After the success of the first two editions of the Unity Euro Cup, UEFA and UNHCR are proud to leverage the power of football to strengthen ties between host communities and displaced people once more. This year’s Unity Euro Cup will return to Nyon, Switzerland, on 10 October.

Following the successful first tournament in 2022, UEFA, supported by UNHCR, hosted an expanded second edition last year, in Frankfurt, Germany. In total, 16 teams of refugees and host community members came together to showcase the unique power of sport in bringing diverse communities together.

This year, 16 teams will compete in a total of 33 matches for 2024 Unity Euro Cup. These teams represent the national football associations of Armenia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. Additionally, a team of Ukrainian refugees from across Europe will represent their homeland Ukraine.

The seven-a-side tournament, involving almost 200 young people from refugee and local host communities, will kick off at 08:30 CEST on 10 October at the Colovray Sport Centre in Nyon, Switzerland. The final will be played at 15:00 CEST.

Each team will be composed of eight refugee players and four players from the refugees’ host communities, including at least three women, and a national ambassador will accompany each team. This is an important opportunity to highlight the power of football in breaking down barriers and fostering a spirit of inclusion.

The Unity Euro Cup is open to everyone and free to attend, including spectators.

Panel discussion on “Refugee Inclusion Through Sport”

Following the final, UEFA and UNHCR will host a high-level panel discussion on “Refugee Inclusion Through Sport”. Panellists will include UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister, United Nations high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, UEFA EURO 2024 and Germany ambassador, Célia Šašić, with the conversation moderated by Pedro Pinto. It will be held in English and will take place in the auditorium of UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon from 17:30 to 18:30 CEST.

Strengthening social inclusion through football

As part of the UEFA Football Sustainability Strategy 2030, UEFA actively promotes the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and displaced individuals within the host communities through football. Our sport’s universal language facilitates inclusion and well-being by bringing diverse individuals together, promoting teamwork and providing a platform for physical activity and social interaction.

UNHCR has developed the UNHCR Sport Strategy – More than a Game – which highlights the role sports and sports organisations can play in improving the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people and in supporting integration with host communities.

The strategy outlines UNHCR’s approach to working with and through the sport world to improve the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people This includes working with a broad cross-section of partners from both within and outside the sport ecosystem, with the overarching objective of enhancing protection in the areas of social cohesion, inclusion and psycho-social well-being.

Credit: UEFA

The youthful spark of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams combined perfectly with the veteran poise of Rodri and other mainstays who had yet to win a major trophy as Spain completed its superb Euro 2024 in the final with a 2-1 win over England on Sunday.

The key was making Spain a more dynamic and versatile attacking team to end a decade of “tiki-taka” misfires.

Even though Williams later rolled out the platitudes of enjoying the moment and going forward step by step, the Athletic Bilbao winger couldn’t help but look forward to the 2026 World Cup.

“We hope this can keep going and we can shoot for the World Cup,” the 22-year-old said after scoring the opening goal of the final.

“I said before the tournament, nobody can hang with us. We are a great team.”

The euphoria was justified.

Spain won all seven games — with none going to penalties — and scored a record 15 goals at a European Championship. And those victories came against the top traditional powers on the continent, as Spain downed Croatia and Italy in the group phase before eliminating Germany and France to reach the final.

“We made history beating four world champions in a row,” Rodri said. “This is the most difficult tournament that our team has faced, without a doubt. We toppled them all.”

The team flew to Madrid on Monday, when captain Álvaro Morata showed off the trophy on the stairs leading down to the tarmac. The team then visited Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before partying with thousands of fans in the capital.

Passing the torch

Rodri was named the player of the tournament, even without playing the second half of the final due to a leg problem. The Manchester City midfielder is Spain’s leading candidate to finally win its first men’s Ballon d’Or award since Luis Suárez back in 1960. Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas have won the women’s Ballon d’Or the past three years.

The title ends a 12-year wait since a group piloted by Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández dominated world soccer after sweeping up the 2008 and 2012 Euros and the 2010 World Cup.

“The previous generations showed us the way,” Rodri said. “This is something that is cultivated and nurtured and you work hard for. Today we are champions of Europe and we are not going to stop here.”

The only member of the team who knew what it was like to win a major title was the 38-year-old Jesus Navas, who played at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

Iniesta, Spain’s scorer in the 2010 World Cup final, also had a small part in helping this bunch stay together.

Morata credited Iniesta and former player Bojan Krkic for helping to convince him to play the Euros. The Atlético Madrid striker has spoken out about the emotional pain he experienced after receiving hateful comments on social media.

