The National Football Federations of Norway, Germany and The Netherlands this week donned shirts during prematch warm ups and anthems reading “Human Rights on and off the Pitch,” and “Football Supports Change.”

Toni Kroos went a step further.
 

“For this tournament to be awarded there, I consider that wrong," the German midfielder said on his podcast he hosts alongside his brother.

In the buildup to the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, a number of human rights violations have taken place in Qatar surrounding the construction of new stadiums for the tournament, among other things.

• The Guardian revealed in February that over 6,500 migrant workers have died since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar.
• Hundreds of those deaths are a result of working in temperatures of 113 degrees for 10 hours a day.
• Qatar has a series of anti-LGBT laws which have created uncertainty amongst players and fans. FIFA has urged the country to hold a tournament that is “inclusive.”

Some federations are strongly considering boycotting the FIFA World Cup™ all together, such as Norway. Others are still on the fence. Players – like Kroos, Goretzka and others – think the time for boycotting is passed, but there is still a responsibility to draw awareness to the violations occurring in Qatar. Will we see more in the build up and in the actual tournament itself?

The landscape for female referees in world football is changing.

In the last few years – and even moreso in the last few months – a number of  great strides have been taken to continue to introduce women referees into the men’s game. Let’s look at a few from just recent history.

The US Soccer Foundation teamed up with Target in 2017, with the retailer pledging $6 million to create 100 mini-pitches in communities across America by 2020. This month, they met their goal.

The pitches can be found across most major markets in the nation. Built mostly in communities with limited access to soccer fields and equipment, the pitches are there to transform lives by giving children more access to the sport, building physical fitness and creating relationships.

Get more details on the collaboration here and *whispers* don’t forget – WorldSoccerShop is an official US Soccer partner as well – collecting lightly used soccer materials and redistributing them to underprivileged communities for years as part of the Passback Program Initiative.

After securing a 20-point lead in early March, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers team were named Scottish Premier League (SPL) Champions for the first time in 10 years. It’s quite the feat.

• With the win, Rangers deny Celtic a record-breaking 10 Scottish titles in a row
• Chronologically (not by matchday, but by calendar date) it is the earliest SPL victory on record.
• Over the course of the season, Rangers have scored 77 times, conceding only 10 times.
• Rangers have only been scored on at home twice all campaign.
• Rangers were in the bottom tier of Scottish football in 2012 after a financial collapse.
• They only returned to the top flight five years ago.
• Last season, Rangers finished 39 points back from Celtic. This season they’ll likely finish 20 above. Steven Gerrard has flipped a 59 point difference on his crosstown rivals.
• This is Rangers’ 55th SPL title.
• It’s Steven Gerrard’s first ever league trophy.