In 2019, Concacaf held the largest-ever Gold Cup, with 16 teams creating an event that was actually pretty exciting. For the 2021 Gold Cup format, Concacaf is doubling down on the 16-team field but adding some weird new spice to the tournament — and for some reason an odd choice for its first guest participant in over a decade.
In a strictly sporting sense, the worst part of the pandemic was definitely the postponement of Euro 2020. On the one hand it deprived us of a month-long carnival of joy (the expanded 2016 tourney was thrilling with Wales and Iceland getting out of pocket and Portugal claiming top prize despite winning only one match in regular time), and on the other it reminded us of how dumb it is to host a major international tournament in 12 different countries (Did you ask for this? I didn’t ask for this).
But the countdown is once again on with Euro 2020 Part Deux just 283 days away!
BERN — Europe's national teams will emerge from a 10-month hiatus as the second edition of the UEFA Nations League kicks off this week, still under the shadow the COVID-19 pandemic which brought football to a standstill earlier this year.
There has been no international action in the region since last November and the matches which were played then, such as Italy's 9-1 demolition of Armenia and Germany's 6-1 win over Northern Ireland, now seem to belong to a different era.
France intend to give 17-year-old Eduardo Camavinga his first caps over the next week when they meet Sweden and Croatia in the Nations League, coach Didier Deschamps said on Monday.
The teenage midfielder, who earned rave reviews in his first full Ligue 1 season with Rennes, received a call-up for Saturday’s match in Stockholm and next Tuesday’s clash at the Stade de France after Paul Pogba withdrew after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The Australia women's national team Twitter account asked its fans to get creative and photoshop pictures of some of their favorite Matildas doing legendary goal celebrations. From Sam Kerr scaling a wall alongside Spiderman to Alanna Kennedy breakdancing, the Aussie fans are definitely creative — or they just have too much time on their hands.
But if you need a good laugh or smile take a look at some of these!
Big news from Down Under. The Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced that a new home facility for the Australia women’s national team in Victoria has taken a huge step forward in its progress.
PARIS — France midfielder Paul Pogba has been left out of their squad for next month's Nations League matches after testing positive for COVID-19, manager Didier Deschamps said on Thursday.
Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was called up as a late replacement for Manchester United's Pogba.
Barcelona's teenage forward Ansu Fati and new Manchester City signing Ferran Torres were among six debutants in the Spain squad coach Luis Enrique unveiled on Thursday for next month's UEFA Nations League matches against Germany and Ukraine.
Fati, 17, who is Barça's youngest league goalscorer as well as the youngest player to ever to score in the Champions League, makes the leap into the senior team from the under-21 side after an outstanding breakthrough season with the Catalans.