Hello 2026!
It is expected that the men’s club game in India will move beyond meetings on virtual platforms to meetings on the ground. Hopefully salaries will be paid and teams that have previously shut down team operations will resume them. That a long-term proposal has been received favorably and, hopefully, will get the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Sports Ministry, the Supreme Court to think about whether the final two will need to be involved is a testament to how bizarre 2025 was – and that the clubs will work together and find a solution for 2025-26.
This will be one of the most anticipated things for most Kick Off customers. Here are some others:
Will this be Arsenal’s year?
They have not been champions since 2004 but have finished second in the last three seasons. In two of those three seasons there were times when it seemed Arsenal’s wait would be over but tired teams and injuries, sometimes both, got in the way. Add to this the relentlessness of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and, last season, Liverpool. Both are involved in a multi-team title race, but Arsenal’s win against Aston Villa was proof that it could be different. Mikel Arteta’s squad has the depth to deal with injuries. Players returning from injuries are also making an impact as Gabriel showed against Villa.
What advice will there be?
It can cause a lot of stir about just about anything. But when Mo Salah talks about being thrown under the bus, heads turn and tongues start wagging. As noted, before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored two of Egypt’s three goals in the round of 16 match against Benin, he came on as a substitute against Brighton. Has an agreement been reached between the club and the Merseyside legend or will he head to Saudi Arabia?
1st Women’s Champions Cup
The final round of the first Intercontinental Women’s Club Championship will be held in London from 28 January to 1 February. UEFA Champions League winners Arsenal will face African champions AS Faro of Morocco in one semi-final, with North and South American champions Gotham City and Corinthians in the other. Asian champions Wuhan Jiangda lost to AS Far in the second round in December after defeating Oceania champions Auckland United in the first round. This is what Arsenal’s Emily Fox told FIFA about the Champions Cup.
Challenge for Crispin Chhetri’s team
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup begins in Australia on March 1. Three days later, India will begin their campaign against Vietnam in Perth. They next play Japan in Perth (March 7) and conclude the group stage against Chinese Taipei in Sydney on March 10. Head coach Crispin Chhetri will keep a close eye on the Indian Women’s League in Kolkata. The league will pause on January 9 to focus on preparations for the competition where India have qualified for the first time. Apart from this, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will start in Morocco in March.
U20 Women and U17 Asian Finals
The Asian Under-20 women’s final will be played in Thailand from April 1 to 18. India has qualified for this tournament after 20 years. They are grouped with Japan, Australia and Chinese Taipei. The junior men’s and women’s teams (Under-17) have also qualified for the Asian finals. The boys will play in Saudi Arabia from May 7-24 and the girls will play in China from April 30 to May 17.
Encore for Arsenal?
Stina Blackstenius’ late goal stunned Barcelona, ​​which had won three of the last four editions, played in the last five finals and were aiming for a hat-trick of Women’s Champions League titles. Can Arsenal repeat the same in Oslo on May 23? They are fifth in the table with 12 points, four less than leaders Barcelona after six match days.
PSG’s European adventure
Luis Enrique’s men conquered the continent in spectacular fashion last year. Enrique has helped rebuild the team by moving the club in the opposite direction to its “flashy, flashy, glitzy” culture. By the end of 2024–25, he had achieved a win percentage of 68.53 at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Apart from this, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City will also be among the contenders this time. Third in the standings after six match days, can PSG do what no team has done since Real Madrid in 2017-18? The final is on 30 May in Budapest.
But before that…
Will PSG be able to maintain their hold on Ligue 1? Only twice since 2011–12 have they not won the league in France. Last term, there was a gap of 19 points between PSG and the second team (Marseille). This time, after Paris FC qualified for Ligue 1, Paris will have a city derby for the first time since 1990 when PSG host them on Sunday but that is not the only change. After 16 out of 34 matches, PSG are in second place, one point behind Lens who are on 37. Marseille and Lille are not far behind in the Premier League in another exciting multi-team title race.
serie a battle
Make that three. The race for Serie A includes Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma and Juventus along with defending champions Napoli. The winners of the Super Cup, Napoli, have won two of the last three editions, but have never won back-to-back titles.
fifa world cup
11 June to 19 July. You may not be a football buff, you barely know what off-side is, you get a blank stare if asked if off-side was a passive and you have no idea that DOGSO means denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
But between the dates mentioned, you will find it difficult to steer the conversation away from the World Cup. This time there will be 48 teams, the highest number ever, and it will be played across three countries (United States, Canada and Mexico). This will be the last dance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Or will it happen? Will Baton Lamin reach Yamal? Can Argentina, their federation in turmoil, do what has not been achieved since 1962? Will Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach since 1925, deliver a sixth World Cup? Will England be able to match potential with performance? How will the new Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao fare?