Fittingly, Iniesta, Xavi and former Spain striker David Villa were together in the stands at the Olympiastadion to watch this new batch of players add a new dimension to Spain’s game.

New style

While nowhere close to England’s anguishing title drought since the 1966 World Cup, Spain had entered a period of underachieving since its success at Euro 2012. Its attempts to maintain the “tiki-taka” ball-possession playing style failed. Without Iniesta and company, Spain fell into the doldrums of making sometimes over 1,000 passes but scant few scoring chances in the biggest games.

In Germany, however, Spain deployed some new weapons that left defenses scrambling to cover attacks from all angles.

The imprint of those great Spain teams was still there to be seen, of course. Rodri and fellow midfielder Fabián Ruíz could latch onto the ball when required.

Yet the strength of Spain shifted to the wings.

Yamal put on a show in each game from the right side. The Barcelona forward, who turned 17 a day before the final, scored an instant classic of a goal to help beat France 2-1 in the semifinals, and he delivered his fourth assist of the tournament to set up Williams’ goal against England.

Williams romped on the other flank, where he doubled up with Marc Cucurella to make a duo that no defenders could handle. Cucurella delivered the pass for Mikel Oyarzabal to score the winner over England.

Williams was named the player of the final. The Athletic Bilbao forward and Dani Olmo, who plays for Leipzig, have boosted their value and are likely going to draw the attention of major clubs.

Olmo stepped in as a starter after Pedri González was injured and finished as joint-leading scorer of the tournament with three goals. He also pitched in at the other end when he cleared a ball off the goal-line that could have sent the final into extra time.

De la Fuente, for his part, managed to keep his team isolated from the scandals afflicting Spain’s soccer federation.

“Our veterans provided the guidance for our youngsters to ensure we kept our poise in the tough moments, while our youngsters made us dynamic, joyful, and we formed a well-balanced group,” De la Fuente said.

“I don’t know if anyone believed me, but from day one I said that I had the best 26 players in the world. They always rose to the challenge.”

Credit: AP 

The balance tilted Spain’s way in the Olympic Stadium when Nico Williams caught England by surprise just over a minute into the second half. Wasteful finishing permitted England substitute Cole Palmer an equaliser in the 73rd minute before Spain’s own super-sub, Mikel Oyarzabal, won it shortly before the final whistle.

Spain, as England kicked off, had shared the three-times title record with hosts Germany but were always favourites to succeed deposed champions Italy after delivering the most fluent football of the finals to win all their seven matches with a decisive overall goals tally of 15-4.

Coach Luis de la Fuente, their understated 63-year-old coach, thus saw his Nations League title-holders extend a remarkable Spanish sequence at national team and clubs level of 27 successive unbeaten finals.

He said: “I couldn’t be happier. To see the fans, to see the players, a real team, European champions. I said before the final that I was proud and now I am even prouder. It confirms what we are. For me, they are the best in the world.”

England had improved immeasurably in the knockout stage after an unimpressive group showing in as they sought amends for Wembley 2021 when they lost the final on penalties to Italy. But it proved all too little too late.

A subsidiary issue, shelved temporarily amid the Three Lions’ run to Berlin, concerns the future of 53-year-old manager Gareth Southgate. His contract runs until December and the FA is believed to want him to stay on but he has promised a decision sooner rather than later.

Southgate said: “We’ve competed until the very end of the final. After we got the equaliser it was wide open. We had a big chance at the end to equalise so as always it is fine margins. I do think Spain were the best team in the tournament.”

The denouement climaxed a month of action which had entertained 2.6m fans in 10 venues across Germany as well as some 2.65bn TV viewers worldwide, even if much of the football itself had not been particularly memorable, classy or imaginative.

The first half saw only one serious goal effort. This fell to Phil Foden after a right-wing free kick from Declan Rice just before the interval and drew a low, near-post save from keeper Unai Simon.

Spain came out for the second half without Rodri who had been hurt blocking a shot by Kane. Not that the loss of the man later named Player of the Tournament did them any harm.

Within just over a minute of the restart the precocious Lamine Yamal escaped Luke Shaw and delivered a perfect cross into the stride of Williams for the other winger to score. That was Yamal’s fourth assist of the finals. Not bad for the starlet aged 17 years one day and who would be hailed Young Player of the Tournament.

Spain now had rocky England at their mercy. Olmo and Williams were both narrowly off target and then Fabian Ruiz fired a low drive just wide of keeper Jordan Pickford’s right-hand post. They would regret those missed chances as England pulled themselves together.

