Messi rules out Paris Olympics, says Inter Miami will be his last club gig
June 13 – Lionel Messi has ruled out playing in this summer’s Olympics for Argentina, saying it would be “too much” after representing his country at the Copa America.
World Football
UEFA referees chief promises improved VAR and zero tolerance of dissent and dangerous tackles
June 13 – Improved clarity for fans over controversial VAR calls and zero tolerance for dangerous challenges by players, are just two of the areas that will be implemented by officials at Euro 2024 which gets under way in Germany on Friday.
Cayman Islands forfeit 2026 qualifier against Cuba over fear of US VISA reprisals
June 13 – The long-standing issues of VISA entry to the US for Cubans took a different twist this week with the Cayman Islands men’s team pulling out of a World Cup qualifying fixture in Cuba.
UEFA puts its referees up for sale
June 13 – UEFA is opening up a new sponsorship programme centred on commercialising its referees across all its competitions.
Data driven ranking makes Spain and Germany favourites for Euro 2024
June 11 – England may be the bookies’ favourites for Euro 2024 but an analysis by the CIES Football Observatory has Germany and Spain as the teams most likely to win.
Swiss complain training pitch is poor quality and that spies could infiltrate in the TV tower
June 12 – In the first official spat with UEFA among those competing in the upcoming Euros, Switzerland have filed a formal complaint regarding the quality of the playing surface at their training camp.
Bulgarians invest in more cameras to improve VAR decision making
June 12 – The Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) is to invest an additional BGN 200,000 (€100,000) per season to improve the VAR system in the Bulgarian first division – the efbet League. Currently, the BFU pays BGN 1 million (€500,000) per season for VAR.
Klose takes manager role at Nuremberg
June 12 – Miroslav Klose has become the new manager of German club Nuremberg in a two-year deal.
England expects. Southgate says it is time to deliver a trophy
June 11 – England manager Gareth Southgate has admitted that the upcoming European Championships in Germany could be his final swansong in charge of the national team.
Lewandowski to miss Poland’s opener against Dutch
June 12 – Poland have been rocked by the news that their talisman and captain Robert Lewandowski will miss his side’s opening Euro 2024 game against the Netherlands on Sunday because of a thigh injury.
Ankle injury rules Dutch star Frenkie de Jong out of Euro 2024
June 11 – The Netherlands have been given a major blow ahead of Euro 2024 after an ankle injury to midfielder Frenkie de Jong ruled him out of the tournament.
UEFA strives to keep human rights focus at centre of Euro 2024 operations
June 11 – UEFA has re-emphasised its commitment to protecting human rights during the Euro 2024 finals outlining measures to ensure the welfare and safety of players and spectators.
Cameroon overcome off-field power struggle to beat Cape Verde in 2026 qualifying
June 10 – Amid an institutional crisis at Cameroon’s football federation over the government appointment of head coach Marc Brys, he led the Indomitable Lions to a comfortable 4-1 victory against Cape Verde in the World Cup qualifiers.
Mexican fans again test the 3-step anti-discrimination protocol with ‘puto’ chant
June 9 – The friendly between Mexico and Brazil was paused after the Mexican fans chanted the gay slur ‘puto’ from the stands behind the goal.
Lukaku’s goals and De Bruyne’s majesty warm Belgium up for Euro 2024 campaign
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
June 9 – Romelu Lukaku’s two goals and a Leandro Trossard strike led Belgium to a modest 3-0 victory against Luxembourg to wrap preparations for Euro 2024. Thomas Meunier limped off injured.