It’s been quite the year for the football industry in 2021, with the European Super League and crypto currency making headlines, as well as Lionel Messi’s dramatic exit from FC Barcelona. Here, World Football Summit rounds up some of 2021’s biggest stories.
Our Yearly Reads – The Best of 2021
Note: Click the title of the story to open each story in a new tab or right-click the images and select “Open link in new tab”.
January 2021: The transfer window when the spending stopped
“This market has totally stopped, nobody is signing players.” – The Athletic
How the Super League fell apart
The inside story of how a billion-dollar European soccer Super League collapsed in less than a week. – The New York Times
The world’s 10 highest-paid athletes
A record four athletes each earned $100 million or more in 2020, unfazed by the pandemic. – Forbes
Lionel Messi leaves with Barcelona in financial abyss … and it is not over yet
Messi’s last weeks at the club that made him a legend. – The Guardian
Naomi Osaka: ‘It’s O.K. not to be O.K.’
“Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life. If that’s true, then it was all worth it.” – Time
The most influential people in sports business in 2021
A list which includes top influencers in seven categories ranging from industry drivers to media faces. – Sports Business Journal
Spanish clubs back La Liga’s €2bn deal with CVC
Spanish football clubs voted overwhelmingly in favour of La Liga’s €2bn financing deal with private equity group CVC. – Financial Times
U.S. group eyes English soccer club, saying Crypto and NFTs can change the game
Backed by cryptocurrency, a group of American investors says it plans to purchase an English soccer. – The Washington Post
Football industry embraces Crypto as Lionel Messi helps ‘Fan Tokens’ take off
“There is a mini-revolution happening as businesses related to cryptocurrency have started appearing on shirts.” – The Business Times
A World Cup every two years: All the pros and cons of FIFA’s new idea
Why doesn’t everyone think it’s a good idea? – Four Four Two
