Tag: Euro 2024

Lamine Yamal warned his enemies (that we didn’t know he had) ahead of Spain’s Euro 2024 semifinal vs. France

Lamine Yamal is already conspiring against fake enemies.

There are a few rites of passage to becoming an all-time soccer star.

For Spanish phenom teenager Lamine Yamal, it was probably first about a chance meeting with the legendary Lionel Messi when he was just a baby. There was also the added discipline and training necessary to gain skill at the highest levels of the game. Now that Yamal is shining at Euro 2024, sitting with Spain in the semifinals of the prestigious tournament against France, there was one last pivotal box for him to check off.

Making up non-existent critics for extra motivation. Once someone reaches this mental stage as an athlete, you know they’ve made it.

Ahead of Spain’s titanic matchup with the French, Yamal posted a bizarre Instagram story seemingly warning his enemies (?) that’s he watching their every move in measured silence:

Look, I’m not going to tell an athlete how they should approach their own life. Everyone has their own needed process. But I’m really struggling to consider how a 16-year-old electric talent like Yamal has any enemies or detractors at this extremely early stage of his career. Who, in their right mind, hates this kid? I’d venture to guess most people didn’t even know his name until a few weeks ago!

Now, if Yamal reaches his tremendous potential, I have no doubt he will eventually have a group of dedicated haters, especially online. Unfortunately, that’s just how it works. But this idea that people are already incessantly blathering about him and what he can or can’t do is just silly.

Well, at least this lets us know he’s on the right track toward stardom.

UPDATE: It appears Yamal took this motivation, seemingly inspired by France’s Adrien Rabot, and channeled it into becoming the youngest-ever goal-scorer at the European Championships.

We are watching one of the most gifted young players ever.

A viral photo of Lionel Messi bathing Spain phenom Lamine Yamal as a baby blew soccer fans’ minds

Becoming a soccer superstar was clearly Lamine Yamal’s destiny.

Some things in life were meant to be.

A teenage John Lennon would always meet Paul McCartney at a church party in Liverpool. Robert De Niro and Martin Scorcese knew each other as children, if only for a fleeting moment. And 16-year-old Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal was destined to be a superstar soccer player, perhaps even one day the unquestioned best player in the world. (He’s undoubtedly already showing such chops at Euro 2024.)

I know this because over the weekend, a viral photo of Lionel Messi — widely considered the GOAT soccer player — bathing a baby Yamal surfaced on the internet.

Dearest readers, I can assure you the photo is real. The photo was initially highlighted by Yamal’s father, Mounir Nasraoui, on Instagram.

My initial reaction was probably as shocked as you are right now:

Gah, I still can’t process this.

It is just so bonkers for someone as legendary as Messi to actually have this kind of early contact with Yamal, someone who may well become iconic soon in their own right. It is the trope of sports stars meeting their heroes in old photos taken to the absolute extreme. In an American context, this would be like prime Tom Brady meeting Patrick Mahomes as a toddler at a random dinner party.

According to Dermot Corrigan of The Athletic, Messi’s chance meeting with Yamal wasn’t so random by design. It’s just that photographer Joan Monfort didn’t quite realize it would eventually turn out to be an incredible twist of fate.

Via The Athletic:

In December 2007, Montfort took a photo of a 20-year-old Lionel Messi, who had begun his legendary Barcelona career just over four years earlier, and Lamine Yamal — who was just six months old. It was published in a 2008 charity calendar organised by Barcelona’s club foundation and Catalan newspaper Diario Sport, with the money raised going to charitable organisations including UNICEF and different NGOs around Catalonia. Members of the Barcelona squad were photographed alongside children. Hundreds of families collaborated with the initiative for a number of years and most of the photos have now been forgotten, outside of the families of the children who have treasured private memories. It just so happens that Yamal, Barca’s teenage star of the future, ended up paired with the man who would go on to win the Ballon d’Or eight times.

You’re telling me that Yamal, someone who many think will help define men’s soccer for the next decade-plus, happened to be randomly paired with one of the greatest athletes of all time in a Barcelona charity photo shoot?

Y’all … WHAT?

Now I’m just hoping Yamal helps lead Spain to its fourth-ever European championship, and we can really jumpstart the way-too-early and anointed “next GOAT” talks.

Destiny is real, dearest readers. After seeing this, don’t you dare deny it.

How to buy England vs. The Netherlands 2024 Euro semifinal tickets

Tickets for Wednesday’s European Championships semifinal between England and The Netherlands are still available for as little as $566.

Four absolutely thrilling quarterfinal matchups produced what should be two epic semifinal matchups at the 2024 European Championships.

We already knew that Spain and France would face off in the first semifinal, but joining them will now to be two more top-10 teams in the FIFA World Rankings.

