-final updates with Canada LEVEL vs Finland, USA later Winter Olympics star collapses and forced to retire in worrying scenes Those fans who had purchased tickets will receive refunds, per multiple reports. Thursday's announcement didn't share why the Liberty State Park fan fest was eliminated. Fan fests with big video screens have been a part of each World Cup's organization since 2006. Ice hockey semi-final updates with Canada LEVEL vs Finland, USA later

FIFA made a major splash on the global club calendar last year by launching a revamped Club World Cup tournament. Chelsea emerged victorious, and FIFA rewarded those involved. The governing body allocated a total prize fund of $1 billion to generate early interest in the tournament but initially failed to attract significant commercial support. Broadcasters appeared disinterested until the world soccer federation was rescued by DAZN's $1 billion acquisition of global media rights to the tournament, supported by funding from Saudi Arabia. Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise. In 2026, FIFA again turned to DAZN for media rights coverage of the Women's Champions Cup, with the OTT platform offering a global free-to-air feed to fans worldwide, supporting FIFA's goal of building excitement and viewership for its newest event. Unlike the men's Club World Cup, however, FIFA excluded DAZN's global coverage in the four home markets of participating teams. No domestic broadcaster was officially announced in Morocco. The rights process highlighted broader hesitation in the global market, with limited interest in FIFA's latest tournament addition, and partners announced only 13 days before the tournament began in England. From a sponsorship perspective, the new tournament can again be linked to broader market challenges. Visa continued its commitment to women's soccer by joining the competition's portfolio. The financial services brand has built a long-term strategy around supporting women's soccer since 2018, when it became the first-ever sole sponsor of UEFA women's soccer, and again with FIFA in 2021. The third partner added to the Champions Cup was Aramco, a brand with a complicated relationship with women's soccer. Don't let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis. In 2024, more than 100 women's soccer players wrote an open letter to FIFA urging it to end its partnership with the Saudi Arabia-based energy company. The estimated annual revenue from these deals to FIFA is $2.25 million. Attendance peaked at the final between Arsenal and Corinthians, with 25,031 spectators. The team drew a season-high of 56,700 for its match against Tottenham Hotspur, highlighting the potential to attract more fans to Arsenal matches in North London. As with last year's men's FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA invested significant revenue in its prize funds to help drive interest and competitiveness among participating teams. Of this total, $2.3 million was awarded to the inaugural champions, Arsenal. FIFA plans to launch a women's version of the Club World Cup in 2028, which is expected to feature 16 teams from around the world. However, history suggests this is unlikely, as a gap remains on the path toward true equality in global soccer. Despite all the initial lack of interest in its new tournaments, it appears FIFA is sticking by its greater investment in club soccer. Despite initial reservations with these tournaments, commercial streams will likely grow for FIFA as the tournaments build their status and popularity within the global soccer community. For FIFA, its greater involvement is about long-term success in boosting revenue streams outside the FIFA World Cup every four years. Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise. Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights. Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights. Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address. View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network.

The top American keeper at each World Cup since MLS was founded in 1996 — whether it was Kasey Keller (1998), Brad Friedel (2002), Keller again (2006), Tim Howard (2010 and 2014), or Matt Turner (2022) — always played his club ball overseas, usually in the Premier League. That's where Turner was employed four years ago, having moved to mighty Arsenal from the New England Revolution a few months before he backstopped the USA to a round-of-16 appearance, which included posting group stage clean sheets against England and Iran. Matt Turner started at the World Cup in 2022 but may be a backup this summer. But he then lost the main job to New York City FC's Matt Freese midway through 2025. Turner – who made just 31 appearances for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace over his three seasons in England – returned to the Revs last summer in an effort to boost his chances of manning the USA net in a second consecutive World Cup. That means MLS will be the stage that Turner and Eastern Conference rival Freese use to prove their case to USA coach Mauricio Pochettino, who will be watching closely. Pochettino will also be getting regular feedback from Toni Jiménez, his longtime goalkeeping coach. "Last season, we began a system of watching live MLS games of the goalkeepers on our shortlist, visiting their training facilities to observe practices, and exchanging ideas with their coaching staffs, including the head coach and goalkeeping coach," Jiménez told me earlier this week. "We're going to use a similar process for this upcoming season." The shortlist he mentioned includes several other U.S.-based goalkeepers, too. It's entirely possible — and perhaps even likely — that all three keepers who are eventually named to Pochettino's final 26-man World Cup roster in May will be MLS players. Presumed third-string keeper Patrick Schulte of the Columbus Crew has been called up consistently since Pochettino was appointed to succeed Gregg Berhalter back in September 2024. Schulte, a 2023 MLS Cup winner who started for Team USA (composed of mostly the under-23 team) at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has three senior caps. - 2026 World Cup: USA's Roster Projection: Who Makes The Cut? Brady and Celentano are both uncapped, as is Jonathan Klinsmann, the only World Cup roster candidate who has played consistently in Europe this season. So while U.S. assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D'Agostino have crisscrossed Europe all winter keeping tabs on top American field players like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, much of Jimenez's focus has been on this side of the Atlantic. "There is communication between myself and several of their goalkeeping coaches, as well as the goalkeepers themselves," said Jiménez, who worked with the likes of French World Cup winner Hugo Lloris at Tottenham and Costa Rican legend Keylor Navas at PSG. "I'll be traveling two weeks before the March training camp and will be able to attend a series of games and training sessions," he said. "And I'll be conducting another tour between March and May as we consider the final roster selections for the World Cup." The striker battle got even more interesting on Monday, when Haji Wright's hat trick against Middlesbrough leapfrogged Coventry over their English Championship rivals and back to the top of the Premier League promotion race. In Monaco's biggest game of 2025-26 so far, Balogun scored twice against PSG in the Ligue 1 rivals' UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff first leg. Although Monaco went on to lose 3-2, it was a big-time performance from the 24-year-old, who now has 10 goals in 30 games across all competitions this season. Last weekend, the former Clemson University football recruit logged 90 minutes for the fourth consecutive Ligue 1 contest, all of them wins. Luciano Spalletti wasn't kidding when he said that the outrageously versatile McKennie is good enough to play as a striker — Juventus' manager backed up those words by deploying the Texan up top in Juve's Champions League playoff opener against Turkish behemoth Galatasaray in Istanbul. McKennie responded by setting up Teun Koopmeiners with a perfectly weighted assist. The best spell in McKennie's already-career season continues; the 27-year-old has two goals and three assists in his last four Champions League and Serie A games this month. Through no fault of his own, could Pepi actually miss out on a second straight World Cup roster? The Texas native and former FC Dallas standout has been injured most of this season and won't return from his broken arm until next month. If not, Pochettino will have a hard decision to on who gets cut. Time is clearly running out for Reyna to be ready for the March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, if not the World Cup itself. Or is he just nursing a minor injury? Tillman was a second half sub again on Wednesday, entering after the scoring was over in a 2-0 win over Olympiacos in Athens.

