Streamer has exclusive rights for 2027 and 2031 editions Netflix: ‘It’s about celebrating the rise of women’s sport’ Netflix has secured its first major deal in the football market after signing an exclusive broadcast rights agreement to show the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup live to audiences in the United States and Puerto Rico. The deal, that Fifa has described as a “landmark media rights deal in women’s football”, means the streaming platform acquire the rights to cover a football competition in full for the first time, and will include coverage in multiple languages. The 2027 tournament is being staged in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027 and will involve 32 teams. The host of the 2031 competition is yet to be determined. “This is a landmark moment for sports media rights,” said Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino. “As a marquee brand and Fifa’s new long-term partner, Netflix has shown a very strong level of commitment to growing women’s football. This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game.” The chief content officer at Netflix, Bela Bajaria, added: “I’ve seen the fandom for the Fifa Women’s World Cup grow tremendously – from the electric atmosphere in France in 2019 to, most recently, the incredible energy we saw across Australia and New Zealand last year. Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches, it’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport”. The US broadcasting giant Fox and the Spanish-language terrestrial channel Telemundo had the rights to broadcast the 2023 edition of the World Cup in the USA and Puerto Rico. As of November 2024, Netflix was reported to have 66.7m subscribers in the United States. Continue reading...

Manchester Unitted are gearing up for the January transfer window, with manager Ruben Amorim hoping to bring in several new players to boost his struggling squad

Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Ngezana has credited Kaizer Chiefs for his impressive career that's begun to flourish in Europe. Ngezana, 27, joined

Mathias Pogba will probably appeal against rulingPaul Pogba was held at gunpoint by childhood friends A brother of the World Cup winner Paul Pogba was sentenced to three years in prison – two of which are suspended – by a Paris criminal court on Thursday in an extortion and kidnapping case. Mathias Pogba has already spent time in detention and the remainder of the sentence will be served under house arrest with electronic monitoring. This sentence was in line with the prosecution’s request. His lawyer said he would probably appeal against the ruling. Continue reading...

Alejandro Garnacho has been one of Manchester United stand-out stars during their difficult time of late, but his career to date with the Red Devils has been blighted by a series of controversies too

Defender has medial collateral ligament injuryEuropean Championship starts on 2 July The Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood is set for a substantial spell on the sidelines after having knee surgery. The England defender sustained a medial collateral ligament injury during December’s Women’s Champions League win over the Austrian side St Pölten. The club have not revealed a timeframe for the 31-year-old’s recovery but Lionesses fans will be concerned with the European Championship starting in Switzerland on 2 July. Continue reading...

The forward’s disillusionment with Manchester United is understandable, but he faces a tricky task to fix his form It was two years ago on Wednesday that Argentina won the World Cup. England had gone out to France in the quarter-finals and, beyond the usual kneejerk attacks on Gareth Southgate, there was a sense of general optimism. They had lost in a 50-50 game, beaten in the marginal details, and the squad looked young and fresh. When had we last seen an England attack so bristling with talent as a front three of Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane and Phil Foden, with Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford lined up on the bench to replace them? How quickly the world of football changes. Grealish is an intermittent presence at a glitching Manchester City. Sterling, chewed up by the Great Disruption at Chelsea, has vanished on his loan at Arsenal. But nobody perhaps has suffered a more striking decline than Rashford. He’d scored off the bench against Iran and got two against Wales on his only World Cup start in Qatar. He returned from the tournament in the form of his life. He got eight goals in his next seven appearances. In total that season, he scored 30 goals for Manchester United. He’d campaigned successfully to secure free meals for disadvantaged children during school holidays, which appeared to speak not only of a social conscience but unusual maturity. He seemed to have added a yard of pace and a greater directness to his game, and had a pleasing knack of putting the ball in the net. By the end of that season, he was 25 and seemingly entering his peak. Continue reading...

iDiski Times Edition 184 is now available, and this week Lorenz Köhler had an opportunity to talk with Bafana Bafana and FCSB defender Siyabonga Ngezana.

The longtime anchor of the USWNT backline won two World Cups and an Olympic gold in addition to three NWSL titles. But her trophy case is only the tip of her influence On Tuesday an American soccer icon who left an indelible mark on the USWNT’s back-to-back World Cup-winning era announced her retirement from the game. At 39, Becky Sauerbrunn leaves behind a 16-year professional legacy as an Olympic and (twice) World Cup champion, a NWSL lifer and undisputed leader for club and country, whether with a ball at her feet or a book in her hand. “It’s time,” she wrote, in a beautifully composed social media post that felt reflective of the voracious reader and effective communicator we knew her to always be. Continue reading...

Sauerbrunn to retire after 219 international appearancesDefender won two World Cups and Olympic gold medal Two-time World Cup winner and former US national team captain Becky Sauerbrunn has retired from professional soccer after a 16-year career, the 39-year-old defender said on Tuesday. The four-time NWSL defender of the year, Sauerbrunn hoisted the championship trophy in the top-flight American league three times and won Olympic gold with the United States in 2012. She missed the World Cup in 2023 due to injury. Continue reading...

Current Inter Miami and Argentina star Lionel Messi has reached the twilight of his career and his career has now taken a slightly different direction having now become a TV star

Steve Holland has joined the City Football Group to be the new manager of Japanese club Yokohama F.Marinos, having left his post as England's assistant manager when Gareth Southgate stood down in August

Fulham, the lowest-ranked team in the Women's FA Cup fourth round, will have their tie against London City Lionesses shown live on the BBC.

2024 proved a thrilling year for Nigerian sports, as athletes across diverse disciplines soared to triumphs and tackled challenges on the global stage. From football to boxing, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Paralympic champions, and D’Tigress made headlines, showcasing the unwavering spirit of Nigerian athletes. This recap highlights some of the most significant events that shaped the Read More