Tigres secures deal for new 65,000 seat stadium

Mexican soccer giants Tigres UANL have secured a deal to see a brand new 65,000 seat stadium ready by 2025.

The stadium will be based in the heart of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, and will be replacing the old 42,000 seat stadium, known as Estadio Universitario, The previous stadia has been the home of Tigres since 1967.

The new stadium was presented on Thursday, January 13 at a meeting that included Governor of Nuevo León and Samuel García, through a Memorandum of Understanding to commence construction.

Tigres’ future home was designed by architecture firm Populous and envisioned to be entirely privately financed at a cost of $445 million AUD.

The stadium’s features will include a retractable pitch, as well as being able to host concerts and international sporting events like American football games.

As part of the overall plans, the stadium will include separate changing rooms for Tigres’ men’s and women’s teams, while the exterior stadia complex will complement with a hotel, shopping centre and restaurants. The venue is also intended to act as an incubator for local business, and will also have classrooms catering for the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL).

Juego de Pelota principle partner, César Esparza:

“There is going to be another setting for concerts and sport,” he said.

“It is a stadium prepared to host all sports, this stadium will be the postcard of Nuevo León.

“Stadium events will not be expensive for fans, as long as it has that capacity it will allow us to create different price levels for events, becoming inclusive for all people.”

UANL Tigres parent company member, Mauricio Doehner:

“Today Tigres is internationally recognised and we are always striving for more,” he said.

“Of course we deserve a new stadium, it will be the headquarters in this new era. Today, Tigres is not only a benchmark in Mexican soccer, but also on an International stadium. The Estadio Universitario has given greatness to Club Tigres and all the fans, we will honour it forever.”

Image credit: Football Queensland

The 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index (CVR) has just been released.

This aggregated metric measures the value for money that each club delivers with respect to their SHIELD weighting and performance output. Over the last five years, the 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index has provided valuable insight to parents and stakeholders by offering a transparent, evidence-based, and non-partisan evaluation of which clubs are effectively converting resources into high-quality development programs.

Understanding the Club Rank Score (CRS)

At the heart of the program is the Club’s Rank Score (CRS), which ranks clubs according to a longevity-focused framework. It analyses key criteria, such as opportunities for progression, equity, and safety, producing a merit-based reflection of FQ Academy Club quality. While the CRS reliably examines a club’s overall performance, it does not consider cost-efficiency or gender inequalities.

How the Club Value Ranking Index Improves Analysis

The Club Value Ranking Index fills this gap. Using the CRS as a foundation, the CVR transforms the data by including additional variables such as gender, registration fees, and SHIELD weightings (gold, silver, bronze) to more accurately quantify cost-efficiency. FQ categorises clubs based on their CRS placement:

Gold clubs: 1–10
Silver clubs: 11–24
Bronze clubs: 25–32

The data offers a unique assessment of how clubs perform relative to their SHIELD tier and costs, including performance by gender. This year’s data shows that clubs investing in both male and female player development perform significantly better.

Correlation Between SHIELD Tier and CVR

When transformed, the Club Value Ranking still shows a correlation between SHIELD tier and higher ranking:

Of 10 gold-tier clubs, 7 make the top 10 in the CVR.
Of 8 bronze-tier clubs, 6 are in the bottom 10 in CVR.

As such, the algorithm is particularly relevant to silver-tier clubs, which are dispersed more widely in the CVR.

Outliers and Key Findings

Notable examples include:

Samford Rangers: 21st in CRS → 1st in CVR
Brisbane Strikers: 14th in CRS → last in CVR
Brisbane City: 5th in CRS → 17th in CVR
North Lakes United: 26th in CRS → 10th in CVR

These results highlight clubs that deliver high-quality outcomes relative to their resources, isolating both overperformers and underperformers.

Changes From Last Year

Since last year, 12 more clubs were added. Examples include:

Redlands United: 1st in last year’s CVR → now falls to 27th
Gold Coast Knights: rose from 20th in CVR to 8th in 2025

This demonstrates the CVR’s ability to provide nuanced assessments beyond pure CRS performance.

Implications for Families and Stakeholders

The 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index offers a more complete picture of club performance by balancing quality, cost efficiency, and gender-inclusive development. While limitations remain cultural and demographic differences between clubs affect outcomes, the index gives families, coaches, and stakeholders an empirical tool for informed decision-making.

Image credit: Adrian Shaw

The Growing Football Grant will provide funding to 16 Victorian football clubs.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has renewed its support for 2025–26, placing a clear focus on boosting women’s involvement in the sport. As a result, the initiative aims to strengthen clubs and associations by improving awareness, safety, and infrastructure for women and girls.

In Melbourne’s northern suburbs, Darebin United, Keilor Park, and Watsonia Heights football clubs will receive support. Meanwhile, in the west, the grant will fund Altona East SC, Balmoral FC, Footscray United Rangers FC, Sunshine Heights Junior FC, Truganina Lions FC, and Werribee City FC. Additionally, Melbourne University Soccer Club and Monash Soccer Club are included in the allocation.

Beyond Melbourne, regional clubs will also benefit. In Gippsland, Gippsland United FC and Trafalgar Victory FC will receive funding. Further east, the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges will see support for Monbulk Rangers SC. Finally, in rural north-eastern Victoria, Murray United FC Inc will be among the beneficiaries.

Overall, the funding aims to expand and strengthen women’s representation in football. Clubs will use the bursary to reduce barriers to participation through equipment subsidies, female-only programs, and introductory sessions for new players. In turn, these initiatives hope to empower young women with mentoring, education, and opportunities on and off the field.

Ultimately, continued investment in women’s football reflects a long-term commitment to growth and inclusion and supports the goal of reaching 50,000 female players by 2026.

This renewed backing not only amplifies opportunities for women and girls but also reinforces a system where community clubs can thrive through stronger pathways, safer environments, and greater accessibility. With these resources, Victorian football is positioned to foster lasting participation and build a more equitable future for players across the state.