GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Oct. 8 - World Cup tickets are already on the rise, Arsenal could temporarily move to Wembley Stadium, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
WC Ticket Prices Rise
FIFA has raised prices for at least nine 2026 World Cup games after just one full day of sales. The governing body confirmed last month that it would use dynamic pricing for the first time at a World Cup, with most adjustments expected after the December 5 draw.
Fans, sharing screenshots (paywall) to The Athletic, revealed prices had risen by around 5%. For the U.S. men’s national team’s second group match, Category 1 tickets climbed from $535 on Wednesday to $565 on Friday. For the Round of 16 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Category 1 tickets rose from $895 on Wednesday to $935 on Friday, then $980 on Monday.
However, demand is not being impacted by the price rises. Within hours of tickets opening last Wednesday, tickets to the final–priced from $2,030 to $6,730–were no longer available. By Monday, nearly all premium tickets were gone, with no tickets available for the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals or final. Around 15% of total ticket inventory was sold during the first presale phase.
Compare 2022 World Cup and 2026 World Cup ticket prices here.
Cold Palmer Trademarked
Cole Palmer has successfully trademarked the term “Cold Palmer” with the UK Intellectual Property Office. The trademark grants Palmer exclusive legal rights to the nickname, meaning no one can use the term without his permission. He has also successfully trademarked his autograph.
Palmer’s initial application was blocked after it faced opposition from Chateau Palmer, a French winery. In response, Palmer’s team dropped all reference to wine in the application, which paved the way for its approval.
He has a separate, pending application to trademark his ‘shivering’ goal celebration. If approved, the celebration would be covered for commercial purposes only and would not prevent other players from performing the action during sports.
Arsenal’s Wembley Potential
Arsenal could temporarily relocate their home matches to Wembley Stadium as they plan major expansion plans for the Emirates. The club aims to increase capacity from 60,700 to over 70,000, which would make it the largest Premier League ground in London, at a projected cost of around £500m.
Arsenal currently have the fifth-largest stadium in the Premier League, behind West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester United. The club averaged £105.2m in annual gate receipts between 2021 and 2024, around £6m less than Tottenham and £19m below Manchester United. The expansion would also help address a season-ticket waiting list exceeding 100,000.
Planning permission for a redevelopment of this scale could take up to five years, and the club has not yet submitted its plans.
POLL
Do you think Erling Haaland is the best goalscorer in Premier League history? (See quote at the bottom)
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Harry Kane says he is open to extending his stay at Bayern Munich and believes a return to the Premier League is no longer guaranteed (More) | A consortium led by American tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick will no longer make a £4.5bn takeover bid for Tottenham (More)
> Arsenal Women opened their Champions League defence with a 2-1 loss to OL (Match Report); see all Women’s Champions League results (More)
> Arsenal have rewarded goalkeeper David Raya with an improved contract, with his salary increasing from the reported £100,000-per-week (More)
Americas
> Inter Miami and former Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba has announced that he will retire at the end of the current MLS season at age 36 (More)
> USMNT's oldest player Tim Ream, 38, has said that the 2026 World Cup could be his last major tournament (More)
> The USL Championship match between Rhode Island FC and Las Vegas Lights FC has been declared a forfeit due to the Lights’ use of an ineligible player (More) | Oakland Roots vs. Hartford Athletic to conclude shortly after publication (Live Result)
Rest of the World
> Malaysia’s FA will appeal after receiving Fifa’s written judgement over the suspension of seven players for allegedly illegally gaining citizenship (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think domestic league matches should ever be played abroad?
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🌎 Yes (21%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (76%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
🌎 R.M: “Yes. These are valuable revenue-generating and marketing vehicles for the leagues, teams, players, and hosting cities. The US NFL and MLB approaches should be studied and analysed.”
🌎 J.V: “If the goal is global exposure, then yes, if the goal is a money maker, then yes. If the goal is both, then it’s not even a choice.”
🙅♂️ M.M: “Why not just slap the home side fans in the face? It's about the same thing. I don't buy a season ticket to watch my team play a ‘home’ game in another country. That's what the Champions League and other similar competitions provide. This is another money grab by the rich owners of the clubs.”
🙅♂️ D.J: “Adding the costs of travel and hotels to the already high cost of tickets, and you've got a quick way to kill the interest of the domestic fanbase. It will also increase the disruption for teams and players, who will have to factor in extra travel alongside what may also be a travel-heavy calendar. Ridiculous idea.”
EXTRA TIME
Why are Liverpool so good at selling players? (video)
… but why are they struggling to get the best from Salah? (analysis)
How Adidas designed the new World Cup ball.
Assessing Son’s “Messi-like” impact in the MLS.
Everything you need to know about the UWCL.
… and the teams with the hardest league phase fixtures.
How the mafia is killing Italian football.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Robin van Persie, Gianluigi Buffon, Jonny Evans, Carlos Tevez, and Adam Lallana–what is the connection?
Clue: Start and finish.
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
Women’s Champions League
Real Madrid vs. Roma (17:45)
Twente vs. Chelsea (17:45)
Manchester United vs. Valerenga (20:00)
St Polten vs. Atletico Madrid (20:00)
Wolfsburg vs. PSG (20:00)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
All these players started and finished their careers at the same club. Credit: FootballJoe.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Erling Haaland is the best goalscorer we’ve ever seen in English football.
