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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football

The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruption to association football (also known as soccer) across the world, mirroring its impact across all sports. Across the world to varying degrees, leagues and competitions had been cancelled or postponed.

Club football

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By 25 May 2020, the 2020 Ýokary Liga,[1][2] the Belarusian Premier League and the Liga Primera de Nicaragua were the only three known top flight national football leagues not suspended due to the pandemic.[3]

Africa

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Both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals were postponed from their original schedules, to be resumed in October 2020.[4]

Asia

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Players in the Persian Gulf Pro League having their body temperature measured

In China, the 2020 Chinese Super League was postponed as a result of the pandemic.[5] In Hong Kong, the 2020 Lunar New Year Cup was cancelled on 23 January 2020, 2021 Lunar New Year Cup was cancelled on 2 February 2021 and 2022 Lunar New Year Cup was cancelled on 7 January 2022.[6] Other leagues in Asia were affected, including South Korea's K League 1 and Japan's J1 League.[7][8] The AFC Champions League and AFC Cup were also impacted, with a number of group stage and play-off matches being postponed.[9]

According to K League of South Korea announcement, 2020 K League 1 returned on 8 May, changed from original scheduling start from 29 February.[citation needed]

In India, the remaining I-League matches were postponed and the Indian Super League final was played behind closed doors.[10]

Owing to the surge in new COVID-19 cases, the Beijing Municipal Sports Competitions Administration Centre announced on 15 June 2020 the suspension of the 2020 CSL season.[11] On 1 July, it was announced that the season would start on 25 July.

On 9 July, it was announced that the AFC Cup would return on 23 September and conclude on 12 December, with the group stage matches to be held in centralised venues.[12][13] However, the season was later abandoned on 10 September and was declared void the following day.[14]

In the AFC Champions League, the AFC announced that Qatar would host all West Region matches after restart.[15] Al Wahda were unable to travel to Qatar to play their remaining matches of the group stage due to several team members testing positive for COVID-19.[16] They were considered to have withdrawn from the competition, and all their previous matches were considered "null and void".[17] The same happened with the defending champion Al-Hilal, when they failed to name the required 13 players and were unable to play their final match of the group stage against Shabab Al-Ahli due to them having only 11 players left with the remaining team members testing positive for COVID-19;[18] hence, they were also considered to have withdrawn from the competition, and all their previous matches were considered "null and void", and would not be taken into consideration in determining the final group rankings.[19]

Qatar also hosted all AFC Champions League East Region matches after restart. However, Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim were unable to travel to Qatar to play the final four matches of the group stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions after they were denied permission to travel by the Malaysian government.[20] Their matches were considered "null and void" and would not affect the final group rankings.[21]

On 25 January 2021, AFC announced the cancellation of the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship following two postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[22] leaving the hosting rights for the next tournament with Bahrain.[23]

In the 2021 AFC Champions League, the three teams from Australia, Sydney FC, Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar, withdrew from the competition after the draw.[24] Moreover, Chinese teams, Guangzhou, Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Port, opted to participate with a mixture of their youth and reserve teams.[25]

Europe

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Post-match handshakes replaced by fist and elbow bumps (August 2020)
 
Seats at the Dripping Pan marked for social distancing
 
A UEFA Champions League match between FC Krasnodar and Chelsea played in front of a limited-capacity crowd (October 2020)

In Europe, various knockout matches in the Champions League and Europa League were played behind closed doors in February and March 2020.[26][27] On 12 March 2020, UEFA announced that the elite qualification round of the men and women's under-17 and under-19 youth international tournaments had been postponed.[28] The following day, UEFA postponed all fixtures for the following week in the Champions League, Europa League and Youth League.[29] On 17 June UEFA announced that the Champions League would resume in Portugal, and the Europa League in Germany, in August, but all rounds would be single-match affairs, with the exception of the Europa League round of 16 where the first game had already been played.

Many of the domestic European leagues were impacted in February and March 2020. After various fixtures were rescheduled or played behind closed doors, Serie A was postponed on 9 March 2020.[30] On 12 March, La Liga and the Segunda División were suspended for at least two weeks after a Real Madrid basketball player tested positive for the virus, which resulted in Real Madrid's footballers being put in quarantine as the two teams share the same training facilities in Valdebebas.[31] The Eredivisie was also suspended (it was officially declared abandoned on 24 April with no champion awarded),[32] while Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga followed suit shortly afterwards.[33][34] Ligue 1 would eventually end on 27 April after the French Prime Minister ordered all sporting events to be cancelled until 1 September, with Paris Saint-Germain being declared champions and on 23 June Amiens and Toulouse were relegated to the 2020–21 Ligue 2.[35][36] The Bundesliga eventually returned on 16 May following the suspension of play.

