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While there’s no substitute for watching sports amongst a crowd of fellow fans, experiencing football at home has never been better. And with football back in full swing, now is the perfect time to invest in your home set-up.

When buying the ideal television for viewing any sport, there’s a large list of things that need to be considered. From picture clarity, colour balance, fast motion handling, to overall size – this is one area where size does matter – finding the perfect TV can be a surprisingly time-consuming task. Luckily, we're here to help. With sports viewing in mind, we've done our research and rounded up the best televisions available today.

With all that in mind, here are our recommendations for the best TVs for watching football, tennis, rugby, cricket, boxing, and all other action-packed sports.

1. The best overall television: LG CX OLED

There’s a reason why, at the time of writing, this TV is sitting comfortably with a 5-star rating after nearly 300 reviews. Boasting a response speed that’s over one thousand times faster than LED TV, you'll never miss a nanosecond of sporting drama. This set-up is also blessed with LG's OLED self-lit pixel technology, allowing you to experience the deepest levels of black alongside the most vibrant of colours – you'll practically feel like you're right in the heart of the action. Simply put, this is one of the best TVs currently available.

Specifications:
Screen size: 55-inch
Display technology: OLED
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate: 120Hz

Promising review: “This is the best TV I’ve had in years. Picture and sound quality are excellent, very slim build and love the fact that it changes it’s mode automatically to suit the program you’re watching (movie/sport)” – doubledee

Get it from Amazon for £1,129

2. The best mid-range television: Panasonic HX800

When it comes to mid-range TVs, this offering from Panasonic ticks all of the boxes. There's a wide range of sizes to choose from, although when it comes to sports, the larger the better. Panasonic’s patented Hollywood Cinema Experience Processor continually optimises picture quality by rapidly analysing the colour, contrast, and clarity of the content being watched, and although it was initially created with movie viewing in mind, the technology would vastly improve any sports viewing experience.

Specifications:
Screen size: 40-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch
Display technology: LCD
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate: 60HZ

Promising review: “Love everything about this television: easy to set up, guides you through everything, great picture once you set it to your taste, the sound is good, oh, and the stand is superb. Would recommend.” – P. Dixon

Get it from Amazon for £466 - £892

3. The best budget television: Hisense A7100F

Being on a budget doesn't mean that you have to miss out on a top-quality television. While Hisense is still less known in comparison to other TV manufacturers, they’ve been quietly building up a loyal following over the last several years. With 4k resolution, HDR technology, and VIDAA U Smart TV access, the Hisense A7100F offers the type of features you’d expect from a unit that costs double the price. Helpfully, you also get a handy Sports Mode that perfectly adjusts your picture and audio settings for the perfect sports viewing experience with just one click of a button.

Specifications:
Screen size: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 58-inch, 65-inch
Display technology: LED
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate: 60Hz

Promising review: “Picture quality is brilliant. Very detailed and the 'dynamic' TV mode makes the colours really stand out. Really great considering the price.” – Oliver Barnett

Get it from Amazon for £324 - £599

4. The best screen size on a budget: Samsung TU8000

If you're after size on a budget, then this offering from Samsung might be exactly what you’re searching for. Seriously, where else could you find a top brand 75-inch television at under £1,000? If size isn’t currently what you’re in the market for, the TU800 has you covered, with the smallest unit coming in at just 43-inches. Whether you choose a big or small screen, you’re guaranteed to have a great sport viewing experience with Samsung's Crystal Processor upscaling everything you watch into stunning 4K.

Specifications: 
Screen size: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 82-inch
Display technology: LCD
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate: 60Hz

Promising review: “This is an excellent product for many reasons. I bought the 75-inch as a football lover. The picture and sound quality are great.” – Frances Wallace

Get it from Amazon for £469 - £1,399

The Sony BRAVIA KDXH81 is a winning combination of great picture quality, fantastic value, and stunning aesthetics. There's no need to worry about blurriness interrupting your viewing, as Sony's Motionflow technology promises to keep all fast-paced action smooth and clear. On the Smart TV front, Sony gives you access to more than 5,000 apps – more than any of their competitors. As an added bonus, the TV's arresting design is sure to elevate any living room from an aesthetic stand point. 

