Looking for Soccer News?

Ex-Nigeria international Taribo West has described remarks from Amaju Pinnick that NPFL-based internationals would not be allowed to join "mushroom clubs" abroad as "insensitive" and "embarrassing".

Addressing the Super Eagles – dominantly home-based players – before Saturday’s international friendly vs Mexico, the president of the Nigeria Football Federation Pinnick vowed to stop football agents from taking the players to unknown leagues in Europe.  

Instead, he assured that he will help players from the West African country to join forces with major leagues in Europe citing examples of Villarreal, Valencia, and Lille.

That statement undoubtedly has sparked debate in Nigeria’s football sphere, with the former Auxerre and Inter Milan defender weighing in on the issue.

"You cannot keep people against their will in a league that doesn't respect them, pay them, protect them or care about their welfare," West told BBC Sport Africa.

"Such comments from the head of Nigerian football are insensitive and embarrassing.

“Instead of improving and focusing on developing the structures around the league, you're dictating to adults where and how to earn a living.

"His [NPFL] league does not pay footballers and contracts to protect the lives of footballers.

"He doesn't have any power to prevent any footballer who has access to move to those clubs he described as small leagues or 'mushroom clubs'. Right now, there are no small countries in football.

"We all saw from the ongoing European Championships that the so-called smaller nations are causing upsets against the bigger countries.

"It doesn't matter whether it's Albania, Luxembourg, Moldova or Georgia. Whoever gets an offer to play in these countries has the right to go anywhere they are professionally offered a contract.

"The agents or representatives of the players should fight the NFF in this battle and go where they can earn a living."

In his words, Pinnick stated that his administration would do all it takes to help them get top clubs.

“If you’re living in Nigeria, you’re going to a top club. Villarreal, Valencia, Lille, and all those proud footballing clubs and not to one mushroom club that you’re better off,” the Fifa official was quoted per Brila.net.

“I want to expose you, people, to the highest levels so when you’re going to a foreign club, and we won’t allow any agent take you to countries like Cyprus, Belarus, etc., no, never we won’t allow it and I will make sure no transfer is issued on situations like that."

Jordan Pickford has set an all-time England record for most consecutive scoreless minutes posted by a goalkeeper.

The England shot-stopper set the mark of 721 minutes midway through the first half Wednesday's Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark, passing a record previously held by Gordon Banks.

It took just minutes for Pickford's streak to end after he set the record, though, as Mikkel Damsgaard gave the Danes the lead with a fantastic free kick.

Pickford's record

The England goalkeeper reached 721 consecutive minutes without conceding, passing the previous mark of 720 set by Banks between May and July 1966.

But just minutes after passing Banks' record, Pickford conceded from Damsgaard's free kick – the first goal England had given up at Euro 2020. 

Indeed, the Three Lions had gone 691 minutes without conceding a goal before that free kick, stretching back to March. 

Damsgaard's goal was also the first direct free kick scored at Euro 2020. 

Further reading

Paris Saint-Germain appear to have accidentally confirmed the signing of Sergio Ramos after his departure from Real Madrid.

Ramos was seen at Parc des Princes on Wednesday and is expected to officially be announced as a new PSG player on Thursday.

But PSG appear to have jumped the gun by posting an article on their official website on Wednesday which confirmed Ramos would be wearing the No.4 in Paris. The article was quickly deleted.

What's been said?

"This number four, I appreciate it a lot out of superstition, because I had it from the start of my career, and then it accompanied me throughout my life, continued [with] me, brought good luck, and a lot of victories," Ramos said in the article.

"Now number four is part of me as a person and as a professional. For me, it's a privilege to be able to wear this number in such a great team, Paris Saint-Germain. So it will be very special to be able to wear my number here in Paris."

How will Ramos fit in at PSG?

Ramos will add a new dimension to PSG's line-up as head coach Mauricio Pochettino bids to deliver success on both domestic and European stages in 2021-22.

The Spain international's vast experience at the very highest level might help the French outfit go all the way in the Champions League for the first time, and he could slot straight into the heart of the defence.