On 10 March, the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal, due to be played the next day, was postponed after a number of Arsenal players made close contact with Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who had tested positive for coronavirus, when the two teams had met in the Europa League 13 days earlier.[37] Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for the disease, prompting the team's Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion for that weekend to also be postponed.[38] As of 13 March, there has been at least one recorded case of the disease affecting a player in the aforementioned leagues; Serie A footballers Daniele Rugani and Manolo Gabbiadini, 2. Bundesliga footballer Timo Hübers, and Premier League footballer Callum Hudson-Odoi.[39][40] Rugani tested positive while being asymptomatic.[41] On 13 March, English elite football was suspended until early April, including the Premier League, English Football League, FA Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship.[42]

By 19 March, the Belarusian Premier League was the only active top flight in all 55 UEFA member associations.[43]

On 5 May 2020, Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) chief executive Neil Doncaster summed up the situation in his country during a video conference involving the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Rugby and others in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic; he stated that "gate receipts make up a far higher proportion of our income than in England, which benefits from huge TV deals, so until we get back to playing in front of crowds, our game will remain in grave peril."[44]

In June 2020, chairman of Premier League football side Tottenham Hotspur, Daniel Levy, revealed that the club has taken a loan of £175 million from the Bank of England. The chairman said that money has been taken to tackle with the gripping effects of coronavirus pandemic on the club.[45]

On 30 June 2020, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters announced £1,000,000 as aid for next seasons of the Women's Super League and Championship to mitigate the effect of coronavirus.[46]

The Bundesliga became the first major European league to return following the pandemic on 16 May. In the subsequent weeks, many other leagues followed suit. The Primeira Liga returned on 3 June, La Liga on 11 June, the Premier League on 17 June, and Serie A on 20 June.

On 19 June 2020, FC Rostov lost 1–10 against PFC Sochi in the 2019–20 Russian Premier League, as they fielded their junior team, after six players of the senior team have been infected with COVID-19; hence, the whole team was quarantined.[47]

The Spanish Copa del Rey final was originally scheduled for 18 April 2020, but the match was postponed with the agreement of both participating clubs (Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad) on 11 March (with no new date decided at that point), in the hope that the delay would provide time to contain the outbreak and allow the final to take place with a full stadium as in normal circumstances.[48] Despite this, the final was played on 3 April 2021 behind closed doors.[49]

On 1 July 2020, Wigan Athletic fell into administration after being negatively affected by the pandemic lockdown.[50] By appointing Paul Stanley, Gerald Krasner and Dean Watson from Begbies Traynor, it became the first professional club in England to call up administrators since the pandemic had begun.[51] In addition, many small English football clubs were affected by the pandemic as they rely on ticket sales for revenue.[52]

On 4 July 2020, the DFB-Pokal final was played behind doors between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich.[53] The match was originally scheduled for 23 May 2020 but the German Football Association postponed the final on 24 April due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.[54]

On 24 July 2020, the Coupe de France final was played behind doors between Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and AS Saint-Étienne.[55][56] The match was originally scheduled for 25 April, but was postponed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic in France.[57][58]

On 1 August 2020, the FA Cup final was played behind closed doors between Arsenal F.C. and Chelsea F.C. It was originally scheduled for 23 May, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[59] As part of precautions against COVID-19, Arsenal received the trophy on the pitch and not, as in previous seasons, by climbing steps to the Royal Box for the presentation.[60]

That same day, the Taça de Portugal final was played behind doors between S.L. Benfica and FC Porto.[61][62] The final was originally scheduled to take place on 24 May 2020 at the Estádio Nacional venue in Oeiras. However, on 12 March, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced that it would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal.[63][64] On 2 July, it was announced that the final would be played at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra in Coimbra.[65]

The 2019–20 UEFA Champions League was resumed in August. The quarter-finals onwards were played as single-match knockout ties at neutral venues in Lisbon, Portugal (Estádio da Luz and Estádio José Alvalade) behind closed doors from 12 to 23 August.[66]

The schedule and the format of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League was changed. The tournament would originally have started in June 2020, but was delayed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.[67] The new schedule was announced by the UEFA Executive Committee on 17 June 2020.[68] All qualifying matches, excluding the play-off round, were played as single leg matches, hosted by one of the teams decided by draw (except the preliminary round which was played at neutral venue).[69][70]

In the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League preliminary round, Kosovar club Drita's match against Linfield in Nyon, Switzerland was called off, due to two players from Drita testing positive for COVID-19 and the whole team being put into quarantine by the Swiss authorities; eventually, Linfield was awarded a 3–0 win.[71] In the first qualifying round of the same competition, Faroese club KÍ was awarded a 3–0 win over Slovan Bratislava, in which the match was initially postponed after one staff member from the latter tested positive for COVID-19,[72] followed by a player from this same team,[73] eventually the whole team was put into quarantine by the Faroese authorities,[73] and KÍ were subsequently awarded a technical victory.[74]