First Jude Bellingham swivelled and shot just wide then Southgate pulled his substitutions trick again. Ollie Watkins replacing Kane then Palmer, having just replaced Kobbie Mainoo, shot an equaliser low past the diving Simon in the 72nd minute from a Bellingham assist.

De la Fuente, however, had a substitution trick of his own to play. Four minutes remained when Mikel Oyarzabal, an earlier replacement for Alvaro Morata, climaxed a high-speed counter-attack by converting Marc Cucurella’s cross.

Spain deserved the win not only for their work on the night but for their entire Euro campaign.

Credit: AIPS Media 

Start with the men’s singles final at Wimbledon, then take in the soccer European Championship title match between Spain and England, before finishing the day with the Copa America soccer showpiece: Argentina against Colombia.

From London to Berlin and all the way to Miami over the course of 13 hours, it’s quite the day of top-class sports to enjoy.

Quite the cast, too.

Carlos Alcaraz is sure to be there and could face Novak Djokovic in a repeat of the 2023 final at the All England Club.

Spain’s Lamine Yamal, soccer’s newest superstar who will have just turned 17, against Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden at the Olympiastadion.

Then, the great Lionel Messi — back in another major final for Argentina, 19 months after leading the team to the World Cup title — in what could yet be his swansong at an international tournament at Hard Rock Stadium.

Wimbledon

The men’s singles final will take place at 2 p.m. local time (9 a.m. EDT). The lineup will be decided after Friday’s semifinals, with Alcaraz having already beaten Daniil Medvedev in four sets ahead of Djokovic facing Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz beat Djokovic in five sets in last year’s final to capture his first title at Wimbledon and second Grand Slam trophy overall. If it goes that long again, armchair fans won’t have too much of a wait until the soccer double-header begins.

The women’s singles final takes place on Saturday and will be between Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova.

Euro 2024

Spain vs. England will kick off at 9 p.m. local time (3 p.m. EDT) and could be the crowning moment for Yamal in his breakthrough tournament, which the Barcelona winger has played while aged 16 for the most part. He turns 17 on Saturday.

Spain starts as the favorite after winning all six of its games at Euro 2024 and is looking to capture the title for a record fourth time.

England, the birthplace of soccer, is in a second straight European Championship final and is bidding for a first major title since its only one so far — the 1966 World Cup.

Copa America

The title match between Argentina and Colombia will begin at 8 p.m. local time (0000 GMT on Monday). It should still be hot and humid for the 37-year-old Messi and Argentina, which is bidding to clinch a record 16th Copa America title — breaking a tie for 15 with Uruguay.

Argentina are the defending champions after winning it in 2021, so is going for a third straight major-tournament title. Colombia’s only Copa America title came in 2001 — and that was the last time the team was in the final.

Other Sports

If all that still isn’t enough for you, there’s a bit more sport going on to fill the time.

There’s golf throughout the day at the Evian Championship, the fourth women’s major of the year, and the Scottish Open, where Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg are among the stars getting some links prep in ahead of the British Open.

Also, there’s the 15th stage of the Tour de France if you fancy a bit of cycling.

Credit: AP

At UEFA Euro 2024 the first such match was Turkey’s defeat of Georgia in the group stage and now, to follow up, came the Spain’s imposition of a long goodbye on hosts Germany and playmaker Toni Kroos. The reward for La Roja will be a semi-final in Munich on Tuesday against France who beat old rivals Portugal 5-3 on penalties after a goalless extra-time draw.

SUPER SUBS

All three goals in the 2-1 victory which extended Spain’s status as the only finalists with a 100% record were scored by substitutes.

Dani Olmo, who plays his club football in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, put Spain ahead early in the second half before a storming reaction earned Germany a deserved last-minute equaliser from Florian Wirtz. In the dying minutes of extra time Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino sprang, almost out of nowhere, to head the winner.

RETIREMENT

Spain’s first victory over the hosts in Germany since a friendly in 1935 enforced the retirement of Kroos who had garnered much of his glory, ironically, in Spain with Real Madrid.

Controversy pursued Germany out of ‘their’ tournament after referee Anthony Taylor denied them a penalty for handball shortly before Merino’s breakthrough.

SHARP START

Spain made a sharp start with midfielder Pedri forcing a diving save from Manuel Neuer. Unhappily that was the fragile midfielder’s last positive involvement. Minutes later he was sent tumbling by Kroos who was fortunate to escape a yellow card.