Ramos will likely be competing for a regular spot at centre-half alongside Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe, but it is also possible that the former could be moved back into midfield to accommodate the ex-Real superstar.

Ramos' legacy at Real

Ramos spent 16 years on Real's books after joining the club from Sevilla in 2005, establishing himself as one of the top defenders in Europe while winning a whole host of trophies.

The World Cup winner lifted 22 major honours during his time at the Bernabeu, including five La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

Ramos also contributed 101 goals to Real's cause in 671 games across all competitions, but the club had no choice but to let him go after talks over a contract extension fell through.

Further reading 

Simba SC are one point away from retaining the Mainland Premier League title following a 2-0 win against KMC at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

The Msimbazi giants went into the game seeking a win after their 1-0 defeat against rivals Yanga SC in their Kariakoo derby and it took them only two minutes to take a deserved lead after Chris Mugalu scored, and he added the second in the 44th minute.

Had Simba won the derby, they could have sealed the title then, but it was not the case and against KMC they needed a win to remain on course.

Simba coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa opted to stick with the same side that did duty against Yanga, with goalkeeper Aishi Manula starting between the sticks while the defence revolved around Joash Onyango, Mohamed Hussein, Pascal Wawa and Shomari Kapombe.

It took the Wekundu wa Msimbazi only two minutes to take the lead, Mugalu beating his markers after being put through by winger Luis Miquissone to beat veteran goalkeeper Juma Kaseja.

Simba continued to attack in search of more goals and in the 23rd minute, Miquissone watched helplessly as his well-taken effort kissed the crossbar.

In the 34th minute, it was Larry Bwalya who got the chance to make it 2-0 after being put through by Miquissone, but he took too much time to make a decision and Kaseja snatched the ball from his legs.

However, it did not take them much longer to extend the lead as Mugalu made it 2-0 a minute half-time break, heading home a cross from midfielder Clatous Chama.

In the second half, Simba continued to attack the home team and they should have been 3-0 up in the 56th minute but Bwalya once again wasted a one-on-one situation with only Kaseja to beat.

A mistake by Kapombe in the Simba backline almost brought KMC back into the game in the 62nd minute as Hassan Kabunda set up Israel Mwenda, but his weak effort did not trouble keeper Manula.

Despite KMC applying more pressure in the last 15 minutes, Simba remained tight at the back to seal the win and the vital points.

Simba are now on 76 points, six more than their rivals Yanga, who are on 70 but the Msimbazi giants have a game in hand.

A draw for Simba against Coastal Union in their next league assignment will crown them champions for a record fourth season in a row.

AFC Leopards team manager Tom Juma believes the outcome against Gor Mahia in the Mashemeji Derby could have been different if the referee awarded them a penalty. 

With Sunday's FKF Shield Cup final at Nyayo Stadium evenly balanced, K'Ogalo captain Haron Shakava challenged Ingwe attacker Elvis Rupia in the penalty area and despite the supporters hoping to see the referee point to the penalty spot, he waved play on.

The match eventually ended 0-0 in regulation time and the league's defending champion won on penalties. Sydney Ochieng, Kenneth Muguna, Samuel Onyango, and Clifton Miheso scored for Gor Mahia while Washington Munene scored the only goal for AFC Leopards after Isaac Kipyegon and Said Tsuma were unable to convert their penalties.

Was it a penalty?

"If you looked at the incident, he twice fouled Rupia and it was a clear penalty," Juma told Goal on Wednesday.

"But the referee opted to think the other way and decided not to award us what rightfully belonged to the team. If he awarded us the penalty, the outcome would have been different.

"On the other hand, we missed many scoring chances which we should have utilised. The composure in front of the goal was wanting otherwise we would have not reached the shootout.

How has the loss affected Leopards?

"It was frustrating for us because we had prepared well to go all the way and win the competition," Juma continued.

"We wanted to play in Caf competitions next season but it did not happen. But our time is coming, and we shall return to the Caf competitions.

"All we should do is continue from where we have left."

What are the chances of winning the league?

"The race is still open, and I believe we can still be crowned ahead of Tusker FC and Gor Mahia," Juma expressed optimism. 

