Euro 2024 – Inside World Football

Significant milestone in UEFA’s EURO 2024 sustainability journey as nearly €8m committed from Climate Fund

Andy Elliott — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:17:30 +0000

January 21 – The final round of funding from the UEFA EURO 2024 Climate Fund has brought the total investment to an impressive €7.925million, marking a significant chapter in the tournament’s ambitious sustainability journey.

With 225 clubs across Germany now benefiting from this initiative, UEFA has demonstrated that eco-conscious football can extend far beyond the pitch. Initially, the climate fund was set at €7 million, based on an early carbon footprint analysis which predicted EURO 2024 would produce 280,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions,

Spain win fourth Euros with 2-1 dismantling of England

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 22:13:49 +0000

July 14 – Spain were crowned European champions for a record fourth time following a late strike from Mikel Oyarzabal in a 2-1 victory against England.

At the end, Nico Williams kneeled and Mikel Oyazabal burst into tears. Overcome by emotions, Spain’s two goalscorers were dealing with the magnitude of their achievement – they had steered their team to European glory with a composed victory, the coronation and culmination of a dominant four weeks in Germany.

Spain and England line-up for Berlin blockbuster

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 06:25:24 +0000

July 12 – In a blockbuster final in Berlin, Spain, the standout team of Euro 2024 will be looking to clinch a record fourth European title against Gareth Southgate’s England.

The Spanish are the most successful team in tournament history together with Germany. They won the European championship in 1964, 2008 and 2012 and return to their first major final since their triumph in Kyiv.

It will be Spain’s fifth final,

England edge past Netherlands with added time Watkins strike

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:53:03 +0000

July 10 – England will play Spain in their second successive European championship final and their first-ever major final abroad after Ollie Watkins’s brilliant 90th-minute strike eliminated the Netherlands in a 2-1 semi-final victory.

England and Gareth Southgate faced criticism for a turgid style and unimaginative substitutions, though they have improved in the knock-out rounds. The semi-final saw a very different England, at last comfortable with their set up and playing at a greater pace and intensity going forward.

Yamal wonder goal sets Spain up for French win and a trip to Berlin

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 22:03:36 +0000

July 9 – What a goal, what a player. And not a bad team either. Sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal entered footballing immortality tonight by becoming the youngest player ever to score in a major men’s tournament as Spain reached the final of Euro 2024.

Before the game, France’s Adrien Rabiot tweeted that if Yamal wanted to play in Sunday’s final he would “have to do more things than he has so far”.

How he must be regretting calling the mercurial teenager’s talent into question.

Injury and suspensions force Spanish rejig as France defiantly brush off critics

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:00:15 +0000

July 9 – Goal-shy France will be looking to silence the critics when they take on Spain in their Euro 2024 semi-final clash tonight in Munich while their opponents hope to end a 12-year success drought despite missing a string of key players through suspension and injury.

French superstar captain Kylian Mbappé has struggled to get to grips with his protective mask while his country haven’t scored a single goal in open play.

Whistle blowing. UEFA appoint ref for Eng-Ned semi who was banned for taking a bribe

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 04:44:31 +0000

July 9 – The referee for England’s semi-final against the Netherlands at Euro 2024 once had ties to a match-fixing scandal in Germany.

Felix Zwayer was served a six-month ban for his role in a case in 2005.

Zwayer also has history with England star Jude Bellingham who received a fine of €40,000 from the German FA for his post-match comments about the same official in 2021 after his then Borussia Dortmund team lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Turkey’s Euro adventure ends with 2-1 loss to the Netherlands

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 21:27:15 +0000

July 6 – The Netherlands came back to beat Turkey 2-1 with two second half goals to silence the cacophonous Turkish support and start a party of their own in the Olympicstadion in Berlin.

The last time this reporter was in this stadium it was in the 1980s for a rock concert in a facility that was overgrown, a little unloved with its uncomfortable past, and in a city surrounded by a wall.

England beat Swiss on penalties to head into last four

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 19:57:25 +0000

July 6 – England defeated Switzerland 5-3 from the penalty spot after a 1-1 draw to reach the last four of Euro 2024.