The knee damage inflicted by the foul forced Pedri’s tearful substitution after only eight minutes, an unwanted Euro finals record.

Gradually Spanish technique proved superior to German tenacity and it was no surprise when they took the lead shortly after the interval. Teenager Lamine Yamal spied out a space between the German lines into which Olmo, Pedri’s substitute, slipped to shoot beyond Neuer.

NOW OR NEVER

For Germany it was now or never against the other three-times champions.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann replaced playmaker Gundogan with his favourite substitute, Niclas Fullkrug. He set up Robert Andrich a for a low drive well stopped by Unai Simon, headed wide, then scooped a Wirtz cross against a post. Eventually such desperate pressure was rewarded in the 89th minute with an equaliser from Wirtz.

EXTRA TIME

So to extra time and referee Taylor’s rejection of German penalty claims after a drive from Jamal Musiala was deflected by an arm of Marc Cucurella.

Three minutes later Merino left Toni Rudiger flat-footed with a perfect ‘free’ header. Time remained only for Dani Carvajal to be sent off after pulling down Jamal Musiala and then it was all over, dramatically, for both Germany and Kroos.

Extra-time also later, in Hamburg, but France and Portugal produced no such excitement. Indeed, the two teams – Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo at al – created a mere handful of half chances between them over the 120 minutes.

Given such attacking ineptitude it was almost remarkable they finally did remember the route to goal when it came to the shootout.

Someone always has to fail and in Hamburg, while France converted all five penalties, that was the fate of Portugal’s Joao Felix. The 24-year-old slid Portugal’s third kick against keeper Mike Maignan’s right-hand post so Les Bleus could march on.

Credit: AIPS Media 

The success of this new approach at UEFA EURO 2024, understood by the actors of the game and welcomed by the public opinion as unquestionable progress for the image of football, boosts our confidence that this is the way forward. Fair play and respect are values that football, the most popular game in the world, must convey to our societies.

Starting with the new season of UEFA club competitions ready to kick off next week, this approach will therefore be extended to all matches in UEFA competitions.

Referees have now an open line of dialogue with the teams to explain key decisions, including those involving VAR. These information and explanations are provided only to the team captains, who are the only players entitled to speak to the referee and request clarifications in a respectful manner.

Captains must also take responsibility for their team-mates, asking them to respect the referee, keep their distance and not surround the match officials.

Where the captain is the goalkeeper, therefore not close to the action in the majority of cases, the teams are requested to nominate a single outfield player authorised to speak with the referees, to receive their explanations.

Players disregarding these instructions and approaching the referees to show dissent or to act disrespectfully are cautioned.

Credit: UEFA

Gareth Southgate’s side laboured to the top of Group C, and then barely survived an all-mighty scare in the round of 16 against Slovakia. They managed just two shots on target in 120 minutes of football and needed a moment of individual brilliance from Jude Bellingham to prevent what would have been catastrophic fallout.

In stark contrast, Switzerland have impressed. Only a last-minute Niclas Füllkrug header prevented them from topping Group A, and they followed up their strong group-stage showing by comprehensively outplaying reigning champions Italy in the last 16.

Switzerland will undoubtedly be the toughest opponent England have faced. Considering how the Three Lions have fared against weaker opposition to date, this game is likely to be an absolute battle.

An experienced and disciplined side under Murat Yakin, Switzerland now have the individual star quality to go with it.

Ahead of the tie, we look at three ways they could really hurt England in Düsseldorf.

The tools to dominate midfield

The experience gap between each side’s midfield is staggering.

The midfield duo of Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler have started together for Switzerland 50 times; England’s pairing of Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo – who started together against Slovakia and will likely partner each other again in this match – have played just 338 minutes together.

Xhaka and Freuler have featured in each of the last 30 games for Switzerland in all competitions, whereas England have started Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher and now Mainoo next to Rice in their four games at Euro 2024.

That’s not a dig at either Rice or Mainoo’s individual ability, nor their respective talent ceilings, but it serves to illustrate a salient point: Switzerland have the consistency, familiarity and individual quality to boss that part of the pitch against England.

Against Denmark, England’s most technically capable Euro 2024 opposition to date, they ceded control of the midfield areas, as the zones of control graphic below shows:

That enabled the likes of Morten Hjulmand and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to enjoy the run of the pitch.

The Spurs midfielder ended the match with more touches (108) and more completed passes (74) than anyone else on the pitch as England struggled to get a foothold in the middle of the park.