On 17 September 2020, a German team, SG Ripdorf/Molzen ll, lost 37–0 against SV Holdenstedt ll in 3. Kreisklasse. SV Holdenstedt II who came into contact in a previous game with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, refused to reschedule the match; hence, SG Ripdorf/Molzen ll competed with only seven men for fear of infection and did not offer any resistance.[75][76]

On 24 September 2020, the UEFA Super Cup was played. The match was originally scheduled to be played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, on 12 August 2020.[77][78] However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe caused the postponements of the previous season's Champions League and Europa League, the UEFA Executive Committee chose to award the rescheduled Champions League final to Portugal, and postponed and relocated the Super Cup to Puskás Aréna in Budapest.[69][79] The UEFA Executive Committee decided to use the event as a pilot match for which a reduced number of spectators, up to 30% of the capacity of the stadium, were allowed in, becoming the first official UEFA match to have spectators since their competitions were resumed in August 2020.[80]

On 30 September 2020, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund played behind doors the 2020 DFL-Supercup, when the match is usually played in July or August prior to the start of the Bundesliga.[81]

On 4 October 2020, Italian club Napoli decided not to travel to Turin to play a Serie A match against Juventus, following the Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) protocol as two of their players tested positive for COVID-19 along with a staff member.[82] On 14 October, Juventus were awarded a 3–0 win, and Napoli were deducted 1 point by the Disciplinary Commission as punishment for violating the FIGC COVID-19 protocol approved by the Technical-Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Health regarding the activity of professional athletes.[83] On 22 December, the CONI Guarantee Board, overturned the previous decision of the competition judge, accepting the appeal presented by Napoli against the defeat by default and the point deduction and stating that the match must be played.[84] The next day, Lega Serie A postponed the match to a date to be determined following the decision.[85] On 7 April 2021, the match was finally played with a 2–1 victory for Juventus.[86]

On 23 December 2020, FC Porto and S.L. Benfica played behind doors the 2020 Supertaça.[87][88] The match was originally scheduled for the end of July or start of August, but was postponed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.[89]

In January 2021, Arsenal received a £120m loan from the Bank of England to help offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[90]

That same month took place the 2020–21 Supercopa de España. The competition was initially supposed to be held in Saudi Arabia like the previous year, but restrictions related to the global COVID-19 pandemic forced it to remain in Spain. The semi-finals were played behind doors in the cities of Córdoba and Málaga, on 13 and 14 January 2021. The final was played at Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville on 17 January 2021.[91]

On 13 January 2021, took place the 2020 Trophée des Champions. The final was initially supposed to be held outside of France, but restrictions related to the global COVID-19 pandemic forced it to remain in the country.[92][93] The match was finally played behind doors at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens.[94]

On 20 January 2021, took place the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana. The match was initially supposed to be held in December in Saudi Arabia like the previous year, but restrictions related to the global COVID-19 pandemic forced it to remain in Italy.[95] The trophy was finally disputed behind doors at the Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore.[96]

On 17 February 2021, the UEFA Executive Committee decided to cancel the 2020–21 UEFA Youth League.[97]

On 30 March 2021, UEFA announced that both Champions League quarter-final matches on 7 and 13 April between FC Porto and Chelsea would be played at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain, due to travel restrictions between Portugal and the United Kingdom.[98]

On 29 May 2021, the 2021 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea was disputed. The final was originally scheduled to be played at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia. However, due to the postponement and relocation of the 2020 final to Lisbon as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the final hosts were shifted back a year, with the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey instead planning to host the 2021 final.[69] Two weeks before the final, UEFA announced that it would be relocated to Porto, Portugal to allow a limited number of fans to attend the match.[99] A capacity limit of 33% was agreed for the 50,000-seater Estádio do Dragão, resulting in an attendance of 14,110.[100]

In December 2021, the German government imposed measures which affected the 2021–22 Bundesliga matches. As a result, the 2G+ rule was implemented and clubs were allowed an attendance of up to 50% and a maximum of 15,000 fans into stadiums in some states, while in other states spectators were once again banned from attending games.[101][102] This also affected two matches in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League – RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City F.C. and FC Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona – which were played behind closed doors.[103][104] Restrictions were later extended to all the country, limiting the number of spectators or completely banning the presence of them, up to and including the 9 February 2022.[105][106]

Other December 2021 group stage Champions League matches played without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions in their respective countries were AFC Ajax vs. Sporting CP and FC Red Bull Salzburg vs. Sevilla FC.[107][108]

North America

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An FC Cincinnati match during the 2020 Major League Soccer season played without fans (August 2020)

On 12 March 2020, the CONCACAF Champions League was suspended with immediate effect.[109] All other CONCACAF competitions scheduled for the next month were also suspended.[110] On 10 November, it was announced that the competition would resume in December and be played in Orlando with single-leg, neutral venue matches.[111]