"Winning the league will be our main priority, the players are psyched up to make things right after slipping in the Shield Cup final."

The 13-time champions are currently third on the table behind the Brewers and KCB.

The 2021/22 Premier League season, beyond the usual storylines around title challenges and relegation battles, will have an added layer of intrigue.

For the first time in history, the division will boast two African-born managers, with Patrick Vieira (born in Dakar, Senegal) and the wonderfully named Nuno Espirito Santo (born in Sao Tome and Principe) taking charge of London clubs Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Both appointments, sealed within the past week, have another common factor: in both cases, the decision followed an extensive search and a slew of preferred candidates who dropped out of the reckoning at advanced stages during negotiations.

This means both men come into their roles under no illusions that they were at the forefront of their employers’ considerations from the off. If Palace and Spurs could have signed someone else, they would have.

In other cases, that would be something of a turn-off.

On the basis of his mostly outstanding work with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nuno would be perfectly entitled to wonder quite what Gennaro Gattuso had over him, or indeed any of the other mooted candidates for the Spurs job not named Antonio Conte or Mauricio Pochettino.

For his part, Vieira enjoyed an elite-level career in the Premier League, captaining honour-chasing Arsenal over many years and winning both the World Cup and the Euros with France, so why would a club with designs on little more than staying in the division every season look past a profile like his?

Valid concerns, yes. However, the stakes transcend the individual egos involved.

By virtue of their otherness, both men immediately find themselves saddled with cares beyond the basic pressure the job entails – there is also a weight of expectation, from fans, detractors and the next generation of black and African-born managers alike.

They will know that their success or failure will have repercussions far beyond their own job security.

Of course, not being able to succeed or fail on their own merits is itself emblematic of the challenges black coaches face at the highest level of football.

It is too often the burden of the marginalized to prove themselves worthy of equal opportunities by their excellence, and to have their shortcomings taint not just themselves but their entire class.

It also goes some way toward explaining why, even when they do have these opportunities granted them, the circumstances are almost always extenuating, and they seem almost set up to fail.

Crystal Palace have appointed Vieira to oversee a daunting rebuild at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have, for a long time, soldiered on in the Premier League with an ageing squad that has been stretched to its absolute limit. With veteran manager Roy Hodgson departing, it was as good a time as any to attempt an overhaul, but it is a phase that is fraught with many dangers.

The club are banking on their sterling youth system to freshen things up, with a smattering of young, promising talent signed from the Championship supplementing.

As a strategy, it is high-risk, and it is not difficult to see why many others baulked; this is the poisoned chalice from which Vieira will now drink.

Similarly, Tottenham are in a bit of a pickle, with the need to finance a new stadium dictating a degree of care in the transfer market, a want-away club captain, and a lot of ballast within the squad.

Add into the mix Daniel Levy’s comments about the club needing to reconnect with its “core DNA of playing attacking football”, and it becomes even clearer Nuno is walking into a volatile situation: he will be expected to not just address the issues within the squad, but also provide a certain brand of football while at it, and all that on a two-year contract.

It does then, understandably, feel like a bit of a trap.

Be that as it may, the scale of the opportunity will not be lost on either man.

While Nuno was in charge at Wolves since 2017, it is worth noting that he was appointed with the club in the second tier (the same situation as with Jean Tigana in the early 2000s, previously the only other manager of African birth in the Premier League); his move to Tottenham made him the first African-born manager to be appointed by a Premier League club.

Vieira followed soon after; if both men can find success in their current roles, it only increased the likelihood yet more will come through the door.

England manager Gareth Southgate has been vindicated in his decisions at Euro 2020 thus far, and he made another big call by putting Bukayo Saka back in the line-up in place of Jadon Sancho for Wednesday's semi-final against Denmark.

Saka sat out England's 4-0 quarter-final win over Ukraine with a slight knock, with Sancho impressing in the Arsenal man's place. 

But Sancho has returned to the bench for the encounter at Wembley in the only change from Saturday's win over Ukraine.

England's XI

Southgate has unsurprisingly picked the same back line as the quarter-final, with England not having conceded the entire tournament thus far.