The space between Rice and Alexander-Arnold was chasmic out of possession, and even in possession there was little connectivity between England’s midfield two and their front four. Southgate’s side had a collective pass accuracy of 86.2% in that game, their lowest in a fixture since playing Italy in qualifying back in March 2023.

In Xhaka especially, Switzerland have a midfielder who can really exploit any weaknesses in the opposition’s midfield shape. He made 27 line-breaking passes against Italy, more than double that of any other player in the match, while only Toni Kroos has made more such passes in a game at Euro 2024 (in three of his four matches).

In total, Xhaka has made 51 line-breaking passes at Euro 2024, and 33 of them have broken the opponent’s midfield line. He has the quality to feed the ball into dangerous areas if England aren’t in a good defensive structure.

The Quality in Attack to Make England Pay

England looked frail defensively against Slovakia for the first time in the tournament and were arguably lucky to concede just the one goal.

Slovakia’s 13 shots produced an expected goals total of 2.09, which is more xG than England conceded from 26 shots in the group stage (1.15).

Granted, Slovakia had an extra 30 minutes to boost those numbers, but the last-16 game was the first time England have given up more than 2.0 xG in a competitive match since facing Belgium in the UEFA Nations League back in 2020.

It didn’t happen at all during Euro 2020 or the 2022 World Cup.

And let’s not forget they will be missing the impressive Marc Guéhi at the back, who will miss this game through suspension.

Enter Switzerland, who have been one of the most clinical teams at Euro 2024. Their 21.2% shot conversion rate is the best in the tournament, and the average chance quality of their open-play shots is 0.13 xG, the third-highest of all 24 teams.

This is a side that – on current form – has the players to make you pay if you give them a chance.

Breel Embolo has had a tough season with injuries but started against Italy and looks to be nearing full fitness. Due to those injuries, his numbers for Monaco last term are modest, but we shouldn’t forget that during his time in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach, Embolo led the team for xG per 90 (0.48).

Dan Ndoye has looked quick and rangy when deputising as a forward, although he might start initially as right wing-back; Rubén Vargas has been a threat cutting inside from the left, and Xherdan Shaqiri – Mr. Major Tournaments himself – always has something special in his locker.

In fact, Switzerland’s seven goals have come from seven different players at Euro 2024 (Michel Aebischer, Kwadwo Duah, Shaqiri, Freuler, Ndoye, Embolo and Vargas), which is their most different scorers at a major tournament (World Cup/Euros).

If England allow Switzerland the same opportunities they did against Slovakia, this game could be over by half-time.

Robust at the Back

As well as being a threat going forwards, Switzerland have genuine pedigree at the back.

Goalkeeper Yann Sommer came into this tournament as a title-winner with Inter, and a crucial part of their defensive setup that conceded the fewest goals in Europe’s top five leagues.

Manuel Akanji played 30 times as City won a fourth successive Premier League title; Fabian Schär, who lines up next to him, is a Premier League stalwart.

With Akanji and Schär making up two of Switzerland’s back three, they’ll arguably have a better centre-defensive partnership than anything England will be able to put out.

Switzerland’s out-of-possession shape best resembles a deep back five, which is the exact shape England struggled to break down against Denmark and Serbia. One, or sometimes two of their midfield players will drop to screen the defence as well.

It’s a shape that’s seen Switzerland give up just nine shots on target, the joint-fewest in the tournament, and a measly 1.02 xG per game.

England have been nowhere near their free-flowing best and have averaged just 0.93 xG per game. That’s lower than 17 teams at Euro 2024, including Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia and Poland, none of whom got out of their groups.

The betting markets have England as favourites, as does the Opta supercomputer. Given the talent levels of the two sides, and based on what each side could do, that’s probably right.

But based on what we’ve actually seen? Switzerland look a real threat here.

Credit: The Analyst 

A clash of soccer icons. A clash of generations.

They’ll go head to head when Portugal plays France in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals on Friday, and this heavyweight meeting might have got just that little bit bigger.

“It is, without doubt, my last European Championship,” the 39-year-old Ronaldo said after his tearful, emotionally charged performance in Portugal’s penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia in the last 16.

That may have just confirmed what many were presuming anyway.

Still, there’s now a definitive specter of finality to Ronaldo’s long, headline-grabbing Euros adventure that could be brought to an end by Mbappé, the heir apparent to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi after their long-time dominance of the sport.

Mbappé grew up with pictures of Ronaldo on his bedroom wall.