Also on 12 March, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), whose season was not scheduled to start until 18 April, canceled its preseason matches,[112] and also imposed a moratorium on team training that initially ran through 22 March.[113]

On 12 March Major League Soccer was suspended for 30 days.[114] On 19 March, Major League Soccer's suspension was extended to a target return date of 10 May.[115] On 14 April, MLS announced that it was "extremely unlikely based on the guidance of federal and local public health authorities" that they would meet this target, and stated that "our goal remains to play as many games as possible, and while we currently have enough dates to play the entire season, we recognize at this time that it may become difficult to do so."[116] The 2020 U.S. Open Cup, 2020 Leagues Cup, 2020 Campeones Cup and 2020 MLS All-Star Game were also all cancelled.[117][118]

On 20 March, the Canadian Premier League announced a postponement of their season which was scheduled to start on 11 April.[119]

The 2019–20 Major Arena Soccer League season was terminated early, effective 12 March.[120]

The USL Championship suspended the 2020 season on 12 March, for at least 30 days.[121]

The National Independent Soccer Association suspended the Spring portion of its 2019–20 season on 12 March for at least 30 days.[122] On 27 April, following a second suspension of play, NISA announced it would cancel the rest of its 2020 Spring season.[123][124]

Match week 10 of Liga MX, Women's Liga MX, and Ascenso MX took place but as of 15 March, club owners and league executives had then taken a decision to postpone all Mexican football activity until further notice.[125] As of 22 May, Mexican football executives announce the termination of the remainder of the current Clausura 2020 championship.[126]

 
A sculpture outside the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas wore a NSHOF-branded face mask during summer 2021.

On 10 June, Major League Soccer announced a return to action on 8 July with a mini-tournament, called the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, with all group stage matches counting towards the regular season standings.[127] The regular season was then resumed with fewer fixtures and reduced or no attendance allowed, with the playoffs beginning in November.[128] Canadian teams in the league had to play the remainder of their fixtures in the United States, due to travel restrictions between the borders.[129] This would later continue through the 2021 season after travel restrictions continued to remain in effect.[130]

On 24 July, Liga MX inaugurated the 2020–21 Liga MX season, also known as Torneo Guard1anes 2020. The season was dedicated to Mexico's frontline healthcare and medical staff. Mazatlán F.C. debuted in Liga MX, replacing the dissolved Monarcas Morelia.[131]

On 29 July, the Canadian Premier League announced a return to play on 13 August with a modified format called "The Island Games" to determine a 2020 champion. These games were played behind closed doors at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The shortened season ended in September with the Finals.[132]

South America

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On 12 March 2020, CONMEBOL announced that the Copa Libertadores would be temporarily suspended.[133] In addition, the Copa Sudamericana have been suspended after first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to be resumed on 27 October 2020, with the final rescheduled to be played in late January 2021.[134]

On 15 March, all top-tier football in Brazil was suspended until April.[135]

Academic research analyzes and compares the safe return protocols of major football leagues and associations to those of the Brazilian Championship, as well as to survey the numbers of COVID-19 outbreaks in clubs that competed in the 2020 Brazilian Championship Series A. The documentary research was carried out through the analysis of articles published on open-source football league and federation websites. National and international return protocols were verified, as well as the documenting of isolated cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Brazilian Championship. In the Brazilian Championship, the return to play occurred at a time when COVID-19 case numbers were rising, a fact that, together with the decentralization of the match cities, was likely linked to the number of positive cases.[136]

Oceania

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In New Zealand, the three main competitions, the New Zealand Football Championship, the Chatham Cup and the Kate Sheppard Cup were all cancelled by New Zealand Football. The 2019–20 New Zealand Football Championship season was concluded after 18 weeks, with Auckland City declared the winner.[137] On 23 April, both the national Men's and Women's knock-out cups were cancelled a week before the preliminary rounds were due to kick off.[138] It was the first time the Chatham Cup had been cancelled since the end of World War II.[138] On 15 January 2021, FIFA announced that Auckland City had withdrawn from the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities.[139] On 4 June 2021, the OFC announced that the 2021 OFC Champions League had been cancelled, and no champions would be awarded for the second season in a row.[140]

International football

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On 13 March 2020, FIFA announced that clubs did not have to release players to their national teams during the international windows of March and April 2020, while players also had the option to decline a call-up without any consequences. FIFA also recommended that all international matches during these windows be postponed, though the final decision was left to the competition organisers or member associations for friendly matches.[141]

FIFA World Cup qualification

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The qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, it was announced that Asian qualifier matches due to take place in March and June 2020 were postponed to later dates.[142] The South American qualifiers due to take place in March 2020 were also postponed to later dates.[143]