Specifications:
Screen size: 43-inch, 49-inch, 55-inch
Display technology: LED
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate: 50Hz

Promising review: “With Sony, quality is expected and for my part, I was not disappointed. Easy to set up, attractive screen and no controls on view to distract your viewing, the picture quality is stunning with very clear, crisp vibrant colours, and true blacks and whites that make for excellent contrast.” – Veronica Clark

Get it from Amazon for £569 - £669

This TV by Philips gives you everything you'd expect from an OLED TV: awe-inspiring picture quality, unbeatable viewing angles, and super-fast response times. You can expect lifelike picture quality, making you feel like you're in the stadium yourself. However, the unique selling point of this TV is the Philips Ambilight feature, where "LEDs around the edge of the TV respond to the on-screen action and emit an immersive glow that's simply captivating." It's a whole new viewing experience. 

Specifications:
Screen size: 55-inch, 65-inch
Display technology: OELD
Resolution: 4k
Refresh rate: 60Hz

Promising review: “The picture quality is amazing and the Ambilight makes watching TV a much better experience and less stressful on the eye. Love it.” – Sally

Get it from Amazon for £957 - £1,649

7. The best LED television: LG UP81

Another offering from LG, but this time from their LED range. While not as advanced as the CX OLED, this television still packs a lot of punch, especially given the generous price tag – the 43-inch model comes in at under £500. With 4K Ultra HD picture, you'll be able to see every blade of grass in super high definition. The system also boasts AI Sound, which will go a long way to adding to that big match feel. LG has recently introduced a new feature called Sports Alert, so you'll never miss when your favourite teams are playing. 

Specifications:
Screen size: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 70-inch, 75-inch
Display technology: LED
Resolution: 4K
Refresh rate:  60Hz

Promising review: “What an awesome picture, even on HD but it is stunning in 4K. Nature programs streamed in 4K make you feel you are there. Sound is excellent, lots of options & various options on picture quality.” – Peter Gough

Get it from Amazon for £499 - £1,299

Yanga SC Communications Officer Hassan Bumbuli has hit out at rivals Simba SC for overconfidence, stating they just play football with their mouths.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi are on the verge of successfully defending their Tanzania Mainland League crown; they have 73 points from 30 matches, three more than second-placed Wananchi who have played two more matches. 

Mnyama need just four points from their remaining four matches to be crowned. But the Yanga official thinks otherwise.

Why does Bumbuli think Simba are overconfident?

"The problem with [Simba] is that they are always overconfident because of the big names they have," the Timu ya Wananchi official told Azam TV.

"They always play football with their mouths and we all know football is not played by words but on the pitch for 90 minutes.

"To win matches depends on how players and the club as a whole are prepared. As Yanga we have had many meetings as management to discuss the way forward. 

"And we also gave the coach [George Lwandamina] a free hand to prepare the team."

Will Simba win their fourth league title in a row?

"As for [Simba], let them continue dreaming that they have won the league. They will be lucky to win the remaining matches," Bumbuli continued.

"This season, [Yanga] are winning the league; we will defeat Ihefu FC and Dodoma Jiji and before we play Simba in the FA Cup final, the league title will be in our custody. If [Simba] get lucky and win the league, it will be their last.

This season, the 27-time league champions have collected four points from the Msimbazi Street-based charges and Bumbuli explains why.

"For them to stand a chance of defeating Yanga, they have to do away with their current squad because we know how they play." 

From the 32 matches they have played, Timu ya Wananchi have managed to collect 20 wins, 10 draws, and two losses.

Leaders Simba have won 23 matches, drawn four, and lost three.

Roberto Mancini says it is “pretty unfair” that Italy and Spain fans will not be able to travel for Tuesday’s Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley.

Covid-19 travel restrictions mean supporters of both countries are unable to fly to England for the game, despite the permitted capacity at Wembley being increased to 60,000.

It means the only supporters of either side will be those who are already based in the UK, with the majority likely to be neutrals.

What did Mancini say?

Speaking about the ticketing situation, Azzurri head coach Mancini told reporters: “I think it’s pretty unfair if I’m perfectly honest.