Jordan Pickford is in goal with Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Kyle Walker in front of him.

Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips stay in their holding midfield roles, with Saka, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Harry Kane rounding out the lineup.

What was said?

There was plenty of reaction on social media to Southgate's decision, as stars like Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden had to be content with a place on the bench.

Saka made some history with his starting nod, becoming the youngest Englishman to start a match at the semi-final stage or later of a major tournament.

Further reading

Pro Evolution Soccer remains one of the most popular football games thanks to its focus on gameplay rather than licensing and graphics.

To whet the appetite of gamers, Konami usually releases a demo for the game before its official launch.

This year, Konami has made an early release of the game available as a free download in order to test the online matchmaking system, called "New Football Game Online Performance Test."

A full demo is likely to follow, but the release notes say that "Gameplay, game balance, production, graphics, etc. will be changed and improved."

On this page

When is the PES 2022 demo released?

The first version of PES 2022 available for download is the "New Football Game Online Performance Test" which is a free download and is closer to a beta test version of the game rather than an actual demo.

It was released on June 24 and should be available until July 8.

The download comes with a disclaimer stating that this is not anywhere close to the finished version of PES 2022, which is probably why it was given such a vague name on the PlayStation and Xbox stores:

"The chief goal of the New Football Game Online Performance Test is to assess the stability and connection quality of our servers, as well as the performance of our matchmaking system.

"Please note that all elements of gameplay (controls/balance etc.) and all visuals are a work in progress. Everything is subject to change, and many of these elements will be improved moving forward.

"That being said, we hope this small preview whets your appetite for the official release!"

Which consoles is the PES 2022 demo playable on?

The New Football Game Online Performance Test is currently available for download on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

There is no version available for download on PC, but it is expected that PES 2022 will be confirmed for PC when it is officially announced on July 21.

The Online Performance Test download is available until July 8 only, so you will need to download it before then.

Which teams are in the PES 2022 demo?

Konami has licenses with Juventus, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich and all these teams are in the early version of PES 2022 available for download.

The exclusive license with Juventus means that PES is the only football simulation they are in, with the club being called Piemonte Calcio in FIFA, using a fake badge and jersey.

Which stadiums are in the PES 2022 demo?

The only stadium that is available at the moment is the eFootball Stadium, but you can select whether to play during the day or night to see the game's lighting effects.

Pitch and weather conditions are random, while the halves cannot be changed from five minutes each. No extra time or penalties are included, so matches may end in a draw.

Only an online quick match is available currently, living up to the beta title of "New Football Game Online Performance Test."

Download the PES 2022 demo

The PES 2022 New Football Game Online Performance Test demo is available for free as a download for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

The download size is around 6.7GB and is available in the online stores on PlayStation and Xbox.

Zambia head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has explained why Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene will play a crucial role for them in the Cosafa Cup.

The experienced custodian is expected to be Micho's first-choice goalkeeper in the regional tournament that is being held in South Africa, and Chipolopolo will start their campaign with a match against Lesotho on Thursday.

"The touch of maturity and seniority that Kennedy is bringing is very important," Micho said as was quoted by Faz media.

"Carrying the jersey of Chipolopolo is not an easy task, very often you are bringing the player and then the jersey is so heavy because inside every jersey are the dreams of millions of Zambians and ambitions of the nation.

"When we have that in mind, we are fully aware that his maturity and seniority has added value to the team.

"Together with the other senior players, he is helping the younger players to adapt so that we have a perfect blend of maturity and seniority and young players that are supposed to come and carry the Chipolopolo high."

The former Orlando Pirates head coach added how they have prepared to start their title defence of the competition pitting teams from Southern Africa against one another.

 "We are looking to enter the competition in the best possible way with a win that could give us confidence ahead of the remaining matches," he continued.

"We are in high spirits, I need to thank everyone, Faz president, his executive and all the people that have enabled us to prepare very well. Immediately after finishing the league, we got our players together and we have worked now for 10 days.

"After 10 days of work, I believe that we have made steps forward in order to have a tight defence in order to not concede, to have a sharp creative attack so that the talent and quality of our players are getting us performances and results."