FIFA Club World Cup

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The 2020 FIFA Club World Cup was postponed from 2020 to 2021,[144] as the AFC, CONMEBOL, and CONCACAF champions would not have been decided in time for the tournament. Originally to be held in December 2020, on 17 November of the same year FIFA announced that the competition would be played between 1 and 11 February 2021.[145]

Originally seven teams were to compete in the tournament. However, OFC's representatives Auckland City withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities. As a result, only six teams competed, and the first round match, originally scheduled on 1 February 2021, was awarded as a 3–0 win to their first round opponents, host Qatar's representatives Al-Duhail, who advanced automatically to the second round on 4 February 2021.[146]

Attendance was limited to only 30% of the stadiums' seating capacity.[147] A third stadium in Al Rayyan, Khalifa International Stadium, would originally have hosted two matches, but following the withdrawal of Auckland City and the subsequent revision of the match schedule, it was not used for the tournament.[148][149][150]

The 2021 edition was also affected by COVID-19 restrictions. On 4 December 2020, the FIFA Council announced that the Club World Cup would be held in late 2021 and hosted by Japan.[151] However, on 8 September 2021, the Japan Football Association dropped its commitment to host the tournament, owing to the possibility of restrictions on fan attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[152][153] On 20 October 2021, the FIFA Council named the United Arab Emirates as the host of the tournament, and postponed the event from late 2021 to early 2022.[154]

Also, on 4 June 2021, the OFC announced that the 2021 OFC Champions League had been cancelled due to border closures throughout the Pacific caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and no champions would be awarded.[155] The OFC representative at the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, which would have originally been the winners of the 2021 OFC Champions League, was confirmed to be Auckland City by the OFC on 3 August 2021. The team was chosen by the OFC Executive Committee based on sporting merit principles, which used an overall ranking which took into consideration the final placing of each OFC Champions League between 2016 and 2020, and applied to the clubs nominated by their member association to qualify for the 2021 OFC Champions League.[156] However, on 31 December 2021, Auckland City withdrew from the competition due to delayed reopening of the borders in New Zealand related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reintroduction of the mandatory managed isolation and quarantine system upon returning to the country. As a result, Tahitian AS Pirae were nominated as the OFC's representative in their place.[157]

Olympic qualification

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Play-off matches between South Korea and China in the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament were also postponed.[158]

Continental tournaments

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On 9 March 2020, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) announced that all tournaments were postponed until May 2020.[159]

On 17 March 2020, the CAF announced that the 2020 African Nations Championship had been postponed to a later date due to the pandemic.[160] On 30 June CAF announced that the tournament would be held in January 2021.

On 10 September 2020, the AFC announced that the 2020 AFC Solidarity Cup would be cancelled.[161]

Concerns were raised regarding UEFA Euro 2020, being held in twelve host cities across Europe, and the potential impact of the coronavirus on players, staff and tournament visitors.[162] UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said the organisation was confident that the situation could be dealt with, while general secretary Theodore Theodoridis stated that UEFA was maintaining contact with the World Health Organization and national governments regarding the coronavirus.[163] UEFA announced that a videoconference would be held on 17 March with representatives of its 55 member associations, along with a FIFPro representative and the boards of the European Club Association and European Leagues, to discuss the response to the outbreak for domestic and European competitions, including Euro 2020.[164] The tournament was moved by 12 months.[165] On 23 April 2021, UEFA announced that Seville (La Cartuja) would replace Bilbao as tournament host, while the matches of Dublin (Aviva Stadium) would be reallocated to Saint Petersburg for the group stage and London for the round of 16.[166]

Similarly, the UEFA Women's Euro was moved from 2021 to 2022, due to the original dates clashing with the rearranged 2020 Summer Olympics dates.[167]

On 17 March 2020, CONMEBOL announced that the 2020 edition of Copa América was postponed to 2021.[168]

On 21 April 2020, the Oceania Football Confederation announced that due to the pandemic and the difficulty in rescheduling to another date in the FIFA International Match Calendar, the 2020 OFC Nations Cup would be cancelled.[169]

In the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, two matches: Romania v Norway and Switzerland v Ukraine, were cancelled due to positive tests in the Norwegian and Ukrainian team respectively. As a result, the quarantine prevented them from travelling.[170][171]

The 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup was marred with COVID-19 cases among many of its participating teams. Most affected were host India who were forced to withdraw from the tournament due to too many players rendered unavailable either due to COVID-19 or injuries.[172]

Youth tournaments

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On 3 April 2020, FIFA announced that the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled to be held in Panama and Costa Rica in August, and the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, scheduled to be held in India in November, would be postponed and rescheduled.[173]

Collegiate soccer

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Two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I members announced that they had eliminated their men's soccer teams effective immediately. First, on 14 April, the University of Cincinnati shuttered its team, citing "profound challenges and widespread uncertainty" resulting from the pandemic.[174] Then, on 26 May, Appalachian State University dropped three men's teams, including soccer, "in response to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic".[175]