“We’re better off playing in front of any crowd as opposed to playing in front of a small number of people; that’s what’s great about football and entertainment in general. But I do think it’s very unfair that we don’t have half the stadium full of Italian fans and half the stadium full of Spaniards.”

Mancini wary of favourites tag

Italy go into the game as favourites having gone unbeaten in their last 32 matches, breaking an 82-year-old national record in the process.

That record-breaking run includes 13 successive victories, most recently an impressive 2-1 win over the world’s number-one ranked side Belgium in the quarter-final.

Despite that fine form Mancini is cautious about his side’s chances at Wembley.

“I hope it is right [that Italy will win] but we know it won’t be that easy,” he said.

“We know that we need to produce a big performance because Spain are a top side. Despite the fact they have brought through some younger players, they still have an excellent squad and a very capable coach, so it will be a tough match.”

Further reading

Patrick Mboma has revealed none of the players in the Cameroon squad for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was certain they will return home with the trophy.

The Indomitable Lions shocked many on September 30, 2000, when they overpowered Spain 5-3 on penalties after coming from two goals down to force a 2-2 draw in normal time and clinch the nation’s first-ever gold at the Olympic Games in Austria.

Cameroon had beaten Chile 2-1 in the semi-finals to set up the final with Spain.

The 50-year-old has explained when leaving for Sydney the squad was not thinking of winning a medal and that he had bought a digital camera to go take pictures as he knew they were traveling as tourists.

“We weren’t thinking of winning a medal. I didn’t know everyone in the squad and I knew that some of our big-name players like Marc-Vivien Foe, Salomon Olembe and Rigobert Song weren’t being released by their clubs,” the 2000 African Player of the Year winner told the  Fifa website .

“There were only five us in the squad who’d played at the Africa Cup of Nations six months earlier, including Samuel Eto’o. He was a player I knew I could link up with, but that wasn’t enough to make a team. We said to ourselves: ‘It’s going to be tough. We’re going down there to take photos’ [laughs].

“I went and bought a digital camera before we got on the plane. I was going as a tourist. I was excited about the chance to rub shoulders with all these global sports stars but I was soon to be disappointed because we weren’t staying in the Olympic Village.”

Asked to explain when the Cameroon squad realised they could end up winning a medal, Mboma said: “We grew in confidence slowly but surely. To begin with, we just tried to ensure we didn’t make fools of ourselves.

“We squeezed out of our group and came up against Brazil in the quarter-finals. We just said: ‘It’s been great to take part. Let’s try to keep our heads held high.”

On his goal against Brazil, Mboma said: “I can’t explain it to you but as soon as I put the ball down and took a step back I knew I was going to score. I’d scored a few in my career but I wasn’t [Sinisa] Mihajlovic or [Michel] Platini. That goal inspired us!”

Mboma further reveals beating Brazil inspired them to have the belief of returning home with a medal.

“Beating Brazil gave us so much confidence. We were all over them in the opening 20 minutes and played with real quality,” Mboma continued.

“The problem was we were without our two suspended defenders and our defence decided to play the offside trap. It was a disaster but our keeper, Carlos [Kameni], kept us in the match until we conceded an own goal with a little over 10 minutes remaining.”

During his career, Mboma played for Chateauroux, Paris Saint-Germain, Metz, Gamba Osaka, Cagliari, Parma, Sunderland,  Al-Ittihad, Tokyo Verdy and Vissel Kobe before retiring on May 16, 2005.

Kieran Trippier continues to spark talk of interest from Manchester United, but the Atletico Madrid right-back says his full focus is locked on England's bid for Euro 2020 glory.

The 30-year-old defender took on a Spanish adventure in 2019 and has tasted La Liga title glory during his time at Wanda Metropolitano.

A homecoming is now being speculated on for the former Burnley and Tottenham star, with transfer discussions reportedly being held at Old Trafford, but club matters will not become a distraction for a man readying himself for a European Championship semi-final.

What has been said?

Quizzed on the United rumours ahead of England's outing against Denmark on Wednesday, Trippier has told The Guardian: "I’ve just enjoyed the season [at Atletico] and we’ve won the title.

"I’m away with England, we’re playing Denmark and I’m not focusing on my club or what is going on. 

"I’m just focused on England and doing as best as I can if I play. If I don’t play, I still give 100 percent."

