“They’ve been held hostage by the Iranian team management in their hotel and they’ve been denied the opportunity to speak to external community members, friends, family or any support networks, be that lawyers or anyone else,” said Foster, who played a key part in helping the Afghanistan women’s team flee the Taliban in 2021.

UK Active and This Girl Can have published a new guide to help fitness and leisure facilities communicate their policies and procedures around sexual harassment and intimidation.

Launched on the Safer Spaces to Move resource hub, From Policy to Practice: How to Share Your Stance Against Harassment in Your Facility covers a range of practical examples and tips on topics such as how to communicate that sexual harassment and intimidation are not tolerated in facilities; how members can report concerns, what will happen next if they do, and what support is available to them.

The guide has been developed in consultation with the Safer Spaces to Move Taskforce, which is made up of representatives from across the industry. It follows the publication of resources in July 2025 which covered a range of guidance and staff training modules to ensure operators have the foundational protocols in place to respond to any instances of sexual harassment and intimidation.

Hattie Jones, head of membership and sector development at UK Active, said: “Given the growing demand our sector sees from women and girls and the popularity of these services, it’s vital all facilities play their part in addressing the societal issues of sexual harassment and intimidation.”

Claire Edwards, head of campaign activation from This Girl Can, said making women feel safe at fitness facilities is key to tackling the gender participation gap: “With millions of women and girls using gyms and leisure centres, the fitness sector must be ready to tackle harassment and intimidation and today’s launch reaffirms our commitment to helping gyms and leisure centres put stronger safety standards into action.

Edinburgh Leisure participated in the Safer Spaces to Move Taskforce. Head of marketing, communication and sales, Jill Davidson, says the project has provided: “fresh perspectives and practical tools, enhancing our staff’s confidence and deepening organisational understanding of how to maintain proactive safety measures, so that women and girls always feel safe, respected, and empowered in our centres.”

The guide is downloadable from the UK Active website.

The FIFA World Cup has always been marketed as football’s biggest celebration, a global festival where fans from every corner of the world gather to support their national teams. However, the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is increasingly raising concerns that the tournament is drifting away from its core supporters. 

Rising ticket prices, dynamic pricing models, tournament expansion to 48 teams, and the logistical complexity of a three-country hosting format are creating a situation where the very fans who give the World Cup its identity may be priced out of the experience.

Ticket Prices: A Growing Barrier for Supporters 

One of the biggest controversies surrounding the 2026 tournament has been the pricing of tickets distributed through national football federations, known by FIFA as Participant Member Associations (PMAs). 

These tickets account for roughly 16% of the total allocation and are traditionally reserved for the most loyal supporters that are the fans who regularly travel to watch their national teams in qualifiers and international friendlies.

However, prices initially ranged from $180 to $700 even for group-stage matches are sparking significant backlash from fan groups across multiple countries.  After criticism intensified, FIFA introduced a limited $60 ‘entry tier’ ticket, but this covers only about 10% of the PMA allocation, which equals roughly 1.6% of the total tickets available.

For many supporters, the move felt less like meaningful reform and more like damage control.

Dynamic Pricing and the Commercialization of the World Cup 

Another major factor behind the surge in prices is FIFA’s growing reliance on dynamic pricing. Dynamic pricing allows ticket costs to fluctuate depending on demand, a strategy widely used in entertainment and professional sports markets. While the system can maximize revenue, it also creates unpredictability for fans planning months or even years in advance.

In practical terms, it means that high-demand matches could see prices increase dramatically, potentially making World Cup tickets comparable to premium entertainment events rather than accessible sporting experiences.

Why FIFA Is Pushing for Higher Revenues? 

From FIFA’s perspective, the financial logic behind these decisions is straightforward. The men’s World Cup is the organization’s primary source of income, generating billions of dollars through broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales. These revenues fund a wide range of FIFA activities, including:

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  Women’s tournaments
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  Youth competitions
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  Development programs in smaller football nations
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  Financial support for many of FIFA’s 211 member associations

  With the 2026 edition expected to be the largest World Cup ever, FIFA sees an opportunity to significantly increase its earnings.