List of affected events

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Leagues

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List of affected top-flight football leagues:

Curtailed

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League Country Season Start date Cancellation date Champions (if awarded) Source
Liga Panameña de Fútbol   Panama Apertura 2020 25 January 2020 17 March 2020 None [183]
New Zealand Football Championship   New Zealand 2019–20 1 November 2019 18 March 2020 Auckland City [137]
Primera División de El Salvador   El Salvador Clausura 2020 18 January 2020 20 March 2020 None [184]
Liga Nacional de Guatemala   Guatemala Clausura 2020 17 January 2020 25 March 2020 None [185]
Super League Vrouwenvoetbal   Belgium 2019–20 23 August 2019 27 March 2020 RSC Anderlecht [186]
Mauritian Premier League   Mauritius 2019–20 22 November 2019 6 April 2020 None [187]
Czech First Division (women)   Czech Republic 2019–20 17 August 2019 7 April 2020 Slavia Praha [188]
Premier League of Belize   Belize 2019–20 C 11 January 2020 18 April 2020 None [189]
I-League   India 2019–20 30 November 2019 18 April 2020 Mohun Bagan [190]
ÖFB Frauen Bundesliga   Austria 2019–20 17 August 2019 22 April 2020 None [191]
Eredivisie   Netherlands 2019–20 2 August 2019 24 April 2020 None [192]
Eredivisie Vrouwen   Netherlands 2019–20 23 August 2019 24 April 2020 None [193]
Primera División   Argentina 2019–20 26 July 2019 28 April 2020 Boca Juniors [194]
Ligue 1   France 2019–20 9 August 2019 28 April 2020 Paris Saint-Germain [195]
Division 1 Féminine   France 2019–20 24 August 2019 28 April 2020 Olympique Lyonnais [196]
Luxembourg National Division   Luxembourg 2019–20 3 August 2019 28 April 2020 None [197]
Liga Nacional   Honduras Clausura 2020 10 January 2020 29 April 2020 None [198]
Girabola   Angola 2019–20 November 2019 30 April 2020 None [199]
Gibraltar National League   Gibraltar 2019–20 12 August 2019 1 May 2020 None [200]
Guinée Championnat National   Guinea 2019–20 October 2019 1 May 2020 None [201]
Kenya Premier League   Kenya 2019–20 2019 1 May 2020 Gor Mahia [202]
Niger Premier League   Niger 2019–20 2019 4 May 2020 None [203]
Burkinabé Premier League   Burkina Faso 2019–20 16 August 2019 5 May 2020 None [204]
Congo Premier League   Republic of the Congo 2019–20 5 October 2019 5 May 2020 AS Otohô [205]
Ethiopian Premier League   Ethiopia 2019–20 November 2019 5 May 2020 None [206]
Liberian First Division   Liberia 2020 29 December 2019 4 May 2020 None [207]
Primera División (women)   Spain 2019–20 7 September 2019 6 May 2020 Barcelona [208]
Elite One   Cameroon 2020 2020 12 May 2020 PWD Bamenda [209]
Linafoot   Democratic Republic of the Congo 2019–20 15 August 2019 13 May 2020 TP Mazembe [210]
Jupiler Pro League   Belgium 2019–20 26 July 2019 15 May 2020 Club Brugge [211]
Cypriot First Division   Cyprus 2019–20 23 August 2019 15 May 2020 None [212]
National Premier League   Jamaica 2019–20 1 September 2019 15 May 2020 None [213]
Venezuelan Primera División   Venezuela 2020 30 January 2020 15 May 2020 None [214]
Tahiti Ligue 1   Tahiti 2019–20 27 September 2019 16 May 2020 Pirae [215]
Bangladesh Premier League   Bangladesh 2020 13 February 2020 17 May 2020 None [216]
Maltese Premier League   Malta 2019–20 23 August 2019 18 May 2020 Floriana [217]
Scottish Premiership   Scotland 2019–20 3 August 2019 18 May 2020 Celtic [218]
Cymru Premier   Wales 2019–20 16 August 2019 19 May 2020 Connah's Quay Nomads [219]
Uganda Premier League   Uganda 2019–20 2019 20 May 2020 Vipers
FUFA Women Super League   Uganda 2019–20 2019 20 May 2020 None [220]
GFA League First Division   The Gambia 2019–20 6 December 2019 21 May 2020 None
South Sudan Football Championship   South Sudan 2020 20 February 2020 21 May 2020 None
Liga MX   Mexico Clausura 2020 10 January 2020 22 May 2020 None [221]
Liga MX Femenil   Mexico Clausura 2020 4 January 2020 22 May 2020 None [221]
Rwanda Premier League   Rwanda 2019–20 4 October 2019 22 May 2020 APR
FA Women's Super League   England 2019–20 7 September 2019 25 May 2020 Chelsea [222]
Togolese Championnat National   Togo 2019–20 6 October 2019 26 May 2020 ASKO Kara [223]
Lebanese Premier League   Lebanon 2019–20 20 September 2019 28 May 2020 None [224]
Premijer liga   Bosnia and Herzegovina 2019–20 20 July 2019 1 June 2020 Sarajevo [225]
Iraqi Premier League   Iraq 2019–20 18 September 2019 3 June 2020 None [226]
Macedonian First Football League   North Macedonia 2019–20 11 August 2019 4 June 2020 Vardar [227]
Serie A (women)   Italy 2019–20 14 September 2019 8 June 2020 Juventus [228]
Botswana Premier League   Botswana 2019–20 31 August 2019 15 June 2020 Jwaneng Galaxy [229]
UAE Pro League   United Arab Emirates 2019–20 19 September 2019 18 June 2020 None [230]
Benin Premier League   Benin 2019–20 6 October 2019 29 June 2020 None [231]
Ghana Premier League   Ghana 2019–20 28 December 2019 30 June 2020 None [232]
Turkish Women's First Football League   Turkey 2019–20 20 October 2019 8 July 2020 None [233]
Senegal Premier League   Senegal 2019–20 7 December 2019 9 July 2020 None [234]
Nigeria Professional Football League   Nigeria 2019–20 3 November 2019 10 July 2020 None [235]
Sierra Leone National Premier League   Sierra Leone 2019–20 4 December 2019 15 July 2020 None [236]
Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1   Algeria 2019–20 15 August 2019 29 July 2020 CR Belouizdad [237]