He added: "It’s been an unbelievable season and it motivates me to win more, even at my age.

"Coming away with England, it gives me real confidence and maybe I can share that experience with others who have not won things. 

"Then again, we have players who are winning trophies with their clubs now and they all have that winning mentality."

The bigger picture

Trippier is a proven Premier League performer, making him of obvious interest to teams like United, and is still learning despite now being a seasoned veteran.

Working with England is aiding that cause, with a versatile operator coming up against some of the finest attacking talent in world football when taking to the training field.

Trippier said of the challenges posed by Three Lions colleagues: "When you are a defender up against [Jadon] Sancho or [Marcus] Rashford, [Phil] Foden, [Jack] Grealish, [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin, you can imagine it’s tough.

"Bukayo [Saka] ran past me the other day and I felt like grabbing him. ‘Where are you going?!’

"We have so much talent and when you train against these players every day, when you get on the pitch against the opposition, because the players we’ve got are world class, you are ready.

"When you train against these guys every day there are no fears."

Further reading

Spain may have reached the semi-finals of the European Championships, but wideman Adama Traore has been a peripheral figure to date.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers speedster has featured for just 13 minutes so far this tournament, and has struggled to assert himself in this Spain side as they’ve reached the final four.

To make the point even more pertinently, Traore’s brief cameo to date came in the final stages of the 5-0 demolition of Slovakia at the Estadio Olimpico de la Cartuja, by which point La Roja were already five goals to the good and the game was comfortably wrapped up.

Remarkably, however, Traore registered three completed dribbles in his 13-minute cameo—more than any other player managed in the entirety of the match.

While the winger caught the eye with his ability to beat a man, he was unable to fashion a goalscoring opportunity—for himself or his teammates—during his brief showing.

He hasn’t been used since, sitting out the Last 16 victory over Croatia and the quarter-final triumph over Switzerland.

Despite scoring 10 goals across back-to-back fixtures against Slovakia and Croatia, Spain are arguably fortunate to have reached the last four.

They started the season slowly, and then had a series of dismal Swiss penalties to thank for advancing past Nati.

For a player who has the potential to be one of the most eye-catching stars in the tournament due to his footwork, physicality, dribbling ability and pace, it’s bitterly disappointing that he’s been used to sparingly this tournament.

What makes things even more underwhelming is that it could have all been so different for Traore, who had appeared to be primed to switch to Mali as recently as late 2019.

The winger was pictured holding up a Mali shirt—an indication that he was converting to the Eagles—and may well have made his international debut for the West Africans in March 2020 had the coronavirus pandemic not cancelled this particular window of fixtures.

By the time international football returned in late 2020, Traore had been approached by Spain again, a result of his excellent form for Wolves in the top flight.

After pulling out of the squad in August 2020 after a positive Covid-19 diagnosis (it ultimately proved to be a false positive), he made his debut in October against Portugal.

Having featured against Switzerland in a Nations League game last year, he is now cap-tied to Spain, and—under current Fifa rules at least—cannot convert to Mali.

The Cosafa organisers have been forced to make amends to the 2021 Cosafa Cup fixtures and format following the late withdrawal of Madagascar.

The Island nation pulled out of the 20th edition to be held at Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa from July 6 to 18 after they failed to secure travel on Monday.

Their withdrawal comes just two days after Comoros also pulled out citing tough restrictions of Covid-19 in their country.

Cosafa has confirmed they have been forced to make changes to the format and it will now have two groups, instead of three, and of five teams each.

“The late withdrawal of Madagascar from the Cosafa Cup has forced a change to the format of the competition, which will now have two groups of five teams each,” Cosafa said in a statement on their official website .

“Madagascar had been unable to secure their travel to Nelson Mandela Bay for the July 6-18 tournament which, following the decision of Comoros Islands not to come, left the original Group B with only Zambia and Malawi.

“And so, the original format of a three-group competition has been simplified into two pools, with the top two nations in each group advancing to the semi-finals.

“Cosafa conducted a draw to place Zambia and Malawi in the new respective Groups A and B, doing so in the presence of representatives for the 10 remaining teams and the local organising committee.

