Soccer

3/20/2026 |  Entering a soccer stadium without a ticket is now a criminal offence in Britain (Associated Press (AP)) Entering a soccer match without a ticket will become a criminal offence under new laws that will take effect ahead of the English League Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

It was at the national stadium where thousands of ticketless people forced their way in for the European Championship final in July 2021 in violent and chaotic scenes. 

3/20/2026 |  Political tug of war over Iranian women’s soccer team prompts criticism in Australia (Associated Press (AP)) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The United States and Australia’s political tug of war against Iran over the fates of seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad appears to have ended with the depleted team returning home minus the two players who defected last week.

3/20/2026 |  Iran women’s soccer team greeted with a welcome ceremony in Tehran (Associated Press (AP)) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team were greeted with a welcome ceremony upon their return to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia.

3/20/2026 |  FIFA fines Israel, denies key Palestinian complaint and urges Iran to fulfill World Cup schedule (Associated Press (AP)) GENEVA (AP) — FIFA fined the Israeli soccer federation for breaching anti-discrimination regulations but took no action Thursday on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel from global soccer for allowing clubs based in West Bank settlements.
Also, FIFA President Gianni Infantino further dampened Iran’s attempts to move its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, saying global soccer’s governing body wants the tournament “to go ahead as scheduled.”

3/20/2026 |  MLS to launch short 2027 season before major schedule shift (AXIOS Sports) Major League Soccer has rolled out plans for a mini-season in early 2027 as it makes a major calendar change that will align it with much of the rest of the world.
Why it matters: The long-awaited scheduling change will make the league more competitive during the summer transfer window, something MLS executives, including Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta, eagerly await.