Postponed

edit
League Country Season Original schedule Postponed Resumed Source
Ýokary Liga   Turkmenistan 2020 6 March 2020 (start date) 23 March 2020 19 April 2020 [238]
K League 1   South Korea 2020 29 February – 4 October 2020 24 February 2020 8 May 2020 [239]
Faroe Islands Premier League   Faroe Islands 2020 8 March 2020 – 7 November 2020 8 March 2020 9 May 2020 [240]
Bundesliga   Germany 2019–20 16 August 2019 – 27 June 2020 13 March 2020 16 May 2020 [241]
Liga FPD   Costa Rica Clausura 2020 11 January 2020 – 17 or 31 May 2020 18 March 2020 19 May 2020 [242]
Meistriliiga   Estonia 2020 6 March 2020 – 7 November 2020 8 March 2020 19 May 2020 [243]
Nemzeti Bajnokság I   Hungary 2019–20 21 July 2019 – May 2020 16 March 2020 17 May 2020 [244]
Burundi Premier League   Burundi 2019–20 10 August 2019 – April 2020 5 April 2020 21 May 2020 [245]
Czech First League   Czech Republic 2019–20 12 July 2019 – May 2020 12 March 2020 25 May 2020 [246]
Syrian Premier League   Syria 2019–20 20 October 2019 – May 2020 9 March 2020 28 May 2020 [247]
Danish Superliga   Denmark 2019–20 12 July 2019 – 24 May 2020 12 March 2020 29 May 2020 [248]
Frauen-Bundesliga   Germany 2019–20 17 August 2019 – 17 May 2020 16 March 2020 29 May 2020 [249]
Ekstraklasa   Poland 2019–20 12 July 2019 – 17 May 2020 13 March 2020 29 May 2020 [245]
A Lyga   Lithuania 2020 8 March 2020 – 7 November 2020 12 March 2020 30 May 2020 [250]
SuperLiga   Serbia 2019–20 19 July 2019 – May 2020 15 March 2020 30 May 2020 [251]
Ukrainian Premier League   Ukraine 2019–20 28 July 2019 – May 2020 17 March 2020 30 May 2020 [252]
Israeli Premier League   Israel 2019–20 24 August 2019 – May 2020 12 March 2020 30 May 2020 [253]
Montenegrin First League   Montenegro 2019–20 3 August 2019 – May 2020 13 March 2020 1 June 2020 [254]
Austrian Football Bundesliga   Austria 2019–20 26 July 2019 – 7 March 2020 18 March 2020 2 June 2020 [255]
Kategoria Superiore   Albania 2019–20 23 August 2019 – May 2020 12 March 2020 3 June 2020 [256]
Primeira Liga   Portugal 2019–20 9 August 2019 – 17 May 2020 12 March 2020 3 June 2020 [257]
First Professional Football League   Bulgaria 2019–20 12 July 2019 – May 2020 13 March 2020 5 June 2020 [258]
Slovenian PrvaLiga   Slovenia 2019–20 13 July 2019 – 15 May 2020 12 March 2020 5 June 2020 [259]
V.League 1   Vietnam 2020 6 March 2020 (start date) 16 March 2020 (first suspension)
26 July 2020 (second suspension)		 5 June 2020 (first resumption)
9 October 2020 (second resumption)		 [260][261]
Croatian First Football League   Croatia 2019–20 19 July 2019 – May 2020 12 March 2020 6 June 2020 [262]
Super League Greece   Greece 2019–20 24 August 2019 – May 2020 13 March 2020 6 June 2020 [263]
La Liga   Spain 2019–20 16 August 2019 – 24 May 2020 12 March 2020 11 June 2020 [264]
Liga I   Romania 2019–20 12 July 2019 – June 2020 12 March 2020 12 June 2020 [265]
Süper Lig   Turkey 2019–20 16 August 2019 – May 2020 19 March 2020 12 June 2020 [266]
Slovak First Football League   Slovakia 2019–20 20 July 2019 – 24 May 2020 12 March 2020 13 June 2020 [267]
Allsvenskan   Sweden 2020 4 April 2020 – 8 November 2020 19 March 2020 14 June 2020 [268]
Eliteserien   Norway 2020 4 April 2020 – 29 November 2020 12 March 2020 16 June 2020 [269]
