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    Chelsea handed major fixture change as Club World Cup opponents are kicked OUT of competition by Fifa

    CHELSEA have been handed a major fixture change in the Club World Cup. some three months out from the competiton.The Blues were set to face Mexican side Leon in their opening match of the summer tournament, but will now take on a different side after Fifa have KICKED OUT the Liga MX side.Chelsea will face new opponents in the Club World CupCredit: GettyClub Leon have been kicked out of the competitionCredit: GettyLeon, who are currently second in Liga MX, have failed multi-club ownership rules relating to the competition – meaning they are now banned from competing.Leon are part of a multi-club ownership group – Grupo Pachuca – that also includes fellow Liga MX side CF Pachuca.Due to Pachuca’s involvement in the Club World Cup too, Fifa have decided that Leon must be ejected from the tournament.A Fifa statement read: “Following disciplinary proceedings opened against CF Pachuca and Club Leon, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to refer the case directly to the FIFA Appeal Committee in accordance with article 56 paragraph 3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.READ MORE ON CHELSEA”After having evaluated all evidence on file, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee has decided that CF Pachuca and Club León failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under article 10 paragraph 1 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.”In line with article 10 paragraph 4 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025M, FIFA has determined that Club León will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course.”No replacement has been decided for Leon yet, but is expected soon.Leon have a released a statement of their own outlining their plans to appeal the decision in court if they are prevented from playing.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt read: “Club Leon expresses its disagreement with the decision made by FIFA, which could exclude us from the next Club World Cup.”The decision on which team will not attend the tournament is the responsibility of the organization’s Secretary General, who will notify us in the coming days.’This is a joke’ – Danny Drinkwater reveals moment he was told he had ONE HOUR to leave Chelsea”In recent months, we have presented each piece of evidence and documents confirming that Club Leon operates autonomously in all financial, administrative, and sporting aspects.”Should Club Leon be prevented from participating in the 2025 Club World Cup with the same rights with which it earned a place on the pitch, we will pursue the matter to the fullest extent possible in the highest sporting courts.”CF Pachuca have also released a statement claiming they will be taking action.It added: “In our case, we will defend what was won on the field in a fair, professional manner, and in compliance with the rules of the competition.”The CONCACAF contingent for the Club World Cup now stands at three sides – Monterrey, Seattle Sounders FC and Pachuca.And a replacement for Leon would likely have to come from North America too.Grupo Puchuca owner Jesus Martinez said last year that he would be willing to sell his controlling stake in Leon if it allowed them to compete in the Club World Cup.Martinez said: “We told them [Fifa] that we informed at the last Liga MX owners’ meetings that Leon is the team we are going to sell control of.”We plan to give up the majority stake in the club before 2027. However, I think we’re going to maintain some kind of sports control.”What we want is to contribute to the growth of the Mexican league, and if they see that multi-property can have a negative impact, we’re willing to help in every way”.The other teams remaining in Chelsea’s group are Brazilian side Flamengo and Tunisian outfit ES Tunis.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe revamped tournament, which is taking place across North America, will begin in June.MORE TO FOLLOW…THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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    Champions League giants ‘ready to WITHDRAW 70,460-seater stadium from hosting World Cup’