England and The Netherlands do battle on Wednesday, July 10 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

England needed penalty kicks to eliminate Switzerland, while The Netherlands came from behind to knock out Turkey on Sunday afternoon.

SHOP: England vs. Netherlands Euro 2024 tickets

England vs. Netherlands tickets

Limited tickets still remain for Wednesday’s heavyweight semifinal.

The cheapest available tickets are $566, while the cheapest lower bowl tickets are only $639.

The most expensive semifinal ticket will run you $8,889 and grant access to the VIP Prestige Lounge.

Don’t miss out on this incredible matchup as both England and Netherlands look to book their spot in the finals of the 2024 European Championships.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop England vs. Netherlands Euro 2024 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/ZZemD3X”]

Wimbledon disrupted by rowdy England fans celebrating Euro 2024 win

Euro 2024 briefly took over at Wimbledon, where England fans got loud

England’s dramatic success at Euro 2024 is such a big deal that it’s impacting other major sporting events.

That includes Wimbledon, which saw a third-round match between No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic and Alexei Popyrin briefly halted as celebrations broke out in the stands at Centre Court.

It wasn’t a spectacular rally or match-winning ace that brought a roar out of fans on Saturday. Instead, as Popyrin prepared to serve in the second set, the crowd suddenly began loudly cheering and applauding.

In tennis, noise as a player prepares to serve is normally a faux pas, and announcements urging quiet are common in major finals. Fans can be ejected for the kind of behavior that, in soccer, is utterly normal.

This time, though, everyone knew the deal. Both players eased up for a moment, as it was quickly clear what was going on. Roughly 300 miles east in Düsseldorf, England had survived a penalty-kick tiebreaker at Euro 2024, seeing off Switzerland 5-3 after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.

While it wasn’t being shown on any screens in the stadium, it became obvious that at least a few hundred attendees were also following Euro 2024 on their phones.

That meant that when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s penalty hit the back of the net, it was party time, regardless of what was going on between Djokovic and Popyrin.

As the crowd continued its applause, the tennis players even pantomimed a bit of soccer, with Djokovic pretending to kick a ball while Popyrin took on the role of goalkeeper.

Once Center Court calmed down enough for play to resume, Djokovic would go on to claim victory in four sets.

Watch England fans disrupt Wimbledon

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Euro career likely ends with haunting missed game-winning shot for Portugal

If that was the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Euro career, it couldn’t have come in more heartbreaking fashion.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s career at the Euro in all likelihood came to an end on Friday in the quarterfinals against France, and if it really was the end, the legend went out in heartbreaking fashion.

With the match still scoreless in the 93rd minute during added time, Ronaldo was served up an excellent opportunity to break the shutout with what almost certainly would have been a game-winner for Portugal.

Instead, Ronaldo’s shot sailed sky-high, and the match went to extra time, where it remained scoreless and necessitated a penalty shootout. Ronaldo did his part, leading Portugal off with a make, but it wasn’t enough as France would make all five of its shots and win the shootout 5-4 to advance to the semifinals.

He squandered a similar opportunity during the Round of 16 win over Portugal, missing a late penalty kick opportunity against Slovenia before redeeming himself during the shootout. This time, things didn’t work out that way.

Ronaldo is 39, and while it would be far from surprising to see him try to push his career until he’s 43, there’s a very good chance Friday’s match was the last we’ll see of him at the Euro.

He made history this year by appearing in a record sixth Euro, but after a Round of 16 finish in 2020, he once again fell short in his quest to lead Portugal to another European championship after he helped the team win its first in 2016.

And barring something surprising, Portugal will have to continue on its quest for another title without its captain.

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How to buy France vs. Spain 2024 Euro semifinal tickets

Tickets for Tuesday’s European Championships semifinal between Spain and France are still available for as little as $438.

Two absolutely thrilling quarterfinal matchups have produced what promises to be an epic semifinal matchup at the 2024 European Championships.

Spain held off Germany in Stuttgart 2-1, on a goal in the 119th minute, just before the game would have been sent to penalty kicks.

France and Portugal remained scoreless all the way through extra time, when Kylian Mbappe was subbed out of the game.

It didn’t bother the French side as they scored all five penalty kicks to eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

France and Spain will face off on Tuesday, July 9 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

SHOP: France vs. Spain Euro 2024 tickets

Spain vs. France tickets

Limited tickets still remain for Tuesday’s blockbuster semifinal.

The cheapest available tickets are $439, while the cheapest lower bowl tickets are only $714.

The most expensive semifinal ticket will run you $13,229 and grant access to the VIP Prestige Lounge.