Premier League   England 2019–20 9 August 2019 – 17 May 2020 13 March 2020 17 June 2020 [270]
Russian Premier League   Russia 2019–20 12 July 2019 – May 2020 17 March 2020 19 June 2020 [271]
League of Ireland   Republic of Ireland 2020 14 February 2020 – 30 October 2020 12 March 2020 31 July 2020 [272][273]
Swiss Super League    Switzerland 2019–20 19 July 2019 – May 2020 28 February 2020 19 June 2020 [274]
Serie A   Italy 2019–20 25 August 2019 – 24 May 2020 9 March 2020 20 June 2020 [275]
Persian Gulf Pro League   Iran 2019–20 23 August 2019 – May 2020 11 March 2020 24 June 2020 [276]
Veikkausliiga   Finland 2020 3 April 2020 – 1 September 2020 13 March 2020 1 July 2020 [277]
Kazakhstan Premier League   Kazakhstan 2020 7 March 2020 (start date) 16 March 2020 1 July 2020 (first resumption)
18 August 2020 (second resumption)		 [278]
J1 League   Japan 2020 21 February – 5 December 2020 25 February 2020 4 July 2020 [279]
Major League Soccer   United States
  Canada		 2020 29 February – 7 November 2020 12 March 2020 8 July 2020 [280]
A-League   Australia 2019–20 11 October – 26 April 2020 24 March 2020 17 July 2020 [281]
Nadeshiko League   Japan 2020 2 May 2020 (start date) March 2020 18 July 2020 [282]
Paraguayan Primera División   Paraguay 2020 17 January 2020 (start date) 13 March 2020 21 July 2020 [283]
Qatar Stars League   Qatar 2019–20 21 August 2019 – April 2020 16 March 2020 24 July 2020 [284]
Chinese Super League   China 2020 22 February 2020 – 31 October 2020 30 January 2020 25 July 2020 [285]
Botola   Morocco 2019–20 14 September 2019 – May 2020 14 March 2020 27 July 2020 [286]
Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1   Tunisia 2019–20 24 August 2019 – June 2020 16 March 2020 1 August 2020 [287]
Saudi Professional League   Saudi Arabia 2019–20 22 August 2019 – May 2020 15 March 2020 4 August 2020 [288]
Egyptian Premier League   Egypt 2019–20 21 September 2019 – May 2020 14 March 2020 9 August 2020 [289]
Canadian Premier League   Canada 2020 11 April 2020 – 4 October 2020 20 March 2020 13 August 2020 [290]
Philippines Football League   Philippines 2020 May 2020 (start date) 13 March 2020 25 October 2020 [291]

Cancelled

edit
League Country Season Original schedule Cancellation date Source
Philippines Football League   Philippines 2021 21 August 2021 (start date) 22 October 2021 [292][293][294]

Tournaments

edit

Cancelled

edit
Tournament Host country Original schedule Cancellation date Source
2020 OFC Nations Cup   New Zealand 6–20 June 2020 21 April 2020 [169]
2020 AFC Solidarity Cup N/A 30 November – 13 December 2020 10 September 2020 [161]
2020 AFC Cup N/A 10 February – 7 November 2020 10 September 2020 [14]

Awards

edit

Cancelled

edit
Award Event Cancellation date Source
Ballon d'Or 2020 Ballon d'Or 20 July 2020 [295][296]
Ballon d'Or Féminin
Kopa Trophy
Yashin Trophy

References

edit

  This article incorporates text by Leonardo José Mataruna-Dos-Santos, Pedro da Gama Roberto de Albuquerque, Gabriel de Almeida Vasconcellos, Rodrigo Mendonça do Nascimento, Nadine Tonelli Cavalari, Daniel Range, Andressa Fontes Guimarães-Mataruna, and Bianca Ortiz-Silva available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

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