    ATLETICO MADRID are prepared to pull out of hosting games at the 2030 World Cup, reports claim.As many as 23 venues have been proposed for the biggest show in sport in five years’ time- which will be held across a record SIX countries.Atletico Madrid are prepared to withdraw from hosting games at the 2030 World CupThe club won’t push for the Metropolitano to be one of the 32 stadium venuesSpain, Portugal and Morocco will be the main hosts in 2030 in a year where the World Cup will celebrate its 100th anniversary. It is the first time the competition will be played in Spain for 48 years, and its first time ever in the latter two.For its centenary celebrations, the first three matches of the 2030 World Cup will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.This is to commemorate the first World Cup final in 1930, where hosts Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the final.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThe final venues for the tournament have not been confirmed, although most grounds are bidding for a spot.But Atletico Madrid are reportedly shelving their 2030 World Cup hosting bid.The LaLiga club won’t push for the Metropolitano to be one of the 32 stadium venues, according to Spanish outlet Relevo.It comes as Fifa requires stadiums to be available more than a month before the 2030 tournament for its preparations.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Atletico are keen to exploit the commercial benefits of hosting concerts and events during the peak summer calendar.Reports claim that Atletico would lose around £20million by not being able to use its stadium during June and July.Inside £49m ‘Stadium of the Year’ which saw world record set and is more popular than the Bernabeu And club believe that hosting one or two group stage matches is not worth losing out on the concert money.Meanwhile, Atletico are also predicting that they’ll likely play second fiddle to fierce city rivals Real Madrid in 2030.The new and iconic Bernabeu will compete with Barcelona’s Nou Camp to host the World Cup final. Meanwhile, Valencia’s Nou Mestalla Stadium is set to have its World Cup hosting rights restored after work restarted following 16 years.The skeleton of what had been dubbed “the world’s best stadium” had been lying dormant as construction work halted in 2009.The aim is to complete the 70,000-capacity stadium by the summer of 2027 after the club unveiled its sixth set of plans since the original announcement in 2006.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzan, has now suggested the ground will be one considered for 2030.Meanwhile. the Metropolitano has all-but been confirmed as the host stadium for the 2027 Champions League final, according to the president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF).2030 FIFA World Cup venues – proposed full listAnoeta Donostia, SpainCamp Nou Barcelona, SpainGran Canaria, SpainLa Cartuja, SpainLa Rosaleda SpainRiyadh Air Metropolitano, SpainNueva Romareda, SpainRCDE Stadium, SpainEstadio Riazor, SpainSan Mamés, SpainSantiago Bernabéu, SpainEstádio da Luz, PortugalEstádio do Dragão, PortugalEstádio José Alvalade, PortugalAdrar Stadium, MoroccoHassan II Stadium, MoroccoFez Stadium, MoroccoMarrakesh Stadium,MoroccoPrince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, MoroccoIbn Batouta Stadium, MoroccoEstadio National del Paraguay, ParaguayEstadio Monumental, ArgentinaEstadio Centenario, Uruguay More

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    How 3 MILLION dogs are being slaughtered ahead of World Cup with executions & poisoned food… but Fifa is doing nothing

