In 2022 World Cup news, Stephanie Frappart became the first female official at a men's World Cup in Mexico's Group C clash against Poland on Tuesday.

Frappart was one of three women to be included on the list of referees for the World Cup in Qatar -- the first time female referees will feature at FIFA's showpiece tournament.

The French referee served as the fourth official in Mexico-Poland at Stadium 974, making history in the process.

Frappart has broken new ground before as a female referee. She became the first woman to referee a men's Champions League game in 2020 when she took charge of Juventus' match against Dynamo Kyiv.

She has also taken charge of games in Ligue 1, the Europa League, men's World Cup qualifying and the UEFA Supercup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in 2019.

"I will go there for the competition. I wouldn't go there for the environment," Frappart said regarding the strict environment involving women in Qatar. "But perhaps this World Cup will improve women's rights in the country."

Two more women, Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita, 36, and Rwanda's Salima Mukasanga, 34, will also officiate matches during the 2022 World Cup. 

Legendary official Pierluigi Collina, who is the head of the referees' committee, stated that these women were not picked due to their gender.

Collina added that these three women were also be permitted to officiate matches in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia that have strict laws pertaining to women's rights.

For more 2022 World Cup news, follows Sportz Point.

The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.

Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆

Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

The centenary edition is set to begin with matches in 🇺🇾,… pic.twitter.com/hxbslrotyM

— 433 (@433) April 11, 2025

Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."

AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion

In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.

Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.

🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆

(Source: @BBCSport) pic.twitter.com/LDTfggf3BA

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 11, 2025

Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.

Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:

We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.

With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:

At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”

I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.

Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:

If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"

But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.

Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:

It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well," 

I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."

Would you like a World Cup with 64 teams? 🤔

The 2022 tournament had 32, and 48 will compete in 2026 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sJyyEtaBIE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 3, 2025

Future World Cups and logistical issues

Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.

Read Also | FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.

FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.

Read Also | FIFA dismisses Morocco's claims about Western Sahara in the 2030 FIFA World Cup bid assessment report

The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.

UEFA has not ruled out the chances of Russia returning to football competitions around the globe if a total ceasefire is agreed upon in Ukraine. This was reported by the renowned British publication 'The Independent', citing its own sources.

The UEFA bans follow the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, sparking universal international criticism, such as FIFA and UEFA's March 2022 ban of Russian teams from every football competition.

However, UEFA has reportedly opened the groundwork to facilitate Russia's return in club and international football, with growing tensions within the members in UEFA.

UEFA may revoke the long-standing ban on Russian teams

Next week, a UEFA congress will reportedly be held in Belgrade, and insiders say that plans are underway to bring Russian clubs and the national team back into official tournaments.

The publication states that UEFA is already formulating possible measures for restoring Russia's involvement in international football tournaments. It underlines that Russia still has immense power in world football, and there is growing pressure within UEFA on this issue.

The Independent further asserts that the main reason for the suspension of Russian teams by FIFA and UEFA after the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine was not so much moral principles as a practical necessity.

Sources suggest that 12 European football associations signaled their willingness to boycott matches against Russian clubs, with the expectation that the figure could be as high as 18. In this case, football authorities would be faced with the decision of excluding a large number of national teams or only one. The suspension of Russia was therefore motivated by "technical" considerations and not political ideology.

The article points out that UEFA and FIFA attempt to avoid suspending nations for political reasons in order to stay away from being involved in the complicated legal scenario of every international conflict. 

🚨 FIFA president Gianni Infantino has revealed he would like to see Russia return to play in the World Cup in the future. 🇷🇺

(Source: @MailSport)

🚨 The Ukrainian FA says Russia's return to international football would 'ignore the suffering of thousands'. pic.twitter.com/8f7qLaTxqM

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 1, 2025

Earlier, UEFA President Alexander Ceferin made the point about football being employed as a tool for creating peace. He said he believed that contact between children from different nations could build understanding and destroy enmities.

Meanwhile, Ceferin also spoke of a "ferocious attack by politicians," especially those on the left wing, against the suggestion that young Russian teams should be brought back in club and international football.

Andriy Shevchenko calls on UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to visit him in Ukraine and to reconsider letting Russia return to international football @SkySports pic.twitter.com/3K1NhuXdes

— Domesticsportsgh.com (@DomesticSportgh) January 27, 2024

Back in 2023, UEFA overturned the decision that allowed Russia to return to international competitions, specifically the U-17 age group. Ukraine, England, Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark threatened to withdraw if such a thing happens, AP reported.

🚨 UEFA has spoken out in favour of Russia returning to European competitions at youth level! 🔙🇷🇺

“UEFA no longer wants children to be punished for actions for which adults are solely responsible.”