 Zambia's preliminary fixtures in full :

 July 8: Zambia vs Lesotho 12:00 (Isaac Wolfson Stadium)

July 10: Eswatini vs Zambia 15:00 (Isaac Wolfson Stadium)

July 13: Zambia vs Botswana 15:00 (Isaac Wolfson Stadium)

July 14: South Africa vs Zambia 15:00 (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium)

Neymar has hit out at CONMEBOL after the confederation suspended his Brazil team-mate Gabriel Jesus for Saturday's Copa America final against Argentina. 

Jesus was shown a red card in the quarter-final against Chile for a flying kick to Eugenio Mena's face. The forward apologised after the game and said the kick was accidental.

After Jesus missed Brazil's semi-final win over Peru, CONMEBOL announced on Tuesday that Jesus would be suspended an additional game and would be unable to appeal.

What was said?

Neymar made his disapproval with the decision clear in his Instagram story, saying: "It is very sad to be in the hands of people who make these kinds of decisions."

The PSG star added with obvious sarcasm: “They made a beautiful analysis of the play. We must congratulate them."

Jesus also hit out at the decision on his Instagram story, adding: "Two-match ban and no appeal? Congratulations CONMEBOL. I think you didn't see what happened right."

What's next?

Everton replaced Jesus against Peru and appears set to do so again as Brazil and Argentina get set for a high-profile finale at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The match will feature Neymar and Lionel Messi both looking to win the Copa America for the first time in their career.

Brazil won the 2019 Copa America but Neymar was not on that roster due to an injury. Messi, meanwhile, is famously still searching for the first major senior trophy of his international career. 

Further reading

England lock horns with Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday evening in the semi-final of Euro 2020, with the two sides looking to join Italy in the final.

The Three Lions have yet to concede a goal at the tournament, beating Germany and Ukraine in the knockout stage thus far, but will remain wary of a galvanised Denmark team.

One-time European Championship winners, the Danes have had to endure the trauma of Christian Eriksen's on-pitch cardiac arrest, but still managed to cruise into the semi-finals.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream live online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

ITV is showing the game between England and Denmark live on TV in the United Kingdom (UK). An online stream is available through the ITV Hub.

ESPN, TUDN USA and Univision are broadcasting England vs Denmark live on TV in the United States (U.S.). Online streams are available using Univision NOW, ESPN+ and the TUDN app.

Team news & squads

Bukayo Saka is expected to return to the England team at the expense of Jadon Sancho after recovering from the knock which prevented his involvement in the quarter-final.

Gareth Southgate may make some tactical changes, but is unlikely to tinker too much in terms of personnel, with Harry Kane set to lead the line with Raheem Sterling in support.

That means Jack Grealish is likely to have to accept a role from the substitutes' bench.

Predicted England starting XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Phillips, Rice, Mount, Saka, Sterling; Kane.

Denmark are of course without their talisman Christian Eriksen, but the Inter playmaker is now out of hospital as he continues his recovery.

Head coach Kasper Hjulmand is not expected to change his starting team much, if at all, with Kasper Schmeichel, Simon Kjaer and Kasper Dolberg all expected to start.

Predicted Denmark starting XI: Schmeichel; Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard; Stryger Larsen, Delaney, Hojbjerg, Maehle; Damsgaard, Braithwaite, Dolberg.

England are 8/11 favourites to win against Denmark in the semi-final of Euro 2020.

Denmark are priced at 17/4 to pull off an upset and book their place in the final.

Full betting preview

Recent results & head-to-head

Last five results

Head-to-head

Cosafa Cup guest participants Senegal started their campaign on a losing note with a 2-1 defeat by Namibia in a Group B encounter at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium on Wednesday.

Marcel Papama thrust Namibia ahead 13 minutes into the match before Albert Diene hit back for Senegal four minutes later.

Five minutes into the second half, Elmo Kambindu got to the end of Aprocious Petrus’ through-ball to grab the goal which decided the contest and send Namibia to the top of Group B.

The Brave Warriors’ occupation of top spot was aided by the 0-0 draw between Zimbabwe and Mozambique earlier on in the day at the same venue.