    AGAINST a backdrop of pained barking, an emaciated pooch hobbles over to a dirt-covered animal pile, which it licks, bites and then tugs at — eager to pry off any flesh to stave off starvation.It’s a haunting moment now regularly seen in Morocco, stray dogs are resorting to cannibalism to survive after a terrifying “street cleanse”, while others are killed in ghoulish ways and left to rot. Animal rights campaigners claim stray dogs are being rounded up and then killedCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One dog has resorted to cannibalism, as seen in footage supplied to The SunCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They claim dogs have been shot, beaten with weapons, poisoned and stabbedCredit: ‘International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)A design of Morocco’s upcoming 2030 FIFA World Cup venue set to be built in CasablancaCredit: Courtesy Populous/Oualolou + ChoiThe north-west African nation is allegedly in the midst of a mass butchering spree to eradicate three million homeless dogs in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup – despite vowing they’d ended the killings.Horrifying videos released by animal rights campaigners expose the horrors being unleashed on the streets of Morocco on the canines.Heartbreaking footage shows dogs being stabbed with poisonous sticks, violently impaled with hooks, left to bleed out from gunshot wounds and abandoned in pounds without food or water. It flies in the face of FIFA’s Bid Evaluation Report, which claimed Morocco had “outlined its commitment to the protection of animal rights” and since August had ruled “the culling of animals is prohibited in the country”.READ MORE FROM FEATURESHere The Sun refutes that with a damning dossier of evidence obtained on the ground through the International Animal Welfare Protect Coalition (IAWPC), which was also presented to FIFA.They say Morocco has violated their vow and lied to the footballing body. And that means their implementation as a host nation – alongside Spain and Portugal – is a “sham” and they must be stripped of their duties, campaigners say. The campaign calling for action from FIFA has been backed by celebrities including Downton Abbey star Peter Egan, music legend Gary Numan, conservationist Chris Packham and world-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall.Most read in FootballChariots of Fire actor Peter tells The Sun: “Football is regarded as the ‘beautiful game’ and for it to be celebrated in such ugly circumstances is a betrayal of all ethics. FIFA must act now.“I’m absolutely appalled by the situation and the football-loving public will be too, the majority of people who love the beautiful game cannot endorse such cruelty by knowing about it, ignoring it and supporting the World Cup. “It’s almost impossible to get one’s head around why any country would choose to brutally slaughter millions of animals just to ‘tidy their streets’ for a football match. It’s inconceivable.“They choose the cheapest way of destroying these poor creatures too, often this is starving them to death or bludgeoning them with a weapon. It’s absolutely shocking.”Dog that mauled man to death ‘attacked schoolboy days earlier’ in East LondonOne stray dog being shot on the streets in MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One stray was dragged along the ground for a lengthy amount of time to cause injuryCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)’Absolute evil’The new footage, shot in the coastal city of Kenitra, shows animals waiting in dark and damp spaces to starve to death and canine cannibalism.Les Ward, President of the IAWPC, tells The Sun “absolute evil is going on in Morocco” and that cruel dog catchers are being dispatched to the streets to round up strays for slaughter. He explains: “The Moroccan Government hasn’t even got a clue what animal rights means. “They are setting up ‘dispensaries’ and ‘clinics’, which are killing stations to eradicate dogs, not help them.“At these killing pounds the dogs are thrown into a mass of frightened animals. They don’t feed them, they don’t give them water. If they do feed them it’s with poisoned bait that kills them.“Cannibalism is occurring. These dogs are being starved to death and as a result, start to eat one another. “Others are being killed, shot and poisoned and then thrown in the bin.”They don’t die immediately, they thrash around, crying as blood pours out of themLes Ward, IAWPC PresidentAnother heartbreaking clip shows several emaciated pooches cower in their alleyway-like prison, some lifelessly looking up at the camera, while others could be seen with wounds. A few had given birth.An IAWPC campaigner, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid persecution, told us: “The dogs are starving and dying. “It is a tiny space with up to 400 dogs cramped into it and they are living in their own waste. “Some of them die from sickness or poisoning, the others eat them because they are starving… the dogs are kept next to a slaughterhouse which uses them as food. “It is inhumane and unbearable.”World Cup ‘horror’Moroccan authorities are estimated to be killing 300,000 homeless dogs each year, despite it being ruled illegal since 2019.Supporters claim it will end rabies, which kills roughly 80 people a year, but campaigners argue culling won’t work.Instead, they insist their Trap Neuter Release (TNR) programme, currently being implemented by volunteers, is the only way to succeed. Previously it helped Goa, in India, become a rabies-free state.A poison-tipped stick that’s used to kill strays in MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)A dead dog moments before it was feasted on by a starving strayCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Animals filled a narrow alleyway in a ‘kill shelter’ in Kenitra, MoroccoCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Les tells us: “Morocco’s approach