However, critics argue that maximizing profit should not come at the expense of the tournament’s most dedicated supporters.

The 48-Team Expansion: Bigger Tournament, Bigger Costs 

The 2026 World Cup will also mark the first edition with 48 teams instead of 32, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 games. 

While the expansion is intended to make the tournament more inclusive by giving more nations a chance to participate, it also introduces several challenges:

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  More travel between venues
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  Greater logistical complexity
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  Higher operational costs
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  Longer tournament duration 

These factors inevitably feed into the rising price of attending matches. For fans hoping to follow their teams through multiple rounds, the financial commitment could be significantly higher than in previous tournaments.

A Three-Country World Cup and the Travel Burden 

The 2026 tournament will also be the first World Cup hosted by three countries simultaneously – the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

While the joint hosting arrangement allows FIFA to use a vast network of stadiums and infrastructure, it also creates enormous travel demands for supporters.

Matches could be spread across thousands of kilometers, forcing fans to take multiple flights or long-distance journeys if they wish to follow their teams throughout the competition.

When combined with already expensive tickets, the cost of attending multiple matches could become unrealistic for many traditional supporters.  For example, if a fan wants to watch the defending champions Argentina, he will have to travel from Kansa City to Arlington (8-8.5 hour drive) for the 2nd match and then make the return trip to watch Messi’s final group game in Kansas again. The trip however, short will cost them money and time along with other accomodation expenses. 
Also if teams like Mexico and Canada make it to the final of the tournament, they will have to travel all the way to New Jersey in USA in order to see their team play which would add the flights expenses into the list as well.

The Atmosphere Problem 

Ironically, pricing out dedicated fans could ultimately harm the product FIFA is trying to sell. The World Cup’s global appeal is not built solely on the football played on the pitch. It also comes from the vibrant atmosphere created by traveling supporters, the singing, chanting, colorful displays, and emotional energy that fill stadiums.

If ticket prices push these fans out of stadiums, there is a risk that the tournament could increasingly resemble a corporate event dominated by sponsors, VIP guests, and casual spectators.

Fans Still Hold Influence 

The backlash against ticket pricing has already shown that supporters can influence decisions when they organize and speak collectively. 

FIFA’s introduction of a lower-priced entry tier, even if limited suggests that fan pressure can still push the governing body toward adjustments.

What is the latest on the Iran women’s football team?

After their Asian Cup campaign ended on Sunday in Australia, the Iran team bus was surrounded by hundreds of protesters chanting “save our girls.” The players onboard were reportedly seen making SOS signs and photographing those outside. The bus went back to the team hotel on the Gold Coast but on Monday, there are widespread reports that five players escaped the hotel.

“Our understanding is that the players are currently staying in a hotel under heavy monitoring,” Zaki Haidari, on the scene for Amnesty International, told DW moments before the first reports of escape emerged.

“Their communications appear to be restricted, which has made it very difficult for human rights organizations, human rights lawyers and the media to make contact with them.”

FIFPRO Asia/Oceania, the union that represents players in the region, also say they have not been able to contact the Iranian players, with the organization’s president, Beau Busch, saying this was “incredibly concerning.”

The worries come after the players faced criticism for failing to sing the national anthem in their opening match against South Korea last week. They went on to sing the anthem and salute in their last two group-stage games. Most observers put the change down to pressure on the players from the Iranian regime.

The scenes of public support on Sunday are indicative of hopes in Australia and beyond that the players, coaches and support staff may be able to stay in the country rather than returning to Iran. But with the players unable to speak publicly, it’s unclear what they, individually or collectively, want.

After the match, Iran team manager Marziyeh Jafari said: “we are impatiently waiting to return. Personally I would like to return to my country as soon as possible and be with my compatriots and family.”

But human rights organizations say it’s entirely possible that this is what she had to say in the situation.

Are the Iran women’s team in real danger?

They also say that those seen to oppose the supreme leader, now the slain Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, can expect serious reprisals, with women being in particular danger.

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“We are deeply concerned for their safety if they return to Iran,” Haidari said. “They have been labeled ‘wartime traitors’ on national television simply for peacefully expressing their views. In Iran, that kind of public accusation can expose people to serious punishment by the Iranian authorities.”