(Source: @RMCsport) pic.twitter.com/eSCIRHtLS7

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 26, 2023

The Independent reports that the suspension of Russia will continue to remain in effect until a complete ceasefire is reached in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, top officials at UEFA are already preparing a plan for bringing back Russian teams in the case of peace, when sport can once again be "center stage." A halt of aggression by Russia would, therefore be followed by a said normalization in the world of sport.

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are the two pinnacles of European club tournaments, awarding the coveted continental silverware to the top clubs in Europe. 

Borth tournaments are prestigious for clubs competing in these, and hold different merits and various aspects of prizes that come with these silverware. 

However, if you are a fan of a top club that crashed out of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, you would definitely be disheartened. But, on the other end, if your club clinches the Europa League, would you celebrate it in the same manner when your club reached the UCL semis?

This may be a tough choice for fans who naturally covet the utmost success for their beloved clubs. But this question may always arise in every football fan's mind, which one is better to choose? Crashing out in the UCL semis or winning the Europa League?

Sportz Point delves into this interesting discussion through this article.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarterfinals schedule: Everything you need to know

Crashing out of UEFA Champions League Semis: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

Playing in the UEFA Champions League is already competing at the highest level, and reaching the semifinals is a very significant achievement. 

• If a mid-table club in the top five European leagues manages, or a club that belongs to a league other than the lower coefficients in the UEFA European leagues ranking, reaching this level can also provide valuable experience for the team and contribute to their reputation.
• Reaching the semifinals demonstrates a lot about the team. It means they were able to overcome the best clubs in Europe and reach the knockout stage.
• If looked at from a monetary point of view, the UCL semifinalists receive a prize money of €15 million that helps the teams to look forward to their future. The Champions League also draws more marketing or TV ratings.

UEFA prize money distribution (as of 31 Jan):

7⃣3⃣% to UCL clubs (€2.14 billion)
1⃣8⃣% to UEL clubs (€528 million)
9⃣% to UECL clubs (€265 million) pic.twitter.com/anllbpFPQK

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) January 31, 2025

Disadvantages 

Losing at this stage can be disappointing, especially if the team had induced high hopes of winning the tournament. For example, Ajax in the 2018-19 UCL claimed attention in the best possible way, beating defending champions Real Madrid on the way, but crashed out of the semi-finals.

• If a team loses in the semifinals without winning anything in the domestic league, it will be considered a disastrous trophyless season. Very few people would be impressed by a club simply for reaching the semifinals.
• On the contrary, a semi-final defeat can disrupt a team's momentum, potentially affecting their performance in domestic competitions.
• This also may lead to a massive exodus of players from the club, especially if the club is not an European powerhouse already. The top European players will go after the players who performed well for the team, leading to the dismantling of the core group, making it harder to repeat the feat in the future continental competitions. 

Winning the UEFA Europa League: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

For most of the clubs, winning a silverware is a huge achievement. Winning the Europa League has its own advantages, considering that most of the mid-table or apparently mediocre clubs compete in this tournament.

• Winning the Europa League guarantees a continental silverware, which is always better than a trophy-less season. It also ensures a direct qualification in the next season's Champions League.
• The winners of the Europa League also meet the Champions League winners in a season-end competition, called the UEFA Super Cup, which presents another opportunity to clinch another silverware.
• Winning a major European trophy significantly enhances a club's global status and reputation. This success can attract sponsors, and elite players as well.

Disadvantages 

• The biggest drawback of taking part in the Europa League, particularly of winning it, is the scheduling of midweek games. This may lead to a congested fixture, resulting in fatigue among the players as well as higher injury risks. Consequently, this affects the players' performance within domestic leagues or other tournaments. The Thursday-Sunday format of the Europa League puts more pressure on players than the Tuesday-Wednesday format of the Champions League.
• Although it is a big silverware, the Europa League is usually less prestigious than the Champions League, and therefore makes it less attractive than the clubs competing in the UCL.
• Comparing to the Champions League, the Europa League offers lower prize money. This will be a downer for the clubs that are reliant on their European competition-generated revenue, more so those operating outside the major five European clubs.

The difference in prize money between 108 clubs playing UCL, UEL and UECL visualized. pic.twitter.com/T5IZwmOhsC

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) December 14, 2024

Conclusion: Which is better?

To be honest, it is subjective and depends on different contexts.

For a world-class team that can contest the Champions League, playing in the Europa League could be a disappointment or a consolation for the team, the management and mostly, for the supporters.

However, if a team has no practical hope of winning the Champions League but can contest the title for the Europa League, it would be preferable to lift the trophy instead of qualifying to the semi-finals.

