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World Cup Ticket Schedule Released
First billion-dollar kit deal | Transfer records broken | The history of football explained
GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, July. 16 - FIFA has released its World Cup 2026 ticket sale schedule, Premier League transfer spending reaches new heights, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURE
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Quarter-Final: Norway vs. Italy, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. Historically, Norway have dominated this fixture, winning five of the six previous meetings. They’ve also won all their matches in the competition so far, having scored eight goals and conceded five across three group stage matches. Italy, who faced Spain, Portugal and Belgium, managed to score in every match but kept only one clean sheet. See all the Women’s Euro quarter-final fixtures here.
TV Channels: BBC / ITV (UK) | FOX Sports (US) | TSN (Canada)
TOP TALKING POINTS
WC26 Ticket Schedule Released
The first ticket draw for the 2026 World Cup will open on September 10, 2025. Fifa says that high demand means tickets will be released in phases, with each phase potentially featuring different ticket products. The Final Draw will take place in December. You can register your interest in purchasing tickets here.
Fifa has not disclosed whether it will use dynamic pricing, as it did for the Club World Cup, where ticket prices fluctuated significantly. Reports in May claimed that the governing body was planning on implementing a dynamic pricing model at the World Cup, but Fifa declined to confirm or deny those claims. For reference, the 2024 Super Bowl, which used dynamic pricing, had an average ticket price of $8,000.
The tournament, which kicks off on June 11, 2026, is expected to draw 6.5 million fans across 104 matches, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Transfer Spending Rises
Premier League clubs have spent more money on transfers at this stage of the summer than ever before. At the time of writing, the English top flight has already spent £1.03bn on players since the window opened at the start of June—the previous high at this stage was £800m in the summer of 2022. However, this summer’s spend remains less than halfway to the £2.36bn record set during last year’s window.
Liverpool’s £100m move for Florian Wirtz is the biggest transfer so far, with Manchester United’s £62.5m deal for Matheus Cunha the next largest. There have been seven other signings this summer for an initial fee of £40m or more.
Premier League clubs have outspent Serie A, the Bundesliga, and La Liga combined. Chelsea and Liverpool have spent the most so far, with transfers worth £211m and £185m, respectively. The Reds could significantly outspend Chelsea if they complete a £120m signing of Alexander Isak (see On The Ball below). Tottenham (£122m), Manchester City (£113m), and promoted Sunderland (£100m) follow closely behind.
See every club’s transfers ins and outs here.
Record-Breaking Kit Deal
Manchester City have signed a new partnership contract with Puma worth at least £1bn, making it the most valuable agreement of its kind for a Premier League club. City will receive £100m a year over 10 years, a sharp rise from their previous £65m-a-year deal, which was due to run until 2029. It remains unclear whether Puma has guaranteed the nine-figure annual fee or if some of it is performance-related.
The club’s new home shirt (see here) features a sash for the first time, nodding to City’s designs from the early to mid-1970s. Meanwhile, leaks suggest the away kit will feature a simple design with a black base and metallic silver logos–see concept images here.
Puma is increasing its presence in European football. The German apparel company will also be the official supplier of the Premier League match ball, ending a 25-year partnership with Nike. The Puma Orbita ball (see images) is also being used in La Liga, Serie A, the Scottish Premiership, and Liga Portugal.
POLL
Are players' transfer fees justified given the amount of money in today's game?Leave your initials in your response if you'd like to be featured in tomorrow's edition. |
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Liverpool are reportedly rivalling Newcastle for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike as the Magpies refuse to sell Alexander Isak to the Reds for £120m (More); Newcastle’s club-record £70m bid for Ekitike was rejected by Frankfurt (More) | Brentford have completed the signing of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson on a two-year contract (More)
> Lamine Yamal is set to be investigated for hiring people with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party; though media reports are exaggerating the seriousness of the investigation (More)
> The owners of Premier League club Burnley, Velocity Sport Limited, have agreed a deal to acquire La Liga side Espanyol (More)
> Nicolo Zaniolo has been fined €15,000 for allegedly assaulting two AS Roma players when he entered their locker room after a youth match in May (More)
Americas
> The United States men’s national team will play Ecuador and Australia in October friendlies as preparation for next year’s World Cup (More)
> Six MLS players have been added to the All-Star Roster (More) | MLS mid-week fixtures take place today (July 16) as Inter Miami face second-place Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference; Western Conference leaders San Diego FC look to maintain their two-point lead as they play Toronto (Full Fixtures)
> Aliyah Boston, of the WNBA's Indiana Fever, has become an investor in the NWSL's upcoming expansion team, Boston Legacy FC (More)
Rest of the World
> Al-Nassr appointed Portuguese Jorge Jesus as coach, two months after he left their Saudi Pro-League rivals Al-Hilal (More)
PRESENTED BY THE UNDERDOG NEWSLETTER
The Best Sports Stories You've Never Heard
Sports are full of inspiring underdog stories.
Michael Lewis was a beer truck delivery driver who became an NFL All-Pro.
Billy Wagner was a 5’5” Division 3 walk-on who willed himself to baseball immortality.
After getting cut 3 of 4 years in high school, Ryan Gusto pushed his way to the doorstep of the majors.
Yet, these stories rarely make the headlines. Enter The Underdog Newsletter—a weekly email dedicated to the best sports stories you've never heard.
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think the Club World Cup could become more important than the UEFA Champions League?
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 📈 Yes (24%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (75%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (1%)
Your punditry takes:
📈 M.F: “The expanded version of the Club World Cup has only just begun. Give this tournament a year or two, and it will gain the recognition it deserves! The Uefa Champions League was a stepping stone for this world format. Although a great tournament, not a world tournament.”
🙅♂️ W: “You can throw as much money as you want at a manufactured pre-season tournament, but it can't come close to the prestige of established competitions that clubs aspire to win each year. Not to mention, it's played at a time when the players should be recovering from the previous season. The disdain shown towards player safety is obvious, and lessens the appeal of the entire competition.”
✍️ T.A: “Never say never. There was a time when no one would've imagined the English first division would be more popular than Serie A.”
✍️ W.N: “If Fifa plays their cards right, such as making this every two years and not limiting two teams per nation, so the best remaining teams get to play, this could very well become as important as the Champions League. The South Americans and African teams are just waiting to take on the European teams to prove the rest of the world isn't as far behind the standards as most people seem to think.”
EXTRA TIME
The history of football–explained simply. (video)
How each club paints their penalty spot.
The numbers that define the women’s Euro 2025.
… and Opta’s updated knock-out projections.
Palmer’s CWC final goal in slow motion is poetic.
ESPN update the MLS power rankings.
What are the demands of Premier League fans in Asia? (op-ed)
GAME FACE ON
Question: Since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992, six teams have played in every season since. Can you name them?
Scroll below for the answer.
ON TODAY
UEFA Women’s Euro, Quarter-Final
Norway vs. Italy (20:00)
Brazil Serie A
Palmeiras vs. Mirassol (23:00)
Ceara vs. Corinthians (23:30)
*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.
Answer
Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
Instead of taking private planes, getting great cars, spend the money on chefs at home, in mental coaching, preparation.