will exacerbate the problem because rabies-infected dogs will continue to breed and more will move into the area. Killing is not the solution, it’s a horror.”Campaigners claim the culling has been ramping up since the 2023 Club World Cup, which was a ‘trial event’ from FIFA officials after Morocco lost an unprecedented five main tournament bids.Some oppose the slaughter – in 2022, a judge fined the Governor of the Nador Province 6,000MAD (£490) after discovering they had killed strays.The judge labelled it “uncivilised” and stated the brutality “which dates back to ancient times, are no longer acceptable”.In 2023, hundreds of strays and tagged dogs were killed in Tangier, which the founder of SFT Animal Sanctuary insisted was “because of FIFA’s visit” for the Club World Cup.She claimed the orders came “from the governor” and that all tagged dogs had to be “removed… from the posh areas around the stadium where FIFA will be”.’Inhumane killings’Now a World Cup host for 2030, campaigners allege the butchery is increasing and often the barbaric street killings are taking place in front of children. IAWPC footage shows men of the attacks by men in orange suits, including one who stuck his fingers up at the camera.Using “tong-like” implements, which have a painful debilitating effect, they pick up dogs the size of German Shepherds and throw them into vans pile with other dogs. One ‘dog catcher’ flips up his fingers at a cameraCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They then use giant tongs to pick up a German Shephard and chuck it into a vanCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Dead dogs being taken to the tip to be disposed of alongside rubbishCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)They are then taken to ‘holding’ centres where they are starved to death or “inhumanely killed”, we are told.One day is seen with blood trickling down from the midriff due to being cruelly dragged along the streets and beaten.Les says: “Some of the dogs are left to decompose on the street. Young children are seeing this. That’s traumatic for them and there are links between regularly seeing traumatising things and becoming violent in adult life.” Some dogs are killed with a stick that holds a syringe containing poison at the end, others are fed deadly bait by hand – both practices cause “considerable pain, suffering and lingering death”.Les explains: “Any vet will tell you killing a dog by strychnine is a cruel and lengthy process. They lure the dogs close by getting unsuspecting members of the public to tell them the dogs’ names.”Gun squads allegedly “shoot dogs around the clock with rifles and pistols” but cruelly they are “rarely killed outright” and left to bleed to death on the streets.he was banging on the door so hard and she was left standing in the street screaming as he was driven away. Louise Smith, victim of dog catchersLes adds: “These aren’t bullets that pass through they lodge in the body of dogs, meaning they don’t die immediately, they thrash around, crying as blood pours out of them.“I recently saw a harrowing photo of a dog seconds after its face was obliterated with a shotgun. It’s all extremely cruel.” Dog catchers Many of the animals are being rounded up by groups of dog catchers – and some seized them because they “know owners will bribe them to get their pets back”. Among them is Scottish mum Louise Smith, 46, who has paid to retrieve her six-year-old daughter Salma’s dogs “multiple times” but more recently she notes they are “all about killing.”“I tried to bargain with the dog catchers,” she says. “Salma was beside herself, she cut her knuckles. She was banging on the door so hard and she was left standing in the street screaming as he was driven away.”Dog catchers collect the animals and transport them to ‘kill centres’Credit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Six-year-old Salma was devastated when her dog Bingo was taken by dog catchersCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)One man shoots a dog in the streetCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)FIFA ‘betrayal’Pressure is mounting against FIFA to take action – celebrities to join the campaign include Dr Jane Goodall, who’s famed for her work with wild chimpanzees. In a letter, she demanded urgent intervention, writing: “If you fail to act, however, FIFA will be known for its complicity in a horrific act of barbarity – on your watch.”There is simply no excuse for the awful campaign of cruelty that is being executed in football’s name.” Les says the IAWPC has sent letters to FIFA every week, supplied photo and video evidence as well as written testimony, only to receive “no reply, nothing whatsoever”. He says: “Absolute evil is going in Morocco and FIFA and its associations should know better. In the UK, anyone found shooting, poisoning, starving or clubbing a dog would be thrown in jail, because it’s a criminal offence. “This World Cup is being built on three million dead dogs and god knows how many traumatised children, that’s a blood scandal and raises the question of whether we should be sending our football teams there at all.“Allowing Morocco to host the World Cup has greenlit their killing groups to pick up and murder as many dogs as they can, as quickly as they can before 2030. “FIFA is complicit by maintaining the wall of silence. They are not stopping the government from killing their dogs, so they are party to it and complicit.”READ MORE SUN STORIESThe Sun contacted FIFA, officials in Morocco and the Moroccan embassy but received no response.Find out more about the IAWPC here or sign their petition.Dog catchers using metal tongs, which cause immense pain, to pick up poochesCredit: International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC)Morocco is preparing to host the 2030 World CupCredit: AFPFIFA President Gianni Infantino has been slammed by animal rights campaignersCredit: EPA More

