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Rules & refereeing

Champions LeagueRules & refereeing26 August 2026

Champions League 2026-27 draw: pots, format, rules and how the 36-team league phase works

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League keeps the 36-team single-league format introduced two seasons ago, with eight matchdays per club. The league phase draw takes place on Thursday 27 August at 18:00 CET using a hybrid system of manual balls and computer software. Each team plays four home and four away games against two opponents from every pot.

Javi

·5 min read

FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaking during an official event at a football stadium.

World CupRules & refereeing26 August 2026

UEFA keeps up push to oust Infantino despite dropping FIFA boycott

UEFA dropped its threat to boycott FIFA competitions on Wednesday but will keep working to remove Gianni Infantino as president. The 55 European member associations will receive a letter on Thursday confirming that the Fifa Forward Enterprise project will not be revived.

InfoBlaugrana

·6 min read

Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains the club's decision to cancel the World Cup tribute and organise a Catalan independence flag display at the Spotify Camp Nou.

FC BarcelonaRules & refereeing26 August 2026

Barcelona scrap World Cup winners tribute after police clashes and plan Catalan independence flag display at Camp Nou

Barcelona have called off the planned ceremony to honour their Spain internationals who won the World Cup before Thursday's match against Athletic Club. Club president Joan Laporta announced that Catalan independence flags will be handed out at the Spotify Camp Nou instead. The decision follows violent clashes between police and supporters displaying the flag at the season opener in Elche.

varela·6 min read

Referee pointing to his watch during a 26/27 season football match, symbolizing the enforcement of new effective playing time rules

Rules & refereeing26 August 2026

Major European leagues gain up to 3 minutes of actual playing time under new rules

The first full matchday of the 26/27 season confirms that the new IFAB rules have increased effective playing time in LaLiga, the Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1. Serie A leads the improvement with nearly three and a half extra minutes per match, although no competition yet reaches 60 minutes of actual play out of the 90 regulation minutes.

Natilla·6 min read

UEFA officials meeting in Monaco to discuss Gianni Infantino's FIFA presidency and the withdrawal of the World Cup boycott threat.

World CupRules & refereeing26 August 2026

Uefa withdraws World Cup boycott threat after Infantino sell-off plan collapses

UEFA is expected to call off its boycott of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments after Gianni Infantino's controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions failed to materialise. European football's governing body believes the two conditions demanded by its 55 member associations have now been met.

Matt

·5 min read

FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaking at an official press conference at the organisation's headquarters in Zurich.

World CupRules & refereeing26 August 2026

UEFA ready to drop FIFA boycott after World Cup sale assurances

UEFA is set to lift its threatened boycott of FIFA competitions after receiving binding guarantees that Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup will never be repeated. European teams are likely to be cleared for the upcoming under-20 Women's World Cup and future tournaments. The breakthrough comes after weeks of private discussions between the two governing bodies.

varela·5 min read

Exterior view of the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, host venue for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League final

Champions LeagueRules & refereeing25 August 2026

Champions League 2026-27 schedule: when the league phase starts, key dates and final venue

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League already has its full roadmap. The league phase kicks off on September 8, 2026 with a special three-day opening matchday, and the final will be played on June 5, 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid. The 36-team single-table format remains unchanged for a thir

Natilla·5 min read

Robin Le Normand, Atlético de Madrid center-back, walks off the pitch after receiving a straight red card following a VAR-reviewed penalty against Espanyol.

LaLigaAtlético Madrid25 August 2026

Le Normand's red card and the controversial penalty: LaLiga proves Atlético right within 24 hours

Atlético de Madrid watched their match against Espanyol slip away after two heavily debated penalties and a straight red card for Robin Le Normand. Just one day later, an almost identical incident in Málaga was interpreted in the complete opposite way, reigniting the club's complaint about inconsist

Matt

·6 min read

FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaking at an official event during a FIFA congress in Zurich.

Rules & refereeingNational teams25 August 2026

Irish FA pulls support for Infantino and calls for change at FIFA

The Irish Football Association says it will not vote for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president in March. Northern Ireland's governing body believes the abandoned plan to sell part of FIFA's commercial assets raised fundamental questions about governance. England, Scotland, Wales and the R

Javi

·5 min read

International referee wearing a UEFA armband officiating a European match

Rules & refereeing25 August 2026

UEFA invites banned referee Omar Artan to its elite training seminar

UEFA has called up Somali referee Omar Artan, sidelined from the World Cup by FIFA, for its officiating seminar in Geneva. Another sign of the growing rift with football's governing body.

varela·4 min read