In conclusion, the Champions League semi-final defeat is an indicator of greater competition and ability, while the Europa League win is a concrete victory. So, we can say that there is no definite 'better' result between these two. 

Hello and welcome to another LIVE coverage of European football. Tonight, we will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the UEFA Europa League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg face-off between Real Sociedad and Manchester United at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián, Spain.

Real Sociedad advanced to the RO16 by thrashing FC Midtjylland 7-3 over two legs in the Europa League play-offs. Manchester United, on the contrary, are the only team that finished unbeaten in the league phase, positioned third on the leaderboard with 18 points in 8 matches.

Both teams are about to go against each other in an important match of the European campaign, setting up a fierce encounter. So, sit back and relax as Swastik Debnath and Soumit Bhattacharya get you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the Real Sociedad vs Manchester United match from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

Don't forget to refresh the page for latest updates. Enjoy the coverage!

The UEFA Women's Nations League kicks off on 21st February 2025, Friday with some blockbuster matches set to take place.

The competition returns for its second season, embracing the senior women's national teams from the Football Association UEFA. The Women's Nation League offers nations a highly competitive qualification track to major tournaments while improving interest and investment in the Women's game.

League A Groups:

Group A1:

• Germany 
• Netherlands'
• Austria 
• Scotland'

Group A2:

• France 
• Iceland
• Norway
• Switzerland

Group A3:

• Spain (Defending Champions)
• England
• Belgium 
• Portugal

Group A4:

• Italy
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Wales

League B Groups:

 Group B1:

• Poland
• Northern Ireland
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Romania

Group B2:

• Republic of Ireland
• Türkiye
• Slovenia
• Greece

Group B3:

• Finland 
• Serbia
• Hungary
• Belarus

Group B4:

• Czechia
• Ukraine
• Croatia
• Albania

League C Groups:

Group C1:

• Slovakia
• Farce Islands
• Moldova
• Gibraltar

Group C2:

• Malta
• Georgia
• Cyprus
• Andorra

Group C3:

• Luxembourg
• Armenia
• Kazakhstan
• Liechtenstein

Group C4:

• Azerbaijan
• Montenegro
• Lithuania

Group C5:

• Israel
• Bulgaria
• Estonia

Group C6:

• Kosovo
• Latvia
• North Macedonia

How does Promotion and Relegation Work?

Teams across all three leagues are eligible for Relegation and Promotion.

The four lowest-performing teams in League A and League B will be relegated at the end of the league stage, while the winners of League B and League C will earn promotion. The Lowest-ranked third-place League B team will also face relegation due to the composition of League C.

Besides the Nation League Finals, playoff matches will be performed amongst the remaining teams to decide which teams will be promoted and relegated or remain in their respective leagues.

Matchday 1:

Friday 21 February 2025

Group A1:

• Austria vs Scotland
• Netherlands vs Germany

Group A2:

• Switzerland vs Iceland
• France vs Norway

Group A3:

• Spain vs Belgium
• Portugal vs England

Group A4:

• Italy vs Wales
• Denmark vs Sweden

Group B1:

• Bosnia vs Romania
• Poland vs Northern Ireland

Group B2:

• Greece vs Slovenia
• Republic of Ireland vs Türkiye

Group B3:

• Serbia vs Finland
• Belarus vs Hungary

Group B4:

• Albania vs Ukraine
• Croatia vs Czechia

Group C1:

• Moldova vs Gibraltar
• Slovakia vs Faroe Island

Group C2:

• Georgia vs Andorra
• Cyprus vs Malta

Group C3:

• Armenia vs Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg vs Kazakhstan

Group C4:

• Azerbaijan vs Montenegro

Group C5:

• Bulgaria vs Israel

Group C6:

• North Macedonia vs Kosovo

Matchday 2:

Tuesday 25 February 2025

Group A1:

• Germany vs Austria
• Scotland vs Netherlands

Group A2:

• Norway vs Switzerland
• France vs Iceland

Group A4:

• Italy vs Denmark
• Wales vs Switzerland

Group B1:

• Romania vs Poland
• Northern Ireland vs Bosnia

Group B2:

• Türkiye vs Greece
• Slovenia vs Republic of Ireland

Group B3:

• Hungary vs Finland
• Serbia vs Belarus

Group B4:

• Czechia vs Albania
• Ukraine vs Croatia 

Group C1:

• Slovakia vs Moldova
• Gibraltar vs Faroe Island

Group C2:

• Cyprus vs Georgia
• Malta vs Andorra

Group C3:

• Armenia vs Kazakhstan
• Luxembourg vs Liechtenstein

Group C4:

• Montenegro vs Lithuania

Group C5:

• Israel vs Estonia

Group C6:

• Kosovo vs Latvia

Wednesday 26 February 2025

Group A3:

• Belgium vs Portugal
• England vs Spain

Matchday 3:

Friday 4 April 2025.