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    World Cup final is the greatest show on earth – it doesn’t need half-time show or Janet Jackson Nipple-gate to prove it

    FIFA have never been one to shy away from spectacle but their latest decision to introduce an American-style, star-studded half-time show for the 2026 World Cup final has sparked controversy.For football’s purists, this is a step too far — an unnecessary intrusion into the most sacred match in the sport.The 2026 World Cup final will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time showJanet Jackson was involved in a wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime showColdplay have been asked to choose the artists for next year’s finalFor others, it’s a modern evolution, bringing football in line with the commercial juggernaut that is the Super Bowl.Readers of a certain vintage will recall the FA Cup final was always adorned by a half-time musical break, but it was more the band of the Coldstream Guards than Coldplay.Next year, at the final in New Jersey, the boys from Coldplay have been asked by Fifa president Gianni Infantino to cobble together some ‘artistes’ to entertain the fans during the half-time break, just like they do at the Super Bowl.Let’s hope there isn’t another Janet Jackson boob, or ‘wardrobe malfunction’ as it was called back in 2004, when Justin Timberlake ripped off Ms Jackson’s bodice, revealing rather more than the quarterback’s master-plan.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSOn the basis Fifa won’t want a rerun of that infamous Nipple-gate, you can be damned sure Dolly Parton won’t be getting the gig.But the World Cup final has always been about the football, not the half-time show.It is the pinnacle of the sport, watched by billions worldwide, where history is written and legends are made.The idea that Fifa now wants to shoehorn a Hollywood-style entertainment break into what should be an intense, uninterrupted battle for glory feels unnecessary, if not entirely out of place.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe Super Bowl’s famous half-time show regularly attracts more TV viewers than the game itself and previous performers have included pop royalty like Beyonce, Rihanna, Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga.Other than Janet Jackson, they’ve all managed to keep their clothes on.World Cup winner’s Wag dubbed ‘hottest woman in the world’ and ‘from another planet’ after stunning in series of bikinis Traditionally, half-time in football is a 15-minute tactical reset.Players regroup, managers deliver crucial team talks and fans either hold their breath or take a moment to recover from the first-half drama.  Or at least get a quick beer in.How will players feel about potentially waiting longer to restart the biggest game of their careers? Will the spectacle detract from the sporting drama?Do fans, emotionally invested in the match, want a pop concert when they are dissecting their team’s performance?After an eight-minute VAR delay at the Bournemouth vs Wolves FA Cup match last weekend, add a lengthy half-time show at the Vitality Stadium and supporters would have been in danger of missing the last bus home. And who is going to pay for it? A glance at ticket prices for the World Cup final show the cheap seats already start at £3,000 each, so it’s pretty clear who will be forking out for the fun — the supporters.Next year’s World Cup is hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico and Fifa’s decision to introduce a showbiz-style interval seems to be a clear nod to American sports culture.The Super Bowl half-time show is a global event in itself, with A-list performers, jaw-dropping production and millions tuning in just for the spectacle.But football isn’t American football. Kendrick Lamar’s recent Super Bowl performance has gone viral for weeksTennis icon Serena Williams danced at the Super Bowl last monthAnd while Fifa are clearly eyeing new commercial opportunities, the World Cup isn’t in need of a marketing boost.This move is part of a wider trend — football, increasingly, is being shaped by commercial interests.Expanded tournaments, mid-season World Cups, club competitions that stretch calendars to breaking point — decisions are being driven by revenue rather than the rhythm of the game.Fifa will argue this move will “enhance the fan experience” but it feels like an attempt to sell an already premium product to an even bigger audience.Football doesn’t need a headline act at half-time. The real stars are on the pitch, not on a stage.If Fifa get their way, will we see DJs at full-time? Fireworks before penalties? Commercial breaks for VAR decisions?The fear is that once this door is opened, football’s traditions will continue to erode in the name of spectacle.This all feels a far cry from the days when you huddled around your cup of Bovril while reading the club programme at half-time. READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd over the tinny PA would be the crackly sounds of Shakin’ Stevens or Sade.The World Cup final is already the Greatest Show on Earth. It doesn’t need a half-time act to prove it.Gianni Infantino has informed sponsors of the major change More

