Top games to watch this week
Friday, June 11
Japan vs Serbia (International Friendly)
Turkey vs Italy (UEFA Euro 2020)
Saturday, June 12
Ghana vs Côte d'Ivoire (International Friendly)
Wales vs Switzerland (UEFA Euro 2020)
Denmark vs Finland (UEFA Euro 2020)
Belgium vs Russia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Haiti vs Canada (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Mexico vs Honduras (International Friendly)
Sunday, June 13
England vs Croatia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Austria vs North Macedonia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Netherlands vs Ukraine (UEFA Euro 2020)
Brazil vs Venezuela (Copa America)
Colombia vs Ecuador (Copa America)
Monday, June 14
Scotland vs Czech Republic (UEFA Euro 2020)
Poland vs Slovakia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Spain vs Sweden (UEFA Euro 2020)
Argentina vs Chile (Copa America)
Paraguay vs Bolivia (Copa America)
Tuesday, June 15
Hungary vs Portugal (UEFA Euro 2020)
France vs Germany (UEFA Euro 2020)
Canada vs Haiti (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Wednesday, June 16
Finland vs Russia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Turkey vs Wales (UEFA Euro 2020)
Italy vs Switzerland (UEFA Euro 2020)
Thursday, June 17
Ukraine vs North Macedonia (UEFA Euro 2020)
Denmark vs Belgium (UEFA Euro 2020)
Netherlands vs Austria (UEFA Euro 2020)
Colombia vs Venezuela (Copa America)
Brazil vs Peru (Copa America)
What are the must-watch games this week?
Turkey vs Italy kicks off Euro 2020 this Friday at 3 p.m. live on ESPN, TUDN, and Univision
Euro 2020 is finally here! After an unfortunate one-year postponement due to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, the highly-regarded tournament is about to kick off, with Friday's interesting clash between Turkey and Italy getting things underway. After enduring a demise on the international stage, the Azzurri are back at their best and ready to compete for silverware under the helm of former Man City boss Roberto Mancini. The four-time World Cup winners haven't lost once in their last 27 outings, an unbeaten run that stretches back to September 2018, and haven't conceded a single goal since last October. However, Italy have won this tournament only once before and their first opponent in their bid to end their 53-year wait for a European Championship title will be Turkey, the high-flying nation regarded by many as the true underdogs of Euro 2020. This fixture will also be aired via streaming television services fuboTV, Sling TV, and VIDGO so make sure to catch the action.
Brazil vs Venezuela kicks off the 2021 Copa America this Sunday at 5 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports, TUDN, and Univision
From a late change of venue to alleged protests from the hosting nation's squad, the 2021 Copa America tournament has undergone tremendous turmoil. Regardless, the prestigious tournament is finally set to kick off this weekend, with Brazil taking on Venezuela live on Fox Sports, TUDN, and Univision in the opening fixture. The Selecao, who are the defending champions, enter this tie on the back of a seven-gaming winning streak while having not lost a single competitive game since their 2018 World Cup quarter-final defeat against Belgium. Given that Brazil, who took on the hosting rights from Argentina, were said to protest the decision to stage the tournament, it will be crucial for them to kick things off with a victory in order to keep morale at a high. Fans can also tune in to this fixture via streaming television services fuboTV, Sling TV, and VIDGO.
Argentina vs Chile this Monday at 5 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports, TUDN, Univision, fuboTV, Sling TV, and VIDGO
Argentina get their 2021 Copa America campaign underway with a clash against Chile, the team that dealt them heartbreak in the two finals they lost in 2015 and 2016. La Albiceleste no longer have the home advantage, with the hosting rights being passed on to Brazil, but the pressure to perform will be on the two-time World Cup champions nonetheless. Their 28-year wait for silverware rambles on, with Argentina's last title being their Copa America success back in 1993. Can Messi lead his nation to the crown and get his hands on his first international trophy? Victory over La Roja, who they recently drew 1-1 with in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, would be the perfect way to start.
