Top games to watch this week
Friday, July 9
Peru vs Colombia (Copa America Third-Place Playoff)
Saturday, July 10
Brazil vs Argentina (Copa America Final)
El Salvador vs Curacao (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Sunday, July 11
Italy vs England (UEFA Euro 2020 Final)
Portland Thorns vs. Gotham FC (NWSL)
Canada vs Martinique (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
USA vs Haiti (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Monday, July 12
Jamaica vs Suriname (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Costa Rica vs Guadeloupe (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Tuesday, July 13
Qatar vs Panama (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Honduras vs Grenada (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Cerro Porteño vs Fluminense (Copa Libertadores)
Boca Juniors vs Atlético Mineiro (Copa Libertadores)
Sao Paulo vs Racing Club (Copa Libertadores)
Wednesday, July 14
Trinidad & Tobago vs El Salvador (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Curacao vs Mexico (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Velez Sarsfield vs Barcelona
Universidad Católica vs Palmeiras (Copa Libertadores)
Defensa y Justicia vs Flamengo (Copa Libertadores)
River Plate vs Argentinos Juniors (Copa Libertadores)
Thursday, July 15
Haiti vs Canada (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Martinique vs USA (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Olimpia vs Internacional (Copa Libertadores)
What are the must-watch games this week?
Fox Sports wraps up Copa America coverage with Argentina vs Brazil final this Saturday live at 8 p.m. ET
This weekend will see one of the biggest rivalries in international football go down in one of the biggest matches in a major international tournament: the Copa America final. Argentina and Brazil, two of the most successful nations in both South America and the world, will battle it out for the trophy in what should be a thrilling showdown. La Albiceleste booked their ticket after overcoming Colombia in a tricky semi-final penalty shootout while the Selecao beat Peru 1-0. Lionel Messi, who has been the star player of the tournament, is now 90 minutes – possibly even 120 minutes – away from his first major international trophy. Unfortunately, the reigning champions, led by close friend Neymar, stand in their way. Who will clinch the title? This fixture will also be aired on TUDN and Univision, as well as American TV streaming services fuboTV and Sling.
Italy vs England in the Euro 2020 final this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET live on ESPN, TUDN, Univision, fuboTV, Sling, and SiriusXM FC
The Copa America isn't the only major international tournament coming to a wrap this weekend, with the highly-anticipated Euro 2020 final set to take place on Sunday