Wafu Cup of Nations champions Senegal arrived in Gqeberha as one of the tournament favourites but they went down to Namibia after an uninspiring performance.

Mohamed Ba and 19-year-old winger Abu Diop were guilty of missing chances for Senegal especially in the second half as the West Africans were chasing the game. 

The duo was duly substituted with 20 minutes to go and Senegal did little to restore parity as Baroka FC’s Ananias Gebhardt was steely at the back for Namibia together with Polokwane City’s Denzil Haoseb..

Kambindu almost grabbed a brace late in the game but found Pape Seydou N’Diaye unyielding in goals for the Teranga Lions.  

Earlier on, Zimbabwe and Mozambique played to a goalless draw.

Mozambique started the match on a high, forcing Warriors goalkeeper Washington Arubi to make three desperate saves inside the opening seven minutes.

Zimbabwe’s first real chance at goal only came in the 24th minute when captain Ovidy Karuru’s grounder saw Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan Siluane stretching to make a save at the left bottom corner. 

From then, Zimbabwe became the more threatening side with Brian Banda and Farai Matare coming close just before the halftime whistle.

Then in the 77th minute, Mozambique thought they had broken the deadlock after substitute Salas had beaten Arubi with a headed effort only for his goal to be flagged offside.

Karuru then narrowly missed with his header with 10 minutes to go, before Delic Murimba and Richard Hachiro also nearly struck for the Warriors just before the final whistle. 

Mozambique had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Eldrick Adelaide right at the death after Warriors defender Carlos Machurume appeared to have handled inside the box.

Zimbabwe coach Zdravko Logarusic blamed little preparation time for the result while he also bemoaned the suspension of football in the North of Limpopo.

“We only had five days preparing, and we haven’t played in the league since November 2019. This means there were no official games except the Cup games [Chibuku Super Cup],” Logarusic told SuperSport TV.

“This is a good start, we created some chances, and [Mozambique] also had some good opportunities. I think at the end, it is a fair result.”

Zimbabwe now prepare to face Malawi in their next match on Friday, while Senegal clash with Mozambique on the same day.

There have been 10 different winners of the European Championship since its inception in 1960, and the roll of honour features familiar heavyweights like Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

Denmark are also there among the list of champions, though the Scandinavian country is not necessarily what one might consider a regular contender on the world stage.

The Danes have the same number of titles as Italy and Portugal, managing in 1992 to do what England and Belgium have not.

Goal takes a look at that achievement, how they qualified, their squad and the teams they beat on the way to victory.

How did Denmark qualify for Euro 92?

Denmark's qualification for Euro 92 is what makes the subsequent triumph in the competition such a peculiarity, since they did not earn their place at the tournament in the traditional manner.

They had finished second in their qualification group behind Yugoslavia, after winning six games, drawing one and losing one.

Yugoslavia were due to compete at the final stage of the European Championship, but the country was suspended from competitive football by FIFA and UEFA following the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars.

As such, Denmark, as the next-best qualifier from the group, took their place at the tournament.

"There are a lot of stories about us being on the beach," Peter Schmeichel told Sky Sports, reflecting on the shock qualification. "We were still match fit, but completely switched off from football. We had to regain that desire to play and win football games. We didn't have much time, but for those Euros it worked."

Who was in the Denmark Euro 92 squad?

The majority of Denmark's Euro 92-winning squad was based in Denmark at the time, with four players plying their trade in Germany, one playing in England, one in France and one in Turkey.

Peter Schmeichel was the star goalkeeper and playing for Manchester United, with Brian Laudrup, then with Bayern Munich, John Jensen and team captain Lars Olsen providing the outfield inspiration.

The squad had an average age of 26.9, with 31-year-olds Olsen and Kim Christofte being the eldest.

What was Denmark's route to the Euro 92 final?

Denmark were drawn in Group 1 at the final stage of the Euro 92 tournament along with England, France and hosts Sweden.

They drew 0-0 in their opening game against an England team that featured stars such as Gary Lineker, Paul Merson and David Platt. Their chances of progressing from the group took a blow when they lost 1-0 to rivals Sweden in Solna.