Group A1:

• Netherlands vs Austria
• Scotland vs Germany

Group A2:

• Iceland vs Norway
• Switzerland vs France

Group A3:

• England vs Belgium'
• Portugal vs Spain

Group A4:

• Sweden vs Italy
• Wales vs Denmark

Group B1:

• Poland vs Bosnia
• Romania vs Northern Island

Group B2:

• Greece vs Republic of Ireland
• Slovenia vs Türkiye

Group B3:

• Finland vs Belarus
• Hungary vs Serbia

Group B4:

• Albania vs Croatia
• Ukraine vs Czechia

Group C1:

• Faroe Island vs Moldova
• Gibraltar vs Slovakia

Group C2:

• Cyprus vs Andorra
• Georgia vs Malta

Group C3:

• Armenia vs Luxembourg
• Liechtenstein vs Kazakhstan

Group C4:

• Lithuania vs Azerbaijan

Group C5:

• Estonia vs Bulgaria 

Group C6:

• North Macedonia vs Latvia

Matchday 4

Tuesday 8 April 2025

Group A1 
Austria vs Netherlands 
Germany vs Scotland 

Group A2
Iceland vs Switzerland 
Norway vs France 

Group A3
Belgium vs England 
Spain vs Portugal 

Group A4 
Denmark vs Italy 
Sweden vs Wales 

Group B1
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Poland 
Northern Ireland vs Romania 

Group B2 
Republic of Ireland vs Greece 
Türkiye vs Slovenia 

Group B3
Belarus vs Serbia 
Finland vs Hungary 

Group B4 
Croatia vs Albania 
Czechia vs Ukraine 

Group C1 
Faroe Islands vs Gibraltar 
Moldova vs Slovakia 

Group C2 
Andorra vs Cyprus 
Malta vs Georgia 

Group C3 
Kazakhstan vs Armenia 
Liechtenstein vs Luxembourg 

Group C4 
Montenegro vs Azerbaijan 

Group C5 
Israel vs Bulgaria 

Group C6
Kosovo vs North Macedonia 

Matchday 5

Friday 30 May 2025

Group A1 
Germany vs Netherlands 
Scotland vs Austria 

Group A2
France vs Switzerland 
Norway vs Iceland 

Group A3 
Belgium vs Spain 
England vs Portugal 

Group A4
Denmark vs Wales 
Italy vs Sweden 

Group B1 
Northern Ireland vs Poland 
Romania vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Group B2 
Slovenia vs Greece 
Türkiye vs Republic of Ireland 

Group B3 
Belarus vs Finland 
Serbia vs Hungary 

Group B4 
Czechia vs Croatia 
Ukraine vs Albania 

Group C1 
Moldova vs Faroe Islands 
Slovakia vs Gibraltar 

Group C2 
Andorra vs Georgia 
Malta vs Cyprus 

Group C3 
Kazakhstan vs Liechtenstein 
Luxembourg vs Armenia 

Group C4 
Azerbaijan vs Lithuania 

Group C5 
Estonia vs Israel 

Group C6 
Latvia vs North Macedonia 

Matchday 6

Tuesday 3 June 2025

Group A1 
Austria vs Germany 
Netherlands vs Scotland 

Group A2 
Iceland vs France 
Switzerland vs Norway 

Group A3 
Portugal vs Belgium 
Spain vs England 

Group A4 
Sweden vs Denmark 
Wales vs Italy 

Group B1 
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Northern Ireland 
Poland vs Romania 

Group B2 
Greece vs Türkiye 
Republic of Ireland vs Slovenia 

Group B3 
Finland vs Serbia 
Hungary vs Belarus 

Group B4 
Albania vs Czechia 
Croatia vs Ukraine 

Group C1 
Faroe Islands vs Slovakia 
Gibraltar vs Moldova 

Group C2 
Andorra vs Malta 
Georgia vs Cyprus 

Group C3 
Kazakhstan vs Luxembourg 
Liechtenstein vs Armenia 

Group C4 
Lithuania vs Montenegro 

Group C5 
Bulgaria vs Estonia 

Group C6
Latvia vs Kosovo

2025 UEFA Women's Nations League finals & play-offs

Finals 
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (date TBC)
Semi-finals (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025
Final/third-place play-off (two legs): Between 26 November and 2 December 2025

Promotion/relegation play-offs
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (date TBC)
Matches (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025