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    Fifa confirm biggest cash pot in football history at Club World Cup with Man City and Chelsea getting share of $1BILLION

    CHELSEA and Manchester City will take shares of the biggest cash pot in football history when they play in this summer’s inaugural expanded Club World Cup.Fifa chiefs confirmed a stunning £776million cash pool for the 32-team tournament to be played in the USA in June and July.Fifa have confirmed the prize money for the Club World CupCredit: GettyA global TV deal with streamer DAZN will pay for the competition.It will see the 12 European teams getting the biggest up front payments.Prize money will be top loaded for progress to the latter stages with full details due to be confirmed next week.But getting to the last eight is expected to be worth £60m for the two Prem sides.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLWhile there is a potential £100m reward if they win the tournament.Fifa will also give a large “solidarity” payment to clubs and nations not involved.Fifa President Gianni Infantino said: “The Fifa Club World Cup will not only be the pinnacle of club football.”But also a vivid demonstration of solidarity that will benefit clubs at large to a scale that no other competition has ever done.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS“All revenue generated by the tournament will be distributed to the participating clubs and via club solidarity across the world as Fifa will not keep a single dollar.“Fifa’s reserves, which are there for global football development, will remain untouched.”Fans baffled as Donald Trump sends bizarre video message to pal ‘Jonny’ Infantino before Fifa Club World Cup draw More

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    UK to make bid to host 2035 football Women’s World Cup as PM says tournament could be ‘monumental moment’ for country

    THE UK is set to make a blockbuster bid to host the 2035 football Women’s World Cup.Prime Minister Keir Starmer said holding the biggest tournament in the sport on British soil will be a “monumental moment” for the country.The UK is set to make a blockbuster bid to host the 2035 football Women’s World Cup following on from the Lionesses big win at Euro 2022Credit: GettyEngland’s players receiving the runners up medals at the 2023 Women’s World CupCredit: AFPThe Wembley Arch lit up red and white prior to the Uefa Women’s Nations League match between England and Spain last monthCredit: GettyEngland have an illustrious history with performing well at major football events held at home.The men’s side won the World Cup in 1966 with a thrilling final win in Wembley.Sarina Wiegman’s women’s side took home England’s second ever international trophy and its first ever Euros Championship when they “returned football home” in 2022.The FA has now officially registered their interest in the upcoming 2035 Women’s World Cup with hopes of again lifting a major trophy. read more in women’s footballEngland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are due to collectively submit an expression of interest to FIFA for the right to host the tournament. The FIFA Council has already recommend the 2035 competition has European or African hosts. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke on the historic bid as he said: “Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity.”Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekends like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else. Most read in Football”That pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. “It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy. Devastated Lionesses collapse in tears on the pitch as bid to make Women’s World Cup history falls agonisingly short”The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 on home turf would be another monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy.”He added that the bid will have his government’s full support. The declaration of interest will need to be submitted to FIFA in the first quarter of 2025 before a decision is made at some point in 2026.If the FA manage to land the lucrative deal then it will be the first ever Women’s World Cup held in Britain.It will also be only the second time a World Cup has been held in the UK since the 1966 men’s tournament.Several stadiums across the British Isles are expected to be used with the final set to be held at Wembley like usual.Mark Bullingham, the CEO of the English FA, said hosting the tournament would be an honour. He continued: “We strongly believe that we could organise a fantastic tournament, building on the success of the UEFA Women’s EURO in 2022 and the subsequent rapid growth of the women’s game in England. “We’re excited about the opportunity to welcome the world, and hosting participating nations and fans in sold-out stadiums. “There is outstanding support for the women’s game in this country and we want to maximise this, not only for women’s and girls’ football here but also for the benefit of the global game.”One of the biggest competitors for the British bid is expected to come from South Africa. READ MORE SUN STORIESSimon Morton, UK Sport’s deputy chief executive, said last year: “The Women’s World Cup is the biggest sporting event that the UK has never hosted and so in that respect, it has a special appeal to us. “There is definitely an aspiration to host it in the 2030s.”England won the 1966 World Cup at Wembley almost 60 years agoCredit: GettyEngland captain Leah Williamson holding up the Euro 2022 trophyCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunSarina Wiegman with the Euro 2022 trophyCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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    Major change to World Cup final confirmed by Fifa with UK band with TEN No1 albums to perform glitzy half-time show