France vs Germany this Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET live on ESPN, TUDN, Univision, fuboTV, Sling TV, and VIDGO
France, one of – if not the – favorites to win Euro 2020, embark on their European Championship campaign with a highly-anticipated showdown with fellow continental powerhouse Germany. Les Bleus will reignite their rivalry with the Germans on Tuesday in a crucial fixture as they find themselves in the Group of Death. Not only will the World Cup holders battle it out with die Mannschaft for the top spot, but France have also been grouped up with the defending champions of Europe, Portugal. As a result, neither side can afford to drop points here. Joachim Low, who will be stepping down as the national team boss after this tournament, has welcomed back Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller to the squad so it will be interesting to see whether Germany's experienced internationals can guide their talented young players back to form.
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International break is among us, and there is not much going on in the women's football realm other than international friendlies and transfer moves. Let us dive into what is trending now in women's football.
Summer Series broadcast schedule
The 2021 Summer Series is a friendly women's international tournament that will take place in Texas from Thursday, June 10, through Wednesday, June 16.
The four-team exhibition tournament features two CONCACAF nations – the USA and Jamaica – a UEFA team – Portugal – and a CAF representative – Nigeria. Portugal and Nigeria will each play two games, and the pair of CONCACAF teams will each play three games.
The 2021 Summer Series will kick off on Thursday, June 10, at 5:30 p.m. ET, when Jamaica and Nigeria step on BBVA Stadium in Houston, Texas. Opening day will conclude with hosts, the USA, taking on Portugal at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The USWNT will face Nigeria on the final day of the tournament and will be the first time in history the two nations meet in a friendly. These two teams will be the firsts to play in Austin FC's new home ground, Q2 Stadium.
Jamaica vs. Nigeria – June 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET
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NA
USA vs. Portugal – June 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET
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FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com (paywall: FuboTV, SlingTV, Vidgo)
Portugal vs. Nigeria – June 13 at 7 p.m. ET
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NA
USA vs. Jamaica – June 13 at 10 p.m. ET
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FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com (paywall: FuboTV, SlingTV, Vidgo)
USA vs. Nigeria – June 16 at 9 p.m. ET
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ESPN2, WatchESPN (paywall: FuboTV, SlingTV, Vidgo)
Top women's football transfers
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Forward Eva Navarro extended her contract with Levante for one more year despite being heavily linked with Real Madrid.
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Racing Louisville signed French league champion Nadia Nadim from PSG. The Danish international will return to the NWSL and wear Racing's No. 10 jersey until 2023. The 33-year-old plans to complete her education to become a doctor, specializing in reconstructive surgery.
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French international Gaetane Thiney signed for NJ/NY Gotham FC on a season-long loan. The 35-year-old forward joins from Paris FC on a season-long loan.
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Manager Joe Montemurro officially joined Juventus on June 8.
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OL Reign signed USWNT defender Alana Cook from Paris Saint-Germain. The contract runs through 2023.
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The Houston Dash signed Tigres UANL star Maria Sanchez on a one-month loan.
Biggest stories of the week
Dortmund rejects Man Utd's opening bid for Jadon Sancho
Manchester United have reportedly had a first official bid for Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho rejected by the Bundesliga club. According to multiple news sources, an offer of €78M ($94.9M) from the Red Devils on Thursday was turned down by Die BVB who are holding out for €90M ($109.6) + €5M ($6.1M) in add-ons.
Last summer, United spent the majority of transfer window trying to secure the service of the English winger but had their attempts fall through after the two parties failed to agree on a fee. At the moment, things are looking promising for the deal to be done, with the forward already agreeing personal terms with the Premier League giants. It is believed that an agreement is not far away and the transfer could be completed before the conclusion of the Euro 2020.
PSG issue defiant message regarding Mbappe's future amid Real Madrid interest
PSG have unfortunately found their name in the headlines as Kylian Mbappe's future continues to dominate the news. The reason is obvious: the Frenchman is one of the deadliest attackers in world football and with his contract ending in a year's time, Europe's biggest clubs have their eyes set on acquiring him.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with the 22-year-old as Los Blancos are on the lookout for a talisman attacker to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo. However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has issued a defiant message to all those looking to pry Mbappe away from the Parc des Princes.
The PSG executive spoke to L'Equipe and touched on the issue of Kylian's future, publicly clarifying that their talisman forward is not for sale. The Qatari executive went on to add that the player won't be leaving the club for free but did not elaborate how he intends to prevent this from happening given that there is only one year remaining on his contract.
"I will be clear," Al-Khelaifi told L'Equipe. "Mbappe is going to stay in Paris.
