Brasília (AFP) – Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it would hold hearings on two requests to block the Copa America, casting new doubt on the troubled South American football championships five days from kickoff. Chief Justice Luiz Fux said given the "exceptional nature of the case," he had decided to have the full 11-member court […]

Paris (AFP) – Karim Benzema was forced to leave the pitch with a dead leg on Tuesday as world champions France beat Bulgaria 3-0 in their final friendly one week before beginning their Euro 2020 campaign. Benzema was taken off in the 39th minute at the Stade De France in what is France's last match […]

Paris (AFP) – Karim Benzema was forced to leave the pitch with a dead leg during France's final pre-Euro 2020 friendly against Bulgaria, after being recalled to the national team following a near six-year exile. Benzema, 33, was taken off in the 39th minute at the Stade De France in what is France's last match […]

Paris (AFP) – Karim Benzema was forced to leave the pitch injured during France's final pre-Euro 2020 friendly against Bulgaria, after being recalled to the national team following a near six-year exile. Benzema, 33, was taken off in the 39th minute with what appeared to be a thigh injury at the Stade De France in […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russia on Tuesday sent a letter of complaint to UEFA over Ukraine's "political" Euro 2020 kit that features the outline of Moscow-annexed Crimea and is emblazoned with popular patriotic chants. In the letter from the Russian football federation to UEFA just three days before the Euro starts, it said: "We draw attention […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Slovakian international Marek Hamsik will be taking his distinctive mohawk to Turkey after Euro 2020, signing on with the Black Sea side Trabzonspor. A club statement said the 33-year-old former Napoli midfielder had signed a two-year deal that will see him earn 1.5 million euros a season, along with a 700,000 euro […]

Stockholm (AFP) – Two Sweden players have tested positive for Covid-19, complicating selection decisions ahead of their Euro 2020 opener against Spain next week, the team announced Tuesday. Dejan Kulusevski, who plays for Italian club Juventus, "will not be available for the game against Spain, as it appears today," Andersson told a press conference on […]

London (AFP) – Fans attending England's opening Euro 2020 match against Croatia on Sunday will be the first at a sporting event in Britain to have the option of using coronavirus vaccine passports. European governing body UEFA has confirmed that ticket holders based in Britain can gain entry either by providing proof of a negative […]

London (AFP) – Phil Foden is aiming to channel the magic of Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96 in the Euro 2020 campaign — and has started by dyeing his hair to match the former England midfielder. Foden, 21, won the Professional Footballers' Association young player of the year award after his breakout season at Manchester […]

Stockholm (AFP) – One of the stars of Sweden's national squad, Dejan Kulusevski, has tested postive for Covid-19 and will miss the team's Euro 2020 opener against Spain next week, coach Janne Andersson said Tuesday. Kulusevski, who plays for Italian club Juventus, "will not be available for the game against Spain, as it appears today," […]

London (AFP) – Gareth Southgate says his England players are "role models" as a row simmered over the team's decision to take the knee at Euro 2020 to highlight the issue of racial injustice. Southgate's side were booed by a section of the crowd at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium when they made the gesture before friendlies […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany's government announced on Tuesday it will allow England, Scotland and Wales to enter the country without quarantine to play at Euro 2020 despite a recent rise in cases linked to the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Britain. The three teams could potentially reach the quarter-final held in Munich on July 2. […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Brighton forward Percy Tau is among six South Africans ruled out of an international friendly against Uganda in Soweto on Thursday after testing positive for Covid-19. A national football association statement said defender Mosa Lebusa and midfielders Rivaldo Coetzee, Sipho Mbule, Tebogo Mokoena and Mothobi Mvala were the other withdrawals from a […]

Berlin (AFP) – Stuttgart's Congolese attacker Silas Wamangituka has been playing under a false identity, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday. Wamangituka's real name is Silas Katompa Mvumpa and was born on 6 October 1998 in Kinshasa, and not a year later as claimed in his documents. "Striker Silas Wamangituka recently made it known to […]

Madrid (AFP) – Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has been added to Spain's standby list for Euro 2020 after captain Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 last week, the Spanish Football Federation said on Tuesday. Kepa was drafted alongside striker Rodrigo Moreno, midfielders Pablo Fornals of West Ham and Carlos Soler of Valencia, Villarreal's Raul Albiol […]