English football club Leeds United F.C. issue an apology after a cardboard cutout of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was displayed in the stands at their Elland Road stadium. (The New Zealand Herald) (BBC Sport)
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup FIFA announces that the 2023 Women's World Cup will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. (FIFA)
FIFA announces that the 2023 Women's World Cup will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. (FIFA)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football Major League Soccer resumes its 2020 season after a four-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with a month-long tournament in Orlando, Florida. FC Dallas will sit out the tournament after 10 players and a coach were diagnosed with COVID-19. (Fox News)
Major League Soccer resumes its 2020 season after a four-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with a month-long tournament in Orlando, Florida. FC Dallas will sit out the tournament after 10 players and a coach were diagnosed with COVID-19. (Fox News)
Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville defeats former attorney general Jeff Sessions in the Alabama Republican primary. Tuberville will face Democratic incumbent Doug Jones. (Vox)
2020 NFL season The National Football League announces 72 of its players have tested positive for COVID-19. (Bleacher Report)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020 NFL season The National Football League announces 72 of its players have tested positive for COVID-19. (Bleacher Report)
The National Football League announces 72 of its players have tested positive for COVID-19. (Bleacher Report)
List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League are expected to change their name due to racism and insensitivity. (ESPN)
The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League are expected to change their name due to racism and insensitivity. (ESPN)
2020 NFL season The National Football League issues a mandate requiring all fans to wear face masks at stadiums during the upcoming season. (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020 NFL season The National Football League issues a mandate requiring all fans to wear face masks at stadiums during the upcoming season. (ESPN)
The National Football League issues a mandate requiring all fans to wear face masks at stadiums during the upcoming season. (ESPN)
COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar Retired footballer and current coach of Al Sadd SC Xavi Hernández announces he tested positive for COVID-19. (Forbes)
Retired footballer and current coach of Al Sadd SC Xavi Hernández announces he tested positive for COVID-19. (Forbes)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, 2020 V.League 1 The Vietnamese national football league becomes the first in the world to be postponed for a second time due to COVID-19. (VnExpress)
The Vietnamese national football league becomes the first in the world to be postponed for a second time due to COVID-19. (VnExpress)
2019–20 NBA season The National Basketball Association season resumes at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex after a 141-day suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season resumes with the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Utah Jazz. (People) (CBS Sports)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2019–20 NBA season The National Basketball Association season resumes at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex after a 141-day suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season resumes with the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Utah Jazz. (People) (CBS Sports)
The National Basketball Association season resumes at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex after a 141-day suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season resumes with the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Utah Jazz. (People) (CBS Sports)
2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season The University of Connecticut cancels its 2020 football season, becoming the first NCAA Division I FBS school to scrap its 2020 season. (UConn Huskies) (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season The University of Connecticut cancels its 2020 football season, becoming the first NCAA Division I FBS school to scrap its 2020 season. (UConn Huskies) (ESPN)
The University of Connecticut cancels its 2020 football season, becoming the first NCAA Division I FBS school to scrap its 2020 season. (UConn Huskies) (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The Mid-American Conference announces that its 12 members will not play this fall season, including in football. While many other NCAA Division I leagues have already called off fall sports, the MAC becomes the first Division I FBS league to scrap the 2020 football season. (Mid-American Conference) (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The Mountain West Conference becomes the second NCAA Division I FBS league to call off its football season, as well as all other fall sports. This follows the lead of the Mid-American Conference, which announced an identical plan two days earlier. (Mountain West Conference) (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Two of the "Power Five" conferences of NCAA Division I FBS, the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, postpone their fall 2020 sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pac-12 also announces that winter sports whose seasons were scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020, most notably basketball, will not start play until at least January 1, 2021. (NPR) (ESPN)
Two of the "Power Five" conferences of NCAA Division I FBS, the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, postpone their fall 2020 sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pac-12 also announces that winter sports whose seasons were scheduled to begin in calendar year 2020, most notably basketball, will not start play until at least January 1, 2021. (NPR) (ESPN)
2019–20 UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona 2–8 FC Bayern Munich In association football, FC Bayern Munich become the first team to score eight goals in a UEFA Champions League knockout match after doing so against FC Barcelona in a quarter-finals match that ended 8–2. FC Barcelona suffer one of their worst defeats in history, having conceded eight goals for the first time since 1946. (AP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