"We will never sell I'm and he will never leave on a free [transfer]. Mbappe has everything he needs in Paris.
"Where can he go? What club, in terms of ambition, can compete with PSG today?
"All I can say is that things are going well, and I hope we can reach an agreement [on a new contract]. This is Paris, this is his country. He has a mission, not only to play football, but to promote Ligue 1, his country and his capital."
Mbappe will be going nowhere, says the president of PSG
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The 2020/21 Premier League Player and Young Player of the Season revealed
Having lifted the English top-flight title by a commendable 12-point advantage, Man City enjoyed a clean sweep with the Premier League end-of-season awards, winning the Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season, and Manager of the Season accolades.
The Player of the Season recipient was none other than Ruben Dias, the recently-signed center-back who was at the heart of the Cityzens' impressive Premier League campaign. Dias also played a vital role in Man City's Carabao Cup success and put in stellar displays in the UEFA Champions League semi-final victory over PSG despite losing the final 1-0 to Chelsea. The aforementioned was enough to see him beat out Harry Kane, the Premier League Golden Boot winner, to the prize as well as Man Utd's Bruno Fernandes, Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Chelsea's Mason Mount, West Ham's Tomas Soucek, and fellow Etihad Stadium ace Kevin de Bruyne.
As for the Young Player of the Season award, that too went to a Man City man, with Phil Foden racking up the accolade. Having patiently waited for his opportunity in Pep's starting eleven, the young Englishman's moment to shine finally came this term, scoring nine goals and registering five assists in 28 appearances. Speaking of Guardiola, the Spaniard was named the Premier League Manager of the Season, completing the Cityzens clean sweep. He saw off competition from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Marcelo Bielsa, David Moyes, and Brendan Rodgers after comfortably lifting the league title. Tottenham's Erik Lamela was also honored for his audacious rabona goal against Arsenal in the North London Derby, being awarded the 2020/21 Premier League Goal of the Season.
Pep named the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Season (pic courtesy of Barclays Football)
Other key headlines from the world of football
France: Olivier Giroud closes in on Thierry Henry's all-time goalscoring record
Against Wales, Giroud found the back of the net from the bench after Benzema had missed a penalty early on and, once again, he backed up his claim for the No.9 spot with two goals in the 3-0 win over Bulgaria. The Chelsea man's first goal came in the 83rd minute where he had to simply redirect Benjamin Pavard's cross past the opposition goalkeeper. Right on the 90th minute mark, he was set up for a simple tap-in by Wissam Ben Yedder to take his side's advantage to three.
With his 45th and 46th international goals, Olivier Giroud went within five goals of equaling Thierry Henry's all-time haul for the French national team. The Arsenal legend scored 51 times in 123 appearances for Les Bleus.
Copa América, UEFA Euro, and International Friendlies, live on TUDN
TUDN, the home for football in the United States, will give fans some of the best entertainment this summer with their coverage of the top national team competitions around the globe. Added to that, the Spanish-speaking network will broadcast a number of interesting friendlies to increase their offer on all of their platforms and channels.
The first competition that will be aired by TUDN is the UEFA Euro, starting with the opening game between Turkey and Italy. Games from Euro 2020 will be available on TUDN, Univisión, and PrendeTV, the network's free streaming platform.
Next up, TUDN will offer detailed coverage of the 2021 Copa América, which will begin with the showdown between Brazil and Venezuela, followed up by the Colombia vs Ecuador clash. Univisión, TUDN, UniMás, and Prende TV will cover the competition.
Pogba comes clean about exit rumors amid Paris Saint-Germain links
Speaking in a press conference ahead of France's opening game in the UEFA Euro 2020, the midfielder referred to his contractual situation at Old Trafford. While he tried to divert the question, he dropped a hint about how things could go down in the coming few weeks regarding his next move and how the club has not made any attempt to keep him around.
"I have a year left on the contract, everyone knows that. There have been no concrete extension proposals. I am still a Manchester United player," Pogba stated.
When asked further about his future and the possibility of signing a deal with PSG, who have reportedly shown interest in his services, Pogba left any decision about his future to Mino Raiola, his agent. But then again, he refused to commit his future to the English side or the French club.
"Contacts with PSG? I have an agent that deals with all that. I don't have Al-Khelaifi's number," the player added.