India in Asian Games
By the Asian Games (September 19-October 4), a lot will have changed in football in India. If AIFF elections are held on time, Kalyan Choubey’s fate will be decided. But before that he will have to convince the government about the need to send teams to the games. They had done so last time, but it was also the beginning of the end of India’s good run under Igor Stimac and the rift in relations between the head coach and Chaubey accelerated. It was also a lesson in how not to send a team. Will history repeat itself?
game of the week
In other news
Maresca leaves Chelsea: Enzo Maresca left his post as Chelsea head coach on Thursday following an alleged deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy, the AP reports. “Enzo and the club believe that a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” the club said in a statement.
The Italian coach was in the middle of his second season in charge. In his first season, he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Last month, Maresca said he had experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea and expressed unhappiness at the lack of support at the club, but did not elaborate on specific reasons. Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League, but have won only one of their last seven league matches, and have reached the English League Cup semi-finals.
Fatal accident for Valencia coach: Valencia women’s team coach Fernando Martin and three of his family members have died after their boat capsized in Indonesia, Reuters reports. Valencia said they were “deeply saddened by the death of Valencia CF Femenino B coach Fernando MartÃn, 44, and his three children in a tragic boat accident in Indonesia, as confirmed by local authorities”.
On Saturday, Indonesian and Spanish officials said Martin and her three children were missing after a boat carrying 11 people sank in bad weather on Friday in the Padar Island Strait near the popular tourist destination Labuan Bajo island. Martin’s wife and a daughter, as well as four crew members and a tour guide, survived the crash.
Mbappé injured: According to AP report, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has suffered a left knee injury. Real Madrid said in a brief statement that the French superstar had a sprained ankle, but gave no timeline for his recovery. French sports daily newspaper L’Equipe said, without citing any sources, that Mbappe would be unavailable for at least three weeks and that he has been suffering from a lateral ligament problem in his knee for several weeks. An MRI conducted on Wednesday morning revealed a lesion that requires treatment and rest. Earlier this month, Mbappe scored his 59th goal for Madrid in 2025, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record for most goals in a year.
Heart procedure for Roberto Carlos: Former Brazil and Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos posted a photo of himself smiling in hospital and said he is “recovering well” after confirming on Wednesday that he had undergone cardiac surgery, the AP reports.
“I did not suffer a heart attack. I am recovering and hope to regain full fitness soon and resume my professional and personal commitments,” the 52-year-old former defender said on social media.
Earlier on Wednesday, Spanish media had reported that he had undergone surgery in Brazil. Hospital Vila Nova Star in Sao Paulo said in a separate statement that Carlos, now a Real Madrid ambassador, was diagnosed with a heart blockage on Monday and was advised to undergo coronary angioplasty.
Three Indians in FIFA list: Three more Indians, including a woman, have been added to the FIFA referees list by the world football governing body, PTI reported. Gujarat’s Rachna Kamani has been added to the list of FIFA women referees for 2026. The men include Ashwin Kumar (Puducherry) and Aditya Purkayastha (Delhi). Muralitharan Pandurangan (Puducherry) and Peter Christopher (Maharashtra) have been included as assistant referees, taking the number of Indians on the FIFA panel to 19.
Botafogo transfer restrictions: Brazilian club Botafogo has been hit with a three-window transfer ban by FIFA over a loan spell related to the signing of Argentina international Thiago Almada from MLS club Atlanta United, AFP reports. The US club filed a complaint with FIFA claiming $21 million in transfer fees owed by Botafogo, which signed the World Cup winner in 2024.
Lumumba Tribute: Most Democratic Republic of Congo fans sang, cheered and beat drums as their team secured a place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 win over Botswana on Tuesday, but one supporter remained silent throughout the game. Michel Kouka Mboldinga, dressed in a jacket and tie and looking like his country’s first Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, stood on top of a makeshift podium at every DR Congo group match in tribute to the politician killed in 1961, Reuters reports.
Nicknamed “Lumumba” because of his tribute act, Cuka Mboldinga sets up his platform in the stands at the beginning of every game, and raises his hand to form a pose similar to the statue of Lumumba in his country’s capital, Kinshasa.
Equatorial Guinea pair banned: Two Equatorial Guinea players have been banned for insulting the referee at the Africa Cup of Nations, Reuters reports. Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akakpo and midfielder Josette Miranda have been banned for four matches for abusing Congolese referee Messi Nkounou following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Sudan in Casablanca, which left them bottom of Group E. The federation said the two matches have been suspended for a period of one year.
Iconic Moment: ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’
AFP says Diogo Jota’s two children were mascots at Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool and Wolves paid tribute to their former forward. Jota, who was killed in a car accident in July, joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020. In the first meeting between the two sides after his death, both groups of fans paid their respects, including a chant in Jota’s name in the 20th minute. Two of his three children, Dennis and Duarte, as well as family members served as mascots, while his wife Root Cardoso was also in attendance.
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That’s all for this week. As always, I look forward to your feedback. You can write to me at himan@htlive.com. You can subscribe to this newsletter Here,
