GM football fans. It’s Thursday, Jan. 22 - Several law changes have been backed by football’s law makers, World Cup visa passes are now open, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Europa League (Jan 22): Fenerbahce vs. Aston Villa, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. Villa are already one of six Europa League teams who are guaranteed at least a knockout round playoff place, as they currently sit third in the 36-team standings. Automatic last-16 qualification is also not out of Fenerbahce’s reach, who are two points off the top eight. Bologna vs. Celtic, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. Celtic are 24th in the Europa League table with seven points from six fixtures, and could drop out of the qualifying places altogether if they fail to win away at Bologna. Braga vs. Nottingham Forest, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Competing in European competition for the first time in 30 years, Forest currently sit 11th, just two points behind the automatic last-16 qualification spots. However, they have only won one of their last seven matches across all competitions. See every Europa League fixture here and the league phase table here.
Results…
Champions League: Bayern Munich 2-0 R Union SG | Chelsea 1-0 Pafos | Marseille 0-3 Liverpool | Newcastle 3-0 PSV | Slavia Prague 2-4 Barcelona | Galatasaray 1-1 Atletico | Qarabag 3-2 Frankfurt | Atalanta 2-3 Athletic (League Table)
Women’s League Cup semi-final: Arsenal 0-1 Man Utd | Man City 0-1 Chelsea
TOP TALKING POINTS
Law Changes Supported
Football’s law-making body has backed plans to extend the use VAR, allowing it to intervene on second yellow cards and the awarding of corners. The changes were supported during the International Football Association Board’s (Ifab) annual business meeting on Tuesday, and the laws will most likely be ratified at the organisation’s AGM next month.
VAR will intervene on second yellow cards only if there is “clear factual evidence” that they have been wrongly awarded and led to a red card. Corners will also be checked if they were clearly wrong. Both decisions, though, will rely on VAR being able to check immediately and “without delaying the restart”, implying that difficult decisions that could cause a delay would not be checked by VAR.
Additionally, Ifab has expanded the referee’s countdown on time-wasting to include the taking of goal-kicks and throw-ins, building on last year’s law that introduced an eight-second countdown for goalkeepers to release the ball from their hands. There will also be a 10-second limit imposed on players for leaving the field when substituted.
Separately, the Canadian Premier League is set to trial Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule when the season kicks off in April. The plans were presented during the Ifab meeting, with other leagues set to be invited to take part in the trial if Canada’s top-flight trials go well.
World Cup Visa Pass
World Cup 2026 ticket holders can now access priority visa appointments for travel to the United States. The new Fifa Pass system is attempting to cut wait times, with applicants in "over 80%" of countries now able to schedule a visa appointment in "less than 60 days". The World Cup begins in 140 days from Thursday (Jan 22).
The US has paused immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, 15 of which have already qualified for the World Cup, including record winners Brazil. The State Department confirmed this pause does not apply to non-immigrant visas, meaning fans can still apply for tourist visas for the World Cup. However, a separate travel ban, expanded by the Trump administration, blocks entry for nationals of certain countries, regardless of the Fifa Pass–see the list of banned countries here.
Some fans will be under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which covers much of Europe, including the UK, as well as Japan, Australia, and other countries. They can travel visa-free for up to 90 days and do not require the Fifa Pass.
Damning Industry Report
Nine out of 10 clubs in English football’s top four divisions expect to post pre-tax losses for 2025, according to a survey of club finance directors by BDO. This news comes despite record revenues and rising valuations across the pyramid.
The report concludes that English football is structurally dependent on shareholder funding and a continual search for new investment. Player wages remain the biggest cost pressure, accounting for 63% of revenue among Premier League clubs, while Championship clubs spend 93p of every £1 earned on salaries. Early 2024–25 accounts show every reporting club has posted losses, including Brighton, which lost over £1m per week, despite being widely regarded as well run.
Despite this, investment interest remains strong, with over two-thirds of clubs approached by potential investors in the past year.
POLL
Do you support expanding VAR to cover second yellow cards and corners?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Manchester City players will refund the tickets for 374 supporters who travelled to Norway for their 3-1 Champions League defeat at Bodo/Glimt (More)
> Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave the club this January, amid interest from Aston Villa and Juventus (More)
> WSL Football has admitted "serious concerns" over the scheduling of the Women's Club World Cup, arguing it could impact the WSL and player welfare (More)
Americas
> Brian Gutierrez and Richard Ledezma, who have both American and Mexican citizenships, have finalised their one-time switch and will compete for the Mexican national team going forward (More)
> Ten per cent of Americans now identify football (soccer) as their favourite sport, making it the third-most popular sport in the country, according to a survey from The Economist (More)
> A total of 181,956 fans gathered in the various stadiums across Mexico for Liga MX matches over the weekend (More)
> USL Championship’s Monterey Bay FC and Liga MX’s Club de Futbol Pachuca announced a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening player development and enhancing scouting efforts (More)
Rest of the World
> FIFA's chief football officer Jill Ellis has said she is wary of hypocrisy over the Women's Club World Cup potentially being held in Qatar (More)
> Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has offered bonuses of more than $130,000 as well as plots of coastal land to each member of the Afcon winning team (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Should football stay separate from politics?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (78%)
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (18%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (4%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 W.T: “Football is a universal language, a passion that connects people from around the world who seemingly have nothing else in common. Bringing politics into the equation is a massive divider, and it kills the joy we find in the beautiful game.”
👍 S.C: “Leave this beautiful game out of stressful politics. We need a uniting and exciting moment in our lives, and the game of soccer has been and is always there for a moment to forget about all the stresses caused, especially by politics. Kick out politics.”
🙅♂️ E.K: “Sports, whether people like it or not, are inherently political, as is everything. I find it incredibly childish not to consider the ways in which football has a place on a political scale. It’s the world’s game. Political conflicts simply add another layer to this beautiful game. We can choose to ignore it and say that there is no place for politics here, or embrace it, because the truth is, politics has a role in everything. Why ignore it? Embrace it.”
✍️ M.G: “It's an interesting debate. Do musicians separate? No. I think people who are in a position like this (sports, music, entertainment) are a valuable tool to highlight injustices or a subject that is very close to them, e.g. Marcus Raahford and him skipping meals as a child because the family couldn't afford it. However, I object to someone virtual signalling (because they can), jumping on a bandwagon as it is the flavour of the moment or having their opinion rammed down my throat as if they are correct, and everyone is wrong if they disagree.”
EXTRA TIME
Every transfer in Europe’s top five leagues.
Man Utd to create a ‘The Crown’-style TV-series.
The importance of scoring first in the Prem–explained.
Which English football champions had the lowest top goalscorer?
The players that make up Guardiola’s £1.93bn spend at City.
Afcon’s team of the tournament revealed.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who Am I…
I am a "One Club Man" who made 737 appearances for that club.
I have scored the joint-most own goals in the history of the Premier League.
I was a striker throughout my youth career and later changed position.
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Yeah, we’d batter them.
Answer
Jamie Carragher.