A photo is inevitably doing the rounds on social media of what is apparently their first ever meeting, at Real Madrid’s training ground at Valdebebas in 2012 when a 13-year-old Mbappé stood beside Ronaldo after a visit to the Spanish club where his sporting hero was the star player.

In 2020, Mbappé posted on Twitter, now X, that Ronaldo was his “idol.”

And only a few months ago, Ronaldo reacted to Mbappé clinching a highly anticipated move to Madrid by writing on Instagram: “Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu.”

That Mbappé can now end Ronaldo’s European Championship career — who knows, it might even be his last ever major tournament — adds an intriguing subplot to a match that will be watched around the world.

“Let’s go, let’s go to war,” Ronaldo said of the match against France, whom he considers as the top contender at Euro 2024 along with Spain.

He said he was driven to tears against Slovenia not at the prospect of elimination but because his main motivation these days is “making people happy” and he had a penalty saved in extra time.

“I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me.

“It’s not about leaving the world of football. What else is there for me to do or win?”

Ronaldo heads into Friday’s game having failed to score in eight straight matches at major tournaments — Portugal’s last four at the 2022 World Cup and its four games at Euro 2024 — and with growing concerns about whether he deserves what appears to be a guaranteed spot in the team under Roberto Martinez.

Things haven’t been straightforward for Mbappé, either, at Euro 2024.

He sustained a broken nose in France’s group opener against Austria and has since been wearing a vision-limiting protective facemask during games. Mbappé has scored one goal and that was from the penalty spot against Poland – it’s the only goal scored by a France player at these Euros.

“He will have to get used to it,” France coach Didier Deschamps said of Mbappé and his mask, “because, to protect (his nose), he will have to wear it for a few weeks — or even a few months.”

Few would have predicted the top scorer at the last World Cup (Mbappé) and the record scorer in men’s international soccer (Ronaldo) to have just one goal between them heading into the quarterfinals.

But no one will be surprised if they come alive in Hamburg, with the pressure on and the occasion so big.

Mbappé, remember, scored a hat trick in the World Cup final and has been logging Ronaldo-esque scoring numbers in the first part of his career. He’s already on 48 goals for France at the age of 25, and is also on 48 goals in the Champions League from 73 appearances.

He is chasing down Ronaldo’s scoring records at both international (130) and Champions League (140) level and will likely only succeed by showing the same undimmed passion and desire as the player he used to copy as a kid.

As their countries’ respective captains, they’ll shake hands and embrace before kickoff. You can bet they’ll do the same after the match.

By that time, one of them will be on his way home.

For Mbappé, there will surely be more European Championships down the road.

For Ronaldo, this could be the end of the road.

Credit: AP

Friday will see Stuttgart as the venue three hours before Portugal face France in Hamburg hoping to repeat their surprise triumph in the 2016 final. One day later, on Saturday, stuttering England play Switzerland in Dusseldorf before Netherlands take on the delirious young Turks in Berlin.

Five former European champions remain in pursuit of ultimate succession to homeward-bound Italy: Germany, Spain, Portugal, France and Netherlands.

The Dutch progressed after substitute Donyell Malen scored twice and Cody Gakpo made one after grabbing his third goal of the finals to see off a lively Romania and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Liverpool forward Gakpo opened the scoring with a decisive finish midway through the first half to threaten the end to Romania’s first appearance in the knockout stage for 24 years. Netherlands missed a string of second-half openings before Gakpo set up a second goal for Malen. The substitute wrapped up the scoring after a late solo breakaway.

An opportunist first-minute goal and a magnificent last-minute save fired Turkey into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2008 with a 2-1 defeat of Austria in Leipzig. This was only the Austrians’ third defeat under the management of Ralf Rangnick and was a painful reversal after their 6-1 defeat of Turkey in a friendly in March.

The young Turks, second-youngest squad at the finals, set up an end-to-end thriller when they opened the scoring after 57 seconds. Arda Guler’s corner was fumbled between two defenders and goalkeeper Patrick Pentz and Turkey defender Merih Demiral pounced to score from close range.

Just before the hour the same partnership struck again with another right-wing corner from Guler being glance-headed home by Demiral.

Austria, who had not managed a shot on target in the first half, dominated possession in the second half but pulled only one goal back when Stefan Posch flicked on Marcel Sabitzer’s corner for substitute Gregoritsch to score. The Austrians thought they had an equaliser in the last minute of stoppage time only to see goalkeeper Mert Günok leap right for the save of his life from Christoph Baumgartner.

Hence the last eight will see Turkey face Netherlands – who beat them 6-1 the last time they met in 2021.

Credit: AIPS Media