Football

Euro 2024, set to commence in Germany on June 14, promises to be a captivating spectacle, with France and England emerging as the frontrunners among a formidable field of contenders. The tournament will unfold across 10 magnificent stadiums in Germany, a nation renowned for its football passion.Unlike the previous Euros, which were dispersed across the continent and marred by pandemic restrictions, this edition will offer a unified experience for fans. The setting will evoke memories of the unforgettable 2006 World Cup, which Germany hosted and where they re-established themselves as a footballing powerhouse.Despite concerns about security and transportation, the hope is that Euro 2024 will be remembered for its sporting brilliance. Italy, the reigning champions, will be eager to defend their title, while Germany, despite recent setbacks, remains a formidable force with a talented squad.France, ranked as Europe's top team, boasts an exceptional roster led by Kylian Mbappe. They are determined to capture their first European Championship since 2000. England, too, harbors high hopes, carrying the weight of never having won the Euros. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are key players who could propel them to glory.Other contenders include Portugal, led by the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, and Belgium and the Netherlands. However, the tournament will also feature underdogs like Ukraine, Albania, and Georgia, adding diversity and intrigue to the competition.With a month of thrilling football ahead, Euro 2024 promises to be a captivating spectacle that will showcase the best of European football.

Olivier Giroud, France's all-time leading goalscorer, has announced his retirement from international football after the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. The 37-year-old striker, who has scored 57 goals in 131 appearances for Les Bleus, made the announcement in an interview with L'Equipe.Giroud, who will join MLS side Los Angeles FC after Euro 2024, said it was time for the younger generation to take over. "To be honest, this will be my last tournament with France," he said. "Obviously I will miss it a lot. But I believe as regards 'Les Bleus', it will be game over after Euro. It is time to leave the stage to the young."Giroud broke Thierry Henry's national goalscoring record of 51 at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, where France lost to Argentina on penalties in the final. He also played a key role in France's 2018 World Cup triumph.Despite his success at international level, Giroud has never won the Premier League title, a fact he acknowledged in his interview. "If I triumph in the Euro, I can say that I won everything apart from the Premier League, which is very difficult to win," he said.Giroud began his career at Montpellier, where he inspired the club to the 2012 Ligue 1 title. He then moved to Arsenal, where he won three FA Cups, before joining Chelsea, where he won the FA Cup again and the Champions League. He moved to AC Milan in 2021 and won the Serie A title in 2022.Giroud believes he still has two years left in his club career, but he feels that his time with the French national team has come to an end. "I still think I have two years in me, but for the France team in my opinion it has come to an end," he said. "Time is beginning to catch up with me and I have thought about it long and hard. Playing every three days is becoming more and more difficult, especially at international level."

Florian Wirtz, the 20-year-old German prodigy, etched his name into international football history with a stunning goal that propelled Germany to a 2-0 victory over France in an international friendly on Saturday.Just seven seconds after the opening whistle, Wirtz received the ball from Toni Kroos and unleashed a fierce drive that left French goalkeeper Brice Samba rooted to the spot. The ball flew under the crossbar, setting a new record for the fastest goal in German international history."I don't think anyone understood or realized what was happening," Wirtz said after the match. "We were all quite surprised, but there was obviously a lot of joy. You can't start a match any better."Wirtz's goal came close to equaling the record for the fastest international goal ever, which was set by Lukas Podolski in 2013. However, Christoph Baumgartner's strike for Austria against Andorra earlier on Saturday had already set a new mark of six seconds.Kai Havertz doubled Germany's lead just four minutes into the second half, tapping in a pass from Jamal Musiala. France, despite fielding star striker Kylian Mbappe, struggled to create clear-cut chances and were unable to find a way back into the game.Julian Nagelsmann's Germany side looked the more dangerous throughout the match, with Maximilian Mittelstaedt and Thomas Mueller both denied by fine saves from Samba. France nearly pulled one back in the 88th minute when Mittelstaedt mistimed a clearance, but Antonio Rudiger cleared the ball off the line and VAR ruled the handball to be unintentional."We can obviously be very satisfied," said Kroos. "We've taken some good steps forward, some important steps forward. These are the last few chances for us to get a bit of a feel for Euro 2024. We'll take that with us today."Both teams will continue their preparations for this summer's European Championship, with France facing Chile and Germany hosting the Netherlands on Tuesday.