    NEXT year’s World Cup final will feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show.The tournament is set to take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada and will include a new expanded 48-team format.Gianni Infantino has informed sponsors of a major changeCredit: PAThe World Cup final is set to take place in East Rutherford, New JerseyCredit: GettyThe final will kick off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19, 2026.Per Sky News’ Rob Harris, “multiple artists” will perform at half-time.He adds that Fifa president Gianni Infantino has informed sponsors of the decision.Fifa are working with Coldplay on the half-time show, with the British band set to also incorporate other artists into the act.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThis will be the first time that a World Cup final has included a half-time show.The 2022 World Cup final in Qatar saw six artists perform before the final between Argentina and France.Their performances were incorporated into the tournament’s closing ceremony.In recent years, the Champions League final has often featured a pre-match musical performance.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSColdplay are set to be involved in the half-time showCredit: GettyLenny Kravitz performed three songs ahead of last year’s Wembley final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.While other recent finals have included Camila Cabello, Burna Boy and Dua Lipa.Coldplay perform Scottish football anthem The recent Super Bowl in New Orleans featured a half-time show with Kendrick Lamar and SZA.It achieved an average audience of 133.5 million – surpassing Michael Jackson’s record set in 1993 and making it the most watched Super Bowl half-time show ever.Kendrick Lamar and SZA produced a record-breaking performance in New OrleansCredit: GettyDua Lipa performs ahead of the 2018 final in KyivCredit: Getty Images – GettyCamila Cabello performed ahead of the 2022 Champions League finalCredit: Getty More

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    Lionel Messi team-mate reveals he still takes medication to deal with World Cup final loss – despite going on to win it

    ANGEL DI MARIA has revealed that he still takes medication to deal with past disappointments with Argentina.The former Manchester United ace suffered three consecutive final defeats.Angel Di Maria (right) went through three consecutive international final defeatsCredit: GettyDi Maria, 37, went through heartbreaking losses in two Copa America finals and the 2014 Fifa World Cup, where he was an unused sub in the 1-0 final loss to Germany.He has managed to overcome the disappointments with successes in the 2022 Fifa World Cup and 2021 and 2024 Copa America finals.However, the three-year period that saw the crushing defeats took its toll on the wide player.Di Maria has revealed that he is still taking medication to deal with the lows.READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSIHe told Infobae: “Because of that I’m still taking the meds.”I was able to reduce it [dosage].”I’m much better, but that’s something a little addictive, too.”These are things that stay with you, that mark you.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSDi Maria was the matchwinner in the 2021 Copa America final win over Brazil as he scored the only goal of the game.He was also one of the heroes in the 2022 World Cup final as he netted the first goal in the win over France.’It’s like Messi… there I said it’ – Pundits rave about Arsenal ace Nwaneri as Shearer dubs him ‘potential superstar’Di Maria was one of the goalscorers in the 2022 World Cup finalCredit: GettyHe also helped the team retain the Copa America in 2024Credit: ReutersThe Benfica star did admit that he has sympathy for his former international team-mates who did not get the chance to win an honour.He added: “Who remembers the boys that reached that World Cup final and didn’t win?””Very few, it seems unfair to me. Who is talking about those kids Nobody.”Very few can tell you how they played.”I said it a lot of times when we became world champions, when we won the Copa America, I always said that those trophies were also [thanks] to the previous generation.”Di Maria called time on his Argentina career last year but is still producing the goods for Benfica.He has impressed this season in Portugal with 14 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions.Despite his impressive form, he has insisted that leaving international football behind was for the best.He said: “I was there for 16 years [with the national team] and it is as if I had been in a club.”It’s difficult, but I think I made the right decision. It’s obvious that it tempts me because it’s the national team.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I left the way I wanted to leave.”I hope one day I can be there again, in a different role.” More