#european-championship

#european-championship

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has confirmed that teenager Evan Ferguson will make his first senior international start in Wednesday's friendly game against Latvia in Dublin.Kenny is impressed with the form of the 18-year-old Brighton striker."His career is in its infancy but he's made a great start in the Premier League and scored some goals in the PL, FA Cup and League Cup," said Kenny.

"Give it to Phil Foden" was the loud shout from the stands just before he scored Manchester City's opening goal against Newcastle on Saturday.Whether he heard the advice or not, Rodri definitely made the right decision when he passed to his team-mate.Foden still had a lot to do when he received the ball out wide on the right - just in front of his very vocal fan - but ghosted past Dan Burn and held off two more challenges inside the box before seeing his shot deflected home.

Cristiano Ronaldo will become the most-capped men's international footballer if he plays in Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifying opener against Liechtenstein on Thursday.Ronaldo, 38, moved level with Kuwait forward Bader Al-Mutawa on 196 caps when he faced Morocco at the World Cup.And he is now part of new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez's first squad.

Dates: 18-19 March Matches: Saturday - Manchester City v Burnley (17:45 GMT); Sunday - Sheffield United v Blackburn (12:00); Brighton v Grimsby (14:15); Manchester United v Fulham (16:30).Click here for full BBC coverage details.

"I woke up to the sound of explosions and sirens," says Manor Solomon.

The France Football Federation (FFF) president, Noel Le Graet, apologised to Zinedine Zidane on Monday after his comments on the former Real Madrid coach drew the ire of players, politicians and even the Spanish club.Zidane was one of the favourites to take charge of France if Didier Deschamps had stepped down but Deschamps's contract was extended after he led the team to the World Cup final, where they lost to Argentina in Qatar last month.

Former Fifa Council member Moya Dodd has criticised Gianni Infantino's threat of a broadcast blackout in Europe for the Women's World Cup.Infantino says the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Germany will not be able to show the tournament unless TV companies improve their rights offers.But Dodd claims world football's governing body has historically undervalued the women's game.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has threatened to not broadcast the Women's World Cup in five European countries unless TV companies improve their rights offers.Infantino said "disappointing" offers from the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France were a "slap in the face" of the players and "all women worldwide".

The president of world soccer's global governing on Tuesday harshly criticized European broadcasters for not meeting FIFA's demands for significantly higher television rights fees for this summer's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.If the offers did not improve, he threatened, the tournament's matches would not be televised in many of Europe's biggest markets.

The president of world soccer's global governing on Tuesday harshly criticized European broadcasters for not meeting FIFA's demands for significantly higher television rights fees for this summer's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.If the offers did not improve, he threatened, the tournament's matches would not be televised in many of Europe's biggest markets.

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas has been crowned Best FIFA Women's Player for the second year running, seeing off competition from Beth Mead and Alex Morgan for the award.Putellas, 29, claimed the prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi taking the men's award.

JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesian soccer players and fans reacted with tears and outrage after the country was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil over Israel's participation, leaving Indonesian soccer at risk of further sanctions.

Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto has announced he is gay, saying he wants to live his life "without fears."The Sparta Prague midfielder released a video on social media on Monday saying that he wants to live his life "in freedom" and that he no longer wants to "hide" himself.

Motson covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships and 29 FA Cup finals for BBC Sport before retiring from the organisation in 2018.Popularly known as 'Motty', he had worked on Match of the Day since 1971."It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today," said a statement from Motson's family on Thursday.

Just one of the iconic lines, from a distinguished career covering 2,500 games, which marked John Motson out as a legendary football commentator.That summary came at the end of Wimbledon's shock FA Cup final victory over Liverpool in 1988.It was among a highlights reel which ran for 50 years with the BBC, covering 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and more than 200 England games.

Leicester City defender Ricardo Pereira says his latest return to action feels like he has "won against the injuries" after being sidelined for more than 500 days over the past three years.The 29-year-old made his first appearance of the season in Leicester's win over Tottenham earlier this month.

Corinne Diacre, a veteran coach facing a revolt by several of her best players only months before the Women's World Cup, was fired Thursday as coach of France's women's soccer team.The move upended the preparations of one of the world's best teams four months before women's soccer showcase championship, but it could open a path for the return of several French stars who had said they would skip the tournament rather than play for Diacre.

Former Germany striker and coach Rudi Voller is the new sporting director of the men's national team, the German soccer federation said Thursday.Federation president Bernd Neuendorf and vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke will present Voller as Oliver Bierhoff's replacement on Friday.He will take over officially on Feb. 1.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Bierhoff was the first - and so far only - managerial casualty of Germany's early World Cup exit in Qatar after agreeing last month to resign after 18 years of management roles with the federation.