England had drawn their second group game against France and were well placed to advance with a favourable result against Sweden, provided Denmark lost or drew against France.

However, Denmark pulled off an upset against France, winning 2-1, and England suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sweden, with Tomas Brolin breaking English hearts. 

Henrik Larsen and Lars Elstrup scored the crucial goals against Les Bleus and they qualified as Group 1 runners-up for the semi-final against Group 2 winners the Netherlands, who were reigning champions.

Despite going into the game against the Dutch as overwhelming underdogs, Denmark took the lead after five minutes with a Larsen header, but the defending champions responded through Dennis Bergkamp.

However, the Danes went ahead once more just before half-time, with Larsen scoring his third goal of the tournament from the edge of the box.

The Dutch looked to be heading out of the competition until Frank Rijkaard scored a scrappy goal in the 86th minute, forcing the game into extra time. 

No goals were forthcoming in the additional time, meaning penalties were required to decide which team would advance to the final.

Schmeichel saved the second Dutch penalty, which was hit by Marco van Basten, and the Danes made no mistake in any of their efforts, with Kim Christofte beating Hans van Breukelen with the decisive spot-kick.

Denmark won 5-4 on penalties to continue their journey and progress to the Euro 92 final.

Watch Netherlands vs Denmark Euro 92 semi-final highlights

Who did Denmark beat in the Euro 92 final?

Denmark defeated Germany 2-0 in the Euro 92 final to win their first ever European title.

The Germans came into Euro 92 having already won the tournament on two occasions and, with players such as Jurgen Klinsmann, Stefan Effenberg and Matthias Sammer in their ranks, were considered heavy favourites.

Managed by Berti Vogts (who would go on to lead them to Euro 96 glory), Germany had drawn with CIS (Soviet Union) before beating Scotland, but they closed the group stage with a heavy defeat to Netherlands. Nevertheless, they booked their place in the final with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Sweden.

Despite the fact that Germany were expected to win, Denmark did not read the script and, perhaps buoyed by their semi-final victory, took the lead on the 18th minute when John Jensen smashed a long-range shot past Bodo Illgner.

Schmeichel was called into action on a number of occasions, notably denying a powerful Klinsmann header and coming out on top in a one-on-one with Stefan Reuter.

The efforts of the Manchester United shotstopper to keep Germany at bay were rewarded when Kim Vilfort added a second for Denmark with just over 10 minutes to play, sealing victory and stunning the continent.

Years later, Schmeichel suggested that Denmark's unlikely victory at the tournament stemmed from a sense of self-belief that they could compete with the best players in the world.

"That comes from, not defiance, but not accepting that we are a small country," the iconic goalkeeper told UEFA in 2015. "We [thought], 'we have exactly the same opportunity to go and better ourselves and be the best professionals, and if we get the right circumstances we can go and do whatever job we want to do.'

"So it's more a mentality, I think. I think that, more than anything, was why we won the European Championship."

Watch Denmark vs Germany Euro 92 final highlights

Lionel Messi was caught taunting Colombia centre-back Yerry Mina after his penalty miss in the Copa America on Tuesday night.

The Everton centre-back, who played alongside Messi during his time at Barcelona, saw his penalty saved by Emiliano Martinez, with Argentina going on to win the shootout to set up a mouth-watering meeting with Brazil in the final.

And Messi was caught on camera shouting 'bailá ahora', which translates in English to 'dance now', at Mina immediately after he missed his spot-kick.

Why was Messi taunting Mina?

Messi hasn't spoken publicly about the incident although the suggestion is that he was reacting to Mina's celebration after he had scored in Colombia's penalty shootout win over Uruguay in the quarter-final of the competition.

During that last-eight tie, the Everton defender slotted home Colombia's third spot-kick of the shootout - which Reinaldo Rueda's side went on to win 4-2 - and proceeded to suck his thumb and then dance on the spot in celebration.

Mina wasn't as fortunate in the semi-final, however, with Martinez diving to his left to keep out the penalty, which stopped Colombia going 2-1 ahead in the shootout.