In the end, England prevailed. Just about. They had fallen behind, clawed their way back into the match, hung on in the final minutes of extra time, and ultimately won, almost uncharacteristically, from the penalty spot.

It wasn’t the free flowing, excitement English fans had been calling for,

Nagelsmann pays tribute to Kroos and a team that has united a nation

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 10:28:11 +0000

July 6 – Julian Nagelsmann defended Germany’s performance after their quarter-final exit from Euro 2024 in a 2-1 extra-time defeat at the hands of Spain, highlighting the team’s investment in the tournament and Toni Kroos’s class. He called on Germany to unite as a society.

Mikel Merino’s 119th-minute strike shattered Germany’s dream of reaching the last four and the final in Berlin, but Nagelsmann, who has had a wobbly time steering the national team back to the elite,

Clinical French shatter Portugal’s dream of a big finish for Ronaldo in penalty shoot-out

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 21:52:40 +0000

July 5 – Another goalless performance by France saw them eventually beat Portugal on penalties in Hamburg and set up a semi-final against Spain.

Billed as Kylian Mbappe against Cristiano Ronaldo, it had all the makings of the exhilarating 2022 World Cup final match-up between Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Ultimately neither of the superstars were able to step up, Ronaldo not quite being able to find enough space, Mbappe clearly troubled by his mask and perhaps life in general.

Germany bow out with hearts broken after Spain score in last minutes of added time

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 20:14:51 +0000

July 5 – In a nail-biting, close contest marked by 16 yellow cards, Spain eliminated Germany and Toni Kroos 2-1 from their home tournament after substitute Mikel Merino claimed a 119th-minute winner in extra time.

Germany bullied Spain off the ball and yet it was not enough. The Germans kicked Pedri off the park early following an unnecessarily physical challenge from Kroos. In the end the Germans can count themselves a little unlucky.

Nagelsmann and de la Fuente set the stage for Germany-Spain blockbuster

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:39:32 +0000

July 5 – In a tale of heavyweights, namesake wingers, and undoubted high-octane football, Spain will be the favourites in their quarter-final against Germany, but home manager Julian Nagelsmann believes that his side has enough to claim possession and win the match.

Whichever side wins, whichever young winger whizzes his way past markers, whoever gets that decisive goal, Germany – Spain is not just the blockbuster clash of the last eight, but also a final avant la lettre.

Mbappé vs Ronaldo, France vs Portugal. Euros braced for a big night in Hamburg

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 09:59:27 +0000

July 5 – Billed as Cristiano Ronaldo against Kylian Mbappé, tonight’s Portugal vs France Euro 2024 quarter final has shades of the Mbappé vs Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

It is the match-up of one of the biggest superstars (some would argue the biggest) the game has ever seen, against the heir apparent. When individual records are compared no-one will be able to say that the remarkable Mbappé was never pitched in a head-to-head duel with football’s greatest,

Turkish government says investigation of Demiral’s ‘Grey Wolf’ salute is ‘unacceptable’

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:37:04 +0000

July 4 – The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have reacted to UEFA’s investigation of Turkish international Merih Demiral, following his actions during the Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Austria, describing UEFA’s action as “unacceptable”.

Central defender Demiral scored both goals for Turkey in a 2-1 victory.

The 26-year-old celebrated his second goal by raising the index and little finger of each hand above his head, meaning he could face a potential suspension for the quarter-final.

In-form Spain look to maintain 26-year unbeaten streak against Germany

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:47:48 +0000

July 4 – It should, on current form, be the showpiece final between the two best teams in the tournament.

But due to the vagaries of the Euro 24 draw, heavyweights Germany and Spain have been forced to clash in the last eight on Friday with the host nation hoping to end a winless run against their opponents that stretches back to 1988.

The Germans are enjoying their best international tournament in eight years and on the crest of a wave under their shrewd head coach Julian Nagelsmann but will have to be at their very best to get past a Spanish team that is the most exciting in the competition and are looking set a record of four Euro crowns as well as their first major men’s title in over a decade.