National Teams

France forward Kylian Mbappe has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and will miss this week's Nations League international against Croatia, the French football federation (FFF) said on Monday.

"Given that the result of his COVID-19 test carried out by UEFA on Monday morning showed up as positive, he was removed from the rest of the squad after the results came through following training, and then returned to his home later in the evening," the French football body said on its website.

England manager Gareth Southgate said both Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood will play no part in Tuesday's Nations League game in Denmark after breaching COVID-19 protocols in Iceland.

Speaking at a news conference, Southgate said they had both been isolated from the rest of the squad and would travel back from Iceland to Britain separately.

Germany were still waiting for their first-ever Nations League win after they gave a tired performance and were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland on Sunday.

Ilkay Gundogan gave Joachim Loew's side the perfect start with a clinical goal in the 14th minute but Silvan Widmer earned their smaller neighbors a deserved draw just before the hour. In the end, Germany may have been grateful for the result in the League A Group 4 game as the much livelier hosts, unbeaten in their last 17 competitive matches at home, created the better chances.

Last Thursday, 17-year-old Barcelona phenom Ansu Fati was handed his first Spain appearance as a second-half substitute during a 1-1 draw with Germany. On Sunday, Fati was given his second cap and first-ever start as Spain welcomed Ukraine to the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in Madrid.

If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s the La Masia graduate’s opening 45 minutes.

Zlatan Ibrahimović has criticized Sweden soccer boss Janne Andersson for starting new Juventus signing Dejan Kulusevski on the bench in Saturday's 1-0 UEFA Nations League loss to world champions France.

Kulusevksi came on for a 20-minute cameo but said in a post-match interview that he was shocked that he did not get to start, and Andersson's surprised reaction to the criticism provoked a strong response from Ibrahimovic, Sweden's record goalscorer.

STOCKHOLM — A slice of luck and a moment of individual brilliance from Kylian Mbappé gave France a gritty 1-0 win away to Sweden in their Nations League A Group 3 clash on Saturday.

Promoted to the competition's top tier following their group victory last year, the Swedes frustrated the world champions for the opening 40 minutes until Mbappé proved to be the difference.

REYKJAVIK — England's Raheem Sterling converted a 90th minute penalty to snatch a 1-0 win away to Iceland in their opening Nations League match on Saturday after the home side themselves missed a spot kick in stoppage time that would have salvaged a draw.

Sterling got the decisive goal from the spot, after a disappointingly drab game, when Sverrir Ingi Ingason was harshly ruled to have handled the England striker's shot.

The Czech Republic will go ahead with next week's UEFA Nations League match against Scotland but will field a different team than the one that beat Slovakia on Friday due to COVID-19 concerns, a team spokesman said on Saturday.

Shortly after their 3-1 victory against Slovakia, the Czech FA said in a statement that Monday's game against Scotland would not take place due to the "current situation with COVID-19."

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Gareth Bale will consider a return to the Premier League if his current club Real Madrid allow him to end his stint in Spain, the Wales international has said.

The 31-year-old was on the verge of leaving for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last year before the deal fell through and he barely featured for Real in their run to the LaLiga title when the campaign resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage.

Despite winning four Champions League titles with Real, Bale has divided opinion in Spain because of a perceived lack of commitment and poor injury record.