“The draw placed defending champions Zambia in Group A along with hosts South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini. That means Malawi will be in the ‘new’ Group B, which also contains West African guest nation Senegal, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Mozambique.”

Meanwhile, the tournament’s kick-off date will remain Tuesday with Eswatini playing the opener against Lesotho before hosts South Africa take on Namibia.

“The fixtures for the opening day of the competition on Tuesday remain the same and will see Eswatini face Lesotho at 14h00 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and South Africa play Botswana at the same venue at 17h00,” the statement continued.

“The opening matches in the old Group C will now be played on Wednesday and will see Mozambique tackle Zimbabwe at the Wolfson Stadium at 12h00, and Senegal meet Namibia at the same venue at 15h00.

“The competition will continue in a round-robin format until each team has played four matches. With sides only guaranteed three games under the previous three-group tournament format, an added fixture will no doubt be welcomed by coaches.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after deliberation with the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) have confirmed that the Mumbai Football Arena – Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai, and the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune are the new venues and host cities for the continent’s premier women’s national team competition.

The decision was taken after considering the existing challenges that are posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The decision is in line with the efforts to minimise the travelling time for teams and officials between the venues, whilst ensuring the optimum environment to implement the Bio Medical Bubble for the benefit of all stakeholders.

However, the 37,900-capacity D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will remain as one of the three stadiums that will stage the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 which is on schedule to take place from January 20 to February 6, 2022.

Previously the Ahmedabad’s TransStadia and the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar were the two other venues that were scheduled to host the matches. 

Speaking about the change in venue, President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Chairman of the LOC, Mr Praful Patel said, “As the situation evolved, we had to adapt and the need was to create a bio-secure bubble. Hence, we chose Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, venues in close geographical proximity with stadiums that have previously hosted major football competitions. 
 
“I am happy that the Maharashtra government is paying special attention to the infrastructure and preparations for the tournament, and is dedicated to make the AFC Women’s Asian Cup a grand success,” Mr Patel added. 

Mr Patel also thanked the governments of Odisha and Gujarat, states that were slated to host the tournament previously, before assuring thorough preparation for the prestigious event. 

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the governments of Odisha and Gujarat, who were both enthusiastic about hosting this tournament. While we continue to adapt, we can assure that thorough preparations will be made to ensure we stage a truly spectacular and safe AFC Women’s Asian Cup.”

Japan, Australia, China PR, and hosts India have already qualified for the finals and the rest of the teams will join the quartet after participating in the qualifiers from September this year. 28 teams across eight groups are vying for the eight remaining places in the newly-expanded and biggest-ever edition of the Asian Cup.

It has been a fairytale journey for the Denmark national team in the ongoing Euro 2020 as they have reached the semifinal of the competition for the first time since their title-winning campaign in 1992.

A journey that started with a tragedy with star midfielder Christian Eriksen suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch in their tournament opener against Finland is now slowly turning into a dream run for the Danish side.

After losing their first two matches against Finland and Belgium, the Danes are now on a three-match winning streak on their way to the semifinal where they have scored 10 goals. 

As Denmark are on a roll in the Euro 2020, did you know that two Danish internationals from the current squad have an unusual link to Indian football?

Owner of five-time I-League champions Dempo SC, Mr. Shrinivas Dempo, had acquired a 34 per cent stake in Denmark Superliga club FC Midtjylland back in 2011. Two current national team players Joachim Andersen and Jonas Lossl were part of the club when the deal happened between the Danish side and Mr. Dempo.

What was the deal between Shrinivas Dempo and FC Midtjylland?

In a historic deal back in 2011, Shrinivas Dempo, the owner of Dempo SC, had entered into a partnership with Danish top division side FC Midtjylland which saw the owner of the Goan club acquiring a 34 per cent stake in the Danish side. The deal saw Mr. Dempo investing money in Midtjylland.

After the agreement was signed between the two clubs, then Dempo manager Armando Colaco along with youth team coach Mathew D'Costa and a club official had visited Denmark to get a first-hand experience of how a top-tier European club functioned and studying the model of the club, from the youth system to senior team.

"It will enable us to develop aspiring youngsters to compete at the highest level in Indian football, and for some Indian players to reach where they can play regularly for FD Midtjylland, and perhaps even use FC Midtjylland as a gateway to larger clubs and leagues in Europe,” Shrinivas said back then.