And that sparked scenes of jubilation from the Argentina camp, with Messi in particular revelling in his former Barcelona team-mate's failure to convert from 12 yards.

Argentina skipper Messi is seen jumping for joy and then bellowing 'bailá ahora' in Mina's direction, which translates to 'dance now' in English.

Messi hails Martinez

Messi was one of Argentina's successful spot-kick takers on the night against Colombia, with Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez also putting their penalties away to secure a 3-2 win after the game had finished 1-1 after extra time.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez was the hero, however, as he saved three of Colombia's spot-kicks, from Mina, Davinson Sanchez and Edwin Cardona.

And 34-year-old Barca legend Messi was full of praise for his international team-mate, telling reporters after the game: "We have Emi, who is a phenomenon.

"We trusted him. We achieved the goal of being able to play all the games and now we are going to the final."

Further reading

Arsenal have returned for pre-season training, with Mikel Arteta’s side set to play their first friendly of the summer in Scotland on July 13.

The majority of the Gunners’ squad returned to London Colney on Wednesday to begin preparations for the 2021-22 season, which gets underway on August 13 when Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign at newly promoted Brentford.

So, what are Arsenal’s plans for pre-season and who will be involved? Goal takes a look...

Returning to London Colney

The majority of Arsenal’s first-team squad returned for pre-season training on Wednesday, July 7.

They will spend the first couple of days going through medical and fitness checks before stepping up preparations for a training camp in Scotland.

The squad will travel to Scotland on Monday, July 12 and will spend five days north of the border, playing two games.

Arteta’s side will take on Hibernian in their first warm-up game of the summer on Tuesday, July 13 before playing Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday, July 17.

Who won’t be involved?

Arsenal will be without some key names during the early part of pre-season, with players who have been involved with their national teams over the summer given extra time off.

Bernd Leno, Grant Xhaka and Kieran Tierney are all currently away on holiday having been in action at Euro 2020, while Bukayo Saka will not return to Arsenal for some time yet due to his extended stay in the tournament with England.

The same goes for Lucas Torreira, who has only just started his time off having been in action for Uruguay at the Copa America this summer.

Will any new signings be present?

Arsenal have yet to officially confirm any new signing, but Nuno Tavares is expected to be involved when the squad leaves for their training camp in Scotland.

The left-back flew in from Portugal on Friday to finalise his £7 million ($9.6m) move from Benfica.

Tavares has had to remain in quarantine due to Covid-19 regulations since arriving, but should be given the green light to link up with his new team-mates ahead of their first pre-season game of the summer.

Arsenal are also hopeful of soon completing a deal for Anderlecht midfielder Albert Lokonga and the 21-year-old could even be signed in time to play some part in the trip to Scotland if negotiations with the Belgium side are wrapped up swiftly.

Who will travel to Scotland?

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are just two of Arsenal’s star names who are expected to play a full part in pre-season this summer.

Both will be involved in the training camp in Scotland, as will Nicolas Pepe and Thomas Partey, who will now be wearing the No.5 shirt for Arsenal, having swapped his squad number from No.18 over the summer.

Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Emile Smith Rowe, Pablo Mari, Willian, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson are also expected to be involved, as are Mohamed Elneny, Eddie Nketiah, Cedric Soares and Folarin Balogun.

Arteta will also give some youngsters from the Under-23s a chance to impress, such as Miguel Azeez and Omer Rekik.

What else have Arsenal got planned in pre-season?

After returning from their training camp in Scotland, Arteta’s squad will have a few days back in London before flying to the United States.

They will play two games during their stay in America, competing alongside Inter Milan, Everton and Millonarios in the Florida Cup.

Arteta’s side are due to take on Inter on Sunday, July 25 and they will then meet the winner of Everton or Millonarios on July 28.

The Mind Series

Arsenal will fly back from America immediately after their game on July 28 ahead of a three-game London tournament named the Mind Series.

The Gunners will host Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, August 1 before travelling to Tottenham in a north London derby on August 8, five days before the start of the new Premier League season.

Funds that are raised during the tournament will be split between Mind, the UK's leading mental health charity, and three club's respective foundations.