Clubs who did not play are to get solidarity payments Frustration is growing among clubs globally at the extended wait for £185m of solidarity payments promised by Fifa on the back of last summer's Club World Cup. If shared equally it would amount to about £50,000 for every top-flight club in the world but, more than seven months after the Club World Cup's conclusion, there is no sign of the money and no timescale for its distribution. There is no suggestion that the windfall will go unpaid but clubs in smaller leagues are growing particularly impatient. The £740m set aside as prize money is understood to have been released; the winners, Chelsea, are thought to have earned about £84m. An executive from one of Europe's smaller leagues told the Guardian there had been no clear answers about when their clubs will be paid despite continued inquiries. In environments where domestic television rights deals are increasingly precarious, and in certain cases nonexistent, a five-figure windfall has the potential to be a lifeline. Numerous clubs, including some on other continents, have painted a similar picture. In Europe there is a perception that Fifa has dragged its feet on reaching a final formula for the payments' distribution. In practice, clubs are highly unlikely to receive identical amounts. Additionally, most confederations do not have a mechanism for distributing such payments. Uefa has experience of handing out solidarity funds to clubs that do not qualify for the league phase of European club competitions and is likely to employ a similar formula when the final sums are known. Fifa sources said they were in regular discussions with the confederations and clubs about how the money will be distributed, and that they wanted all stakeholders to benefit from what they regard as successful tournament. A source from the Union of European Clubs (UEC), which represents more than 140 non-elite clubs around Europe, said none of its members had received any information about when payments might be received. “UEC as an organisation has not heard anything and no member clubs we have consulted with have heard anything either,” they said.

Lawrence 2026 announced in a press release Thursday that the North African team will use Lawrence as its home base for the World Cup. Ruth DeWitt, director of community relations for Explore Lawrence, the city's convention and visitors bureau, said Lawrence has been preparing to welcome visitors for the past year and a half, and she is happy the players, staff, family and fans of the Algerian men's team will use the city as its “home away from home” this summer. “We all join in saying, ‘Welcome home, Algeria,'” DeWitt said. As the Journal-World reported, Lawrence was included in FIFA's official list as a potential base camp in June 2024, with plans that teams would train at the University of Kansas's Rock Chalk Park and stay at the Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave. It formed Lawrence 2026 as part of its efforts to bring together individuals and organizations from across Douglas County to address logistics for an influx of thousands of visitors drawn by the base camp and the nearby matches. “This summer offers a tremendous opportunity to showcase the broader university, Lawrence, Douglas County and our surrounding region,” Booker said. “I am very appreciative of the tremendous collaboration across all parties to make this a reality.” Algeria is one of four countries that will use the greater Kansas City area as their home base for the World Cup. Algeria is one of the four teams in Group J, which features the reigning World Cup winners Argentina, Austria and Jordan. Algeria is scheduled to play two matches at Arrowhead Stadium during the group stage: the first match against Argentina on June 16 at 8 p.m., and the final game of group stage play on June 27 at 9 p.m. Lawrence 2026 said now that Algeria has chosen the city as a base camp, the group will “zero in on the particular needs ­- linguistic, cultural and otherwise — of fans and players” in its preparations.