Which two Danish internationals were a part of Midtjylland when Dempo were the co-owners?

Defender Joachim Andersen and goalkeeper Jonas Lossl are the two players from the current Denmark national team who were a part of the FC Midtjylland setup when Dempo co-owned the club. While Andersen was part of the youth setup from 2011 to 2013, Lossl played for the senior team from 2008 to 2014.

In the ongoing Euro 2020 campaign, Andersen has appeared in two matches so far for the national side. After sitting on the bench during the group stage, the Fulham FC central defender featured in the starting lineup in the round of 16 and quarterfinal clash against Wales and Czech Republic respectively.

Lossl, on the other hand, is yet to start a single match in ongoing Euro as Leicester City star Kasper Schmeichel is the team's first-choice custodian.

Martin Braithwaite and Simon Kjaer were also part of Midtjylland but during their stint, Shrinivas Dempo did not have any stakes in the club.

Argentina and Colombia are set to battle for a spot in the Copa America 2021 final as they lock horns in Wednesday's semi-final at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia Mane Garrincha.

Lionel Scaloni's men will be high on confidence following a 3-0 win over Ecuador in the quater-finals, with talisman Lionel Messi involved in all three goals. Following the 1-1 draw against Chile in their opener, Argentina have scored 9 goals and conceded just once.

On the other hand, Colombia who were without  the injured Juan Cuadrado got the better of Uruguay on penalties, with Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina pulling off two saves in the shootouts to enter the final four.

Here's how to watch Argentina vs Colombia in India.

Contents

What time does Argentina vs Colombia start?

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How to watch Argentina vs Colombia on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Copa America 2021 will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Argentina vs Colombia: Team news & key stats

Argentina could be without injured Atalanta defender Cristian Romero as Nicolas Otamendi will continue to lead the back line, with German Pezzella likely to partner the Benfica man. Angel Di Maria has only started once so far in the competition and it's likely that manager Lionel Scaloni wouldn't tinker with his starting eleven. All eyes will be on Lionel Messi who has four goals and as many assists in the tournament in five matches.

Colombia has been struggling to score goals with Duvan Zapata yet to open his account in Copa America 2021. Juan Cuadrado was suspended in the last game and is back in contention for a start against Argentina.Meanwhile, midfielders Mateus Uribe and Yairo Moreno are ruled out injured.

Key stats:

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Further reading: 

Two of the most successful teams in the history of European football meet at Wembley on Tuesday evening in the semi-final of Euro 2020 as Italy take on Spain.

The Azzurri are four-time world champions and have been on an exceptional run under Roberto Mancini racking up a 32-match unbeaten run, a record which firmly situates them as favourites to make the final.

La Roja for their part have won this tournament a record three times, and after a slow start Luis Enrique's men have picked up momentum as well as confidence.

Here's how to watch Italy vs Spain in India.

Contents

What time does Italy vs Spain start?

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How to watch Italy vs Spain on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Euros will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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Where will Italy vs Spain take place?

Wembley Stadium | London | England

Capacity: 54,990 |  reduced to 25% capacity, subject to increase
Games: Group stage, last 16, semi-finals & final (eight games)
Year built: 2007

Wembley will host a total of eight matches at Euro 2020 including a last-16 game, the semi-finals and the final. It started off with three games in Group D, where it shared hosting duties with Scotland's Hampden Park.

The London venue was initially only supposed to host the semi-finals and final, but was assigned an extra four games following the exclusion of Brussels as a host city and another one when Dublin was removed as a host.

Rebuilt in 2007, it is one of the biggest football stadiums in the world and second only to Barcelona's Camp Nou in terms of Europe's biggest arenas.

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Italy vs Spain: Team news & key stats

Leonardo Spinazzola picked up a serious injury against Belgium in the last 16 which has ruled him out of any further involvement for Italy in the tournament.

Spain meanwhile will see if Pablo Sarabia has fully recovered from the problem which forced him off at half-time against Switzerland.

Key stats:

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Further reading: 

sooka, Malaysia’s newest, must-have streaming app was launched just before the start of UEFA EURO 2020™, and it’s been a month of sleepless nights for Malaysians football fans cheering on their favourite teams on sooka.