The case of Navid Afkari,  one of Iran’s highest-ranked wrestlers, who  was executed in 2020 after being convicted of what many believe to be trumped up charges of murdering a security guard during anti-establishment protests, is one warning for the Iran squad. Many athletes were reportedly also killed in protests earlier this year.

Women’s Uprising In Iran – A Struggle in Exile

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Reza Pahlavi,  the exiled former crown prince of Iran who enjoys the support of some Iranians outside of the country, shared his fears on X.

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“As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran,” he wrote.

Could the Iran women’s team stay in Australia?

There is no easy answer but Haidari said Amnesty International are “calling on the Australian government to ensure the players have the opportunity to seek asylum if they wish to do so… Australia is a signatory to the UN 1951 Refugee Convention and has an obligation to protect people who fear persecution in their home country.”

The Australian government has so far expressed support without committing to a course of action.

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“We stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran, and particularly Iranian women and girls,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the country’s national broadcaster ABC on Sunday, ahead of the team’s third match.

“Obviously this is a regime that has brutally cracked down on its people.”

The opposition Liberal party’s shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, called on the Labor government of Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to provide asylum to those players who want it, and “not turn a blind eye to the danger these women face.”

Busch, from FIFPRO, said that  the Australian government, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) should “ensure that every bit of pressure is applied” to protect the players’ human rights.

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But with the players’ positions, and in some cases whereabouts, unclear, it’s a tangled knot.

“It’s important to remember the enormous pressure the players are under. Their country is at war, they are worried about their families, and they are facing pressure from Iranian authorities because of their peaceful protest. Despite this, they have shown remarkable courage and have received strong support from the Australian community,” Haidari said.

The Asian Cup  continues without Iran but what happens to the eliminated team has become the most important story of the tournament.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

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It has now officially been announced that Max Verstappen is set to race at the 54th edition of the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, which will take place from 14 to 17 May this year. This will mark his first-ever 24-hour race after the driver already made his endurance racing debut in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie last year.

Verstappen has long spoken about his dream to compete in endurance racing, specifically the 24-hour event at the Nurburgring. Now, this is all set to become a reality. The 28-year-old has announced he will race for his own Verstappen.com Racing team, driving the Mercedes AMG GT3.

Red Bull Motorsports announced this news with a creative ad featuring Verstappen and professional skydiver Max Manow. The team for the entry has also been confirmed, as Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer will team up with the 4x F1 world champion.

Last year, Max Verstappen completed 14 laps of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a Porsche Cayman GT4 as part of the process to obtain the licence required to race on the circuit. Officials deemed his performance sufficient and granted him the DMSB Permit Nordschleife. Soon after receiving the permit, the Dutchman entered the ninth round of the NLS and secured victory in a Verstappen.com Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.

Since then, his endurance racing outfit has swapped partners, as the team now operates a Mercedes AMG GT3. Motorsport fans will have the unique opportunity to witness the Red Bull driver drive a Mercedes in May this year.

Verstappen will also race in the second round of the NLS for preparation, which is scheduled for March 21. This was moved ahead a week to avoid clashing with the F1 Japanese GP, so Verstappen could compete in it.

Max Verstappen “thrilled” to be making Nurburgring 24 Hours debut

Max Verstappen has said that he is “thrilled” to be racing at the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring in 2026. The F1 star explained that this will tick off one of the things on his bucket list, having been there for a long time.

Speaking following the official announcement of the major update, Verstappen shared his excitement about the event. [via Formula1.com]

“The Nurburgring Nordschleife is a special place, there’s no other track like it. The 24h Nurburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now,” said Verstappen.

“Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our programme this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race,” he added.

Max Verstappen hence faces a busy schedule, travelling to Germany between the Chinese GP on March 13-15 and the Japanese GP on March 27-29 to compete in NLS2 on March 21. Later in the season, he will go from the Miami GP on May 1-3 to the Nurburgring 24h on May 17-19 before returning to Montreal for the Canadian GP on May 22-24.