Don’t miss out on this incredible matchup between two top-10 teams in the FIFA World Rankings.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop France vs. Spain Euro 2024 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/ZZemD3X”]

How to buy France vs. Spain 2024 Euro semifinal tickets

Tickets for Tuesday’s European Championships semifinal between Spain and France are still available for as little as $438.

Two absolutely thrilling quarterfinal matchups have produced what promises to be an epic semifinal matchup at the 2024 European Championships.

Spain held off Germany in Stuttgart 2-1, on a goal in the 119th minute, just before the game would have been sent to penalty kicks.

France and Portugal remained scoreless all the way through extra time, when Kylian Mbappe was subbed out of the game.

It didn’t bother the French side as they scored all five penalty kicks to eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

France and Spain will face off on Tuesday, July 9 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.

SHOP: France vs. Spain Euro 2024 tickets

Spain vs. France tickets

Limited tickets still remain for Tuesday’s blockbuster semifinal.

The cheapest available tickets are $439, while the cheapest lower bowl tickets are only $714.

The most expensive semifinal ticket will run you $13,229 and grant access to the VIP Prestige Lounge.

Don’t miss out on this incredible matchup between two top-10 teams in the FIFA World Rankings.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop France vs. Spain Euro 2024 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/ZZemD3X”]

Kylian Mbappe’s broken-nose luck finally ran out after he took a header to the face against Portugal

Kylian Mbappe’s already broken nose took some more damage during Friday’s quarterfinal match.

France superstar Kylian Mbappe has had a new element to his match equipment at the Euro 2024.

After breaking his nose during group stages, Mbappe — who received quite a few hilarious mask suggestions from fans — initially debuted a superhero-esque mask based on the French flag that earned him the nickname “Captain France” by some.

Mbappe has had pretty decent luck since the injury, avoiding any major aggravations. But that potentially changed during Friday’s quarterfinal match against Portugal, in which Mbappe took a header to the face at point-blank range.

While the ball didn’t hit his nose directly, it did cause the mask to hit into his nose, as the announcers noted.

Mbappe was visibly shaken and in pain as he lay on the ground after the hit, but he was able to brush it off and remain in the game.

While his streak of avoiding hits to the face ended on Friday, it seems he avoided causing further damage. Still, it will be something to watch if France can advance to the Euro semifinal for the first time since 2016, when it ultimately finished as the runner-up. Les Bleus are looking to win their first Euro since 2000.

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Spain’s blatant handball allowed it to escape Germany in extra time at Euro 2024 and fans lost it

There are questionable calls on the biggest stages in every sport. This one, however, seemed quite obvious.

Spain is onto the semifinals of Euro 2024 after knocking out host country Germany and the 2-1 victory couldn’t have been more dramatic.

After Dani Olmo’s 51st minute goal opened the scoring, Spain was holding on for dear life near the end of regulation when Germany’s Florian Wirtz came up with an incredible equalizer in the 89th minute, just sneaking the ball off the post and in.

That sent the game to extra time where chaos awaited.

In the 106th minute, Germany’s Jamal Musiala had a perfect look on target from the top of the goal box only for Spain’s Marc Cucurella hand to completely change the trajectory of Musiala’s shot.

It sure looked like an obvious hand ball. The referees disagreed and the two sides played on.

The non-call itself is questionable enough on its own. Yet it looked much worse not long after as Mikel Merino scored the go-ahead goal in the 119th minute to stun the tournament hosts.

Germany, considered one of the favorites to win the Euros, will now have to watch another country lift the trophy on their home soil. And they may have a legitimate case against the referees for their exit.

In any case, it’s an absolute shame that such a thrilling match may ultimately be remembered for what didn’t occur than what did.

Fans certainly won’t be forgetting the officiating any time soon as Spain awaits the winner between Portugal and France in the semis.

 

Huge blow for Spain as Pedri taken off injured early vs. Germany

The 21-year-old took a knee-to-knee challenge from Toni Kroos early in the quarterfinal

Spain suffered a major blow early in its Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Germany, as Pedri limped off with an injury just eight minutes into the match.

The playmaker took a knee-to-knee challenge from Toni Kroos just three minutes in, sending him crashing to the turf in Stuttgart on Friday.

Spain medics came onto the pitch to examine the 21-year-old, but it became quickly apparent that he would not be able to continue.

RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo was sent onto the pitch in place of Pedri, who could only slowly limp off as he buried his face in his hands.

Olmo did make the most of his chance, scoring Spain’s first goal in a match it would eventually win 2-1 after a last-minute Mikel Merino goal in extra time.

Pedri has started three of Spain’s four matches at Euro 2024 thus far, providing one assist.

The winner of Spain’s match against Germany will face the winner of France’s game against Portugal in the semifinal.

Watch Kroos challenge on Pedri

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