With the championship in the semi-final stage, fans’ favourites England and dark horses Denmark battle for a place in the finals, while the Spain vs Italy fixture is a clash of the titans. We’ve also seen surprise early exits with Portugal, France and Germany crashing out, while Patrick Schick’s goal vs Scotland will always be etched in memory. Possibly the goal of the tournament?

You can catch all the action and excitement of the semis and finals of UEFA EURO 2020™ on sooka. All you need to do is to download the sooka app and you will get instant access to 4000 hours of FREE content. Don’t miss out on subscribing to the VIP+Sports plan for just RM 15.90 p.m before July 7, to get access to LIVE sports such as English Premier League, Wimbledon, MotoGP, UFC, Tokyo Olympics 2020, & more.

The VIP+Sports plan also gives you access to Malaysia’s popular Movies and Dramas such as Bikers Kental, Tombiruo: Penunggu Rimba, Jebat, Polis Evo1&2, Roda Panas, Scammers and Mael Totey just to name a few!

Turn that excitement into enjoyment and download the sooka app now at Apple Play Store, Google Play or watch online at www.sooka.my.

Patrick Mboma revealed why he chose to join Gamba Osaka after leaving French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.

The Parisians handed the former Cameroon international his first professional contract in 1992 thanks to his impressive displays for the youth team.

However, he was loaned to Chateauroux and Metz in a bid to get regular playing opportunities.

Mboma returned to Parc des Princes in 1996, yet, he was not in manager Ricardo’s plan. At that point, he decided to look elsewhere to continue his professional career.

While the search for a new club was on, the J1 League cast admiring glances in the African star’s direction, and ultimately, the striker joined the Black and Blues having considered the money and playing chances.

“The most surprising thing for me was that they came in for me. I was playing under Ricardo at Paris Saint-Germain and wasn’t getting a game,” the 2000 African Player of the Year winner told Fifa website.

“An agent called me to say Gamba Osaka wanted to make me an offer, but I can’t say it appealed to me to begin with.

“It was the money that made me think again because they were offering me eight times what I was getting at PSG, plus guaranteed regular football.

“I knew some big names had gone to play in Japan, and I knew from the first training session that I could achieve big things. I scored 24 goals and gave 15 assists in my first season and the club finished runners-up in the second phase.

“It had taken me just a few months to get to the top in Japanese football. The press and the fans went nuts about me, which made me really proud and gave me a lot of confidence.”

When asked if he was not worried about the possibility of going off the radar having joined the Asian side, Mboma said: “I knew there was a risk that people would forget about me, which is why there had to be something in it for me financially.

“In the end, PSG called me to offer me more than I was getting in Japan. Ultimately, though, I chose Serie A, which was the top league at the time, and signed for Cagliari.

“I became a first choice for the national team, and I helped us qualify for the World Cup in 1998. My Japanese adventure definitely paid off for me.”

Nigeria international Paul Onuachu is not certain to leave Genk, according to manager John van den Brom.

The 26-year-old delivered awe-inspiring displays in the 2020-21 campaign, helping the Smurfs earn a Champions League berth having finished as runners-up in the Belgian First Division A.

His 33-goal feat in the league earned him the Golden Boot award as well as getting named as Belgian Pro League Player of the Year.

Despite having two years left on his current contract, the African has been tipped to leave Luminus Arena, with several European clubs reported to be interested in signing him before the start of the 2021-22 season.

Nonetheless, the long-touted move elsewhere might not come to fruition in the summer, judging by the statement of Genk boss Van den Brom – who is not keen on letting him leave.

"I hope that on 1 September we will still be without [Onuachu’s] departure,” Van den Brom was quoted by Voetbalnieuws.

“It would be very nice if we could keep this core together. It is not certain that [Jhon] Lucumi and Onuachu will definitely leave, but for now, they are still with Genk.

“It is the two players that we have said there is a chance that they will leave. However, that does not mean that they leave the club anyway."

In a recent interview on Genk’s YouTube channel, the Super Eagle expressed uncertainty about his future at the Luminus Arena.

