England

England skipper Harry Kane has hit out at several players who withdrew from the national team ahead of their Nations League matches against Greece and Ireland, saying on Wednesday that country must always come before club football.

England play Greece away on Thursday followed by Ireland three days later at Wembley but nine players, some of them regular starters, who were called up by interim boss Lee Carsley have pulled out due to injuries.

LONDON — England head coach Thomas Tuchel strode confidently in to Wembley Stadium on Wednesday with a single-minded vision to win the 2026 World Cup for the success-starved soccer nation.

A whirlwind week has seen the 51-year-old German sign an 18-month contract to lead England to the tournament being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

LONDON — Greece beat England for the first time as striker Vangelis Pavlidis earned the visitors a richly-deserved 2-1 victory to put them in control of Nations League Group B2 at Wembley on Thursday.

While Pavlidis's winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time sparked wild celebrations among the Greek fans, England stand-in manager Lee Carsley got a sobering reality check.

Two victories since Gareth Southgate stood down had raised Carsley's stock as a likely full-time option, but after a ragged defeat at the hands of Greece, his hopes may have dwindled.

MADRID — Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham sustained a muscle injury during training, the Spanish club said on Friday, and will miss key games for club and country.

The 21-year-old England international, who was a key player last season when Real won the Champions League and LaLiga titles, will be sidelined for several weeks, according to club sources.

Jude Bellingham injury

The race for the upcoming Ballon d’Or is going to be close.

As anticipation builds for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, the battle for soccer’s most coveted individual award is shaping up to be thrilling. 

After a long 2023-24 campaign, paired with a summer full of international play with the Euros and Copa América, the number of contenders for the award has only increased.

Gareth Southgate resigned from his role as England manager on Tuesday after yet another heartbreaking final loss at the European Championship, their second straight failure in the title decider of the continental tournament.

England lost 2-1 to Spain in Sunday's showpiece in Berlin and the 53-year-old Englishman said after the game that he would discuss his future in charge of the national team.

España are European kings once again.

Spain put the cherry on top to an amazing tournament and defeated England 2-1 to become the Euro 2024 champions at the Olympiastadion stadium in Berlin on Sunday.

The first half between the European giants was filled with more controversial plays than goalscoring opportunities, with England’s Harry Kane and Spain’s Dani Olmo getting booked after two tough tackles that could’ve easily been sent for a VAR review.

BERLIN — Slick-looking Spain go up against belatedly blossoming England in a mouth-watering conclusion to the European Championship on Sunday as the final promises a fitting finish to a month of absorbing action across Germany.

How to watch Euro final in USA

• Date: Sunday, July 14 | 3 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX, TUDN USA, Univision

Both teams came into the tournament with valid ambitions of making it all the way to the decider at Berlin’s Olympiastadion and six matches later have achieved their aim, albeit in contrasting fashion.