Even before the droves of Argentina and Venezuela fans descended upon Foxborough, Massachusetts Saturday night for the Copa America Centenario quarter-final, many people were expecting a comfortable victory for Argentina. So, when Gonzalo Higuain scored the game's opening goal after just eight minutes, things seemed to be going according to plan. The Napoli frontman doubled Argentina's […]

Tirana (AFP) – Thousands of Albanians celebrated wildly in the streets of the capital Tirana on Sunday after the national football team secured its first ever victory in a major international finals. Car horns blared and red flags stamped with the black eagle of Albania flew while flares lit up the night sky. At Euro 2016, […]

Paris (AFP) – Five things about Albania who scored their first goal and won their first game in a major tournament against Romania at Euro 2016 on Sunday: Sadiku demands game time Albania's goalscoring hero Armando Sadiku was FC Zurich's leading scorer last season when he demanded to go out on loan to get more […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps said his team had fulfilled their initial objectives after qualifying as winners of Euro 2016 Group A following a 0-0 draw with Switzerland on Sunday. The host nation largely controlled the game at Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with Paul Pogba twice hitting the bar and substitute Dimitri Payet […]

Lyon (AFP) – Armando Sadiku scored Albania's first goal at a major tournament in a historic 1-0 win over Romania on Sunday to keep alive their slender hopes of progressing to the Euro 2016 knockout phase. Sadiku headed home the game's only goal after 43 minutes in Lyon to leave debutants Albania facing an anxious […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Paul Pogba shone through the mediocrity as hosts France secured top spot in Euro 2016 Group A following a subdued 0-0 draw with Switzerland in Lille on Sunday. A game that featured a substandard pitch, ripped Switzerland shirts and a burst ball concluded in a mutually convenient result that allowed the […]

Lome (AFP) – Togo skipper Emmanuel Adebayor on Sunday mourned the "great loss to African football" of Stephen Keshi, the former Nigerian international and coach who died from a heart attack at the age of 54 earlier this month. Crystal Palace striker Adebayor was playing in an exhibition game in Lome organised to pay homage […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appears ready to give up his pursuit of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy after saying Sunday he believe the England forward will stay with the Premier League champions. "Jamie Vardy is, at the moment, at Leicester and from what I know, he will stay at Leicester," Wenger said […]

Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France) (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder David Silva believes it is "normal" that two-time defending champions Spain have been made the bookies' favourites after a scintillating start to their Euro 2016 campaign. Vicente del Bosque's men have already secured their place in the last 16 after sweeping aside Turkey 3-0 on Friday after opening […]

Lyon (AFP) – Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu made wholesale changes to his team for Sunday's crucial Group A match against Albania in Lyon. Alexandru Matel replaced the injured Razvan Rat at left-back with Denis Alibec handed a start up front. Ovidiu Hoban, Adrian Popa and Nicolae Stanciu were all recalled after the 1-1 draw with […]

Saint-Georges-de-Reneins (France) (AFP) – Despite scoring seven goals to help Northern Ireland qualify for Euro 2016, hot-shot striker Kyle Lafferty says there is no guarantee he will start against world champions Germany on Tuesday. The goals scored by the 28-year-old Norwich City ace were a key factor in Northern Ireland reaching the European championships finals […]

Lille (France) (AFP) – Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann returned and in-form playmaker Dimitri Payet was rested for Euro 2016 hosts France's final Group A game against Switzerland in Lille on Sunday. Juventus star Pogba and Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann both started Wednesday's 2-0 win over Albania on the bench, with Pogba coming on at […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – England coach Roy Hodgson wants his side to beat Slovakia on Monday to set up a more forgiving path to the tournament's latter stages and not just to secure a last-16 match in Paris. Hodgson's side need a point at Saint-Etienne's Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Monday to advance to the knockout phase. […]

Toulouse (France) (AFP) – Russia striker Fedor Smolov has claimed Russian fans who attacked England supporters in Marseille last week were simply acting after being "provoked" by their English counterparts. Three Russian fans were handed jail terms by the French authorities last week for their role in attacking England supporters. Meanwhile, on Saturday a group […]

Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Slovakia captain Martin Skrtel will do whatever it takes to win in Monday's crunch Euro 2016 clash against England — including making sure Liverpool team-mate Daniel Sturridge has a quiet game. With a last 16 place at stake both teams need at least a point in Saint-Etienne to be sure of […]