"For me, you never know what the future holds but I think scoring a lot of goals this season for KRC Genk and of course my career is going to be one of the most important periods for me," he said.

"It is going to be difficult to say I'm going to repeat it where I am going but I think the players we have in this team really make all this possible for me, but like I said earlier you don't know what the future holds.

"As it is now, I think I'm really happy for the figure I have in the league and of course for KRC Genk.”

Onuachu joined Genk in August 2019 after seven years at Danish Superliga outfit, Midtjylland.

There is no more polarizing discussion in Nigerian football than that surrounding the aptitude (or otherwise) of locally based players for the senior national team.

Like for most differences of opinion in this present day and age, the battleground is digital, and with this comes the unspeakable principle that seems to govern disagreement on the internet: no one learns anything, and no one shifts ground.

No matter what. To yield ground is to lose face.

So it is that, whenever unfortunate events like Sunday morning’s 4-0 humbling of an NPFL selection by Mexico take place, it is rather predictably used as fodder for those who believe that little of note can come out of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

In a vacuum, it is difficult to protest too much at the summation.

To observe proceedings in Los Angeles was to bear witness to a brutal lesson, so total was the superiority the Mexican side enjoyed.

For this paddling though, the Nigerian side on the night were also kind enough to pull down their own slacks and expose their rear ends: missed passes, poor controls and laughable decision-making were the order of the day.

With such willing cooperation, El Tri must have wondered at the utility of the exercise—while they are comfortably the top-ranked side in Concacaf, the opposition at the upcoming Gold Cup will not be quite so supine.

So, was this proof positive then that players of an NPFL extraction are not fit for purpose under any circumstance? Not quite.

Make no mistake, some of the errors bordered on puerile, and it was disturbing that the very best players the league can produce were made to look hapless under the hot lights.

It should not be too much to expect at least a decent grasp of the basics. Even granting that though, any fair assessment must take into account the manner in which this team was assembled and prepared for their day out stateside.

This is a team ostensibly being put together for the purpose of prosecuting the African Nations Championship in early 2023.

However, the training camp for Sunday’s engagement was the first time this group had convened, and their preparation was fraught from the start: frequent and often impromptu changes of training venue, as well as confusion over who precisely was supposed to be in charge of the entire rodeo.

The custodianship of the CHAN is usually the preserve of the Super Eagles assistant coach, but during the entire process Joseph Yobo was curiously absent.

He would later surface on TV doing punditry for the ongoing European Championships, and there have been no explanations put forward as to what exactly is going on. (It is worth noting that Yobo does not, at this time, having the required coaching certifications to coach the side, which then brings us right back to the question that was raised at the time of his appointment: on what basis was he handed the role to begin with? But that’s a different matter entirely)

Instead, Paul Aigbogun and Austin Eguavoen, both officials of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) held sway during the period of training in Abuja, culminating in the cringe-worthy intervention by the Minister of Sport Sunday Dare, who effectively ordered Gernot Rohr to take charge of the team on the eve of their travel.

Against this backdrop of disarray, is it any surprise that the team mirrored the dysfunction of their administrators on the night?

This is not, of course, a treatise for the NPFL players to be imported wholesale into the main Super Eagles squad.

That would be naïve in the extreme, and unrealistic to boot. If there is one thing both sides seem capable of agreeing on, it is that the talent within the local league (where it can be found) is essentially in a raw state, and needs a mix of exposure, competitive matches, work in training and patience in order to be ready for use at the top level.

As such, however one feels about essentially setting these lads up for a fall in the City of Angels, it is imperative that the NFF make scheduling these matches a point of duty.

Perhaps be a little more careful with the matchmaking, and try not to treat the exercise as an afterthought. Also, make a clear decision on who is in charge, so the players can knuckle down to a specific style of play and understand what is required of them; they have enough to grapple with without their own Federation making them jump through needless hoops.

Rohr has been clear that, in order for any of the locally based players to stake a serious claim with the main Super Eagles, he must first of all be a standout performer at the CHAN.

The logic may be a little less than watertight, but it is his requirement; rather than take him to task for not selecting players from the NPFL, it would make more sense to give those players the best avenue by which to catch his eye, and then hold him to his own criteria.

Then, and only then, will the interminable debate reach any sort of resolution.