In association football, FC Bayern Munich become the first team to score eight goals in a UEFA Champions League knockout match after doing so against FC Barcelona in a quarter-finals match that ended 8–2. FC Barcelona suffer one of their worst defeats in history, having conceded eight goals for the first time since 1946. (AP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2019–20 Chinese Basketball Association season In basketball, the Guangdong Southern Tigers win their 10th CBA championship, bringing an end to the 2019–20 CBA season, which was paused due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (South China Morning Post)
In basketball, the Guangdong Southern Tigers win their 10th CBA championship, bringing an end to the 2019–20 CBA season, which was paused due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (South China Morning Post)
2019–20 UEFA Europa League In association football, Sevilla FC defeat Inter Milan 3–2 in the final to win the UEFA Europa League for a record sixth time. (AP via Lincoln Journal Star)
In association football, Sevilla FC defeat Inter Milan 3–2 in the final to win the UEFA Europa League for a record sixth time. (AP via Lincoln Journal Star)
2019–20 UEFA Champions League, 2020 UEFA Champions League Final In association football, FC Bayern Munich defeat French opponents Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 1–0 at the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, to win their sixth Champions League title and second continental treble. Bayern Munich become the first team to win any European competition with a 100% winning record. (BBC Sport)
In association football, FC Bayern Munich defeat French opponents Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 1–0 at the Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, to win their sixth Champions League title and second continental treble. Bayern Munich become the first team to win any European competition with a 100% winning record. (BBC Sport)
Ten teenagers in Arua, Uganda, are killed after being struck by lightning while playing football. (BBC News) (Soft Power News)
2020 NFL season The National Football League will require all coaches and staff in bench areas to wear masks. (USA Today)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020 NFL season The National Football League will require all coaches and staff in bench areas to wear masks. (USA Today)
The National Football League will require all coaches and staff in bench areas to wear masks. (USA Today)
2020–21 NCAA Division I FBS football season The Big Ten Conference announces its 2020 football season will begin on October 24 with an eight-game schedule, reversing its previous decision to cancel the season. (AP via WJRT-TV)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020–21 NCAA Division I FBS football season The Big Ten Conference announces its 2020 football season will begin on October 24 with an eight-game schedule, reversing its previous decision to cancel the season. (AP via WJRT-TV)
The Big Ten Conference announces its 2020 football season will begin on October 24 with an eight-game schedule, reversing its previous decision to cancel the season. (AP via WJRT-TV)
Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne both test positive for COVID-19. (ESPN)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports In football, former Barcelona and Brazil player Ronaldinho tests positive for COVID-19 and is in self-quarantine. (Goal.com)
In football, former Barcelona and Brazil player Ronaldinho tests positive for COVID-19 and is in self-quarantine. (Goal.com)
The Melbourne Storm win the 2020 NRL Grand Final against the Penrith Panthers 26-20,Ryan Papenhuyzen gets the 34th Clive Churchill Medal The Tennessee Titans are fined $350,000 for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols. (Associated Press via WJRT-TV)
2020 NFL season The National Football League extends their mask mandate and threatens to discipline anybody who violates the league's COVID-19 protocols. (Chicago Tribune)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports 2020 NFL season The National Football League extends their mask mandate and threatens to discipline anybody who violates the league's COVID-19 protocols. (Chicago Tribune)
The National Football League extends their mask mandate and threatens to discipline anybody who violates the league's COVID-19 protocols. (Chicago Tribune)
Sarah Fuller of Vanderbilt becomes the first female athlete to play in a Power Five college football game. (BBC News)
2020 Formula One World Championship Racing Point's Sergio Pérez wins the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit, claiming his first Formula One win, and becoming the first Mexican Formula One driver to win a race since Pedro Rodríguez won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. (The Guardian)
COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to impose a new lockdown beginning on Boxing Day, which means that non-essential shops will be closed from the end of trading on Christmas Eve. During the first week of lockdown, essential shops will have to close each day at 8:00 p.m. GMT. (BBC)
The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to impose a new lockdown beginning on Boxing Day, which means that non-essential shops will be closed from the end of trading on Christmas Eve. During the first week of lockdown, essential shops will have to close each day at 8:00 p.m. GMT. (BBC)
Hancock also announces that more locations in England will be placed in Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Boxing Day, including Oxfordshire, West Sussex, and the remainder of East Sussex. (The Guardian)
Greg Norman, Australian former world number one champion of the 1986 and 1993 Open Championships, tests positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized in the United States due to having symptoms. (BBC Sport)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports Greg Norman, Australian former world number one champion of the 1986 and 1993 Open Championships, tests positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized in the United States due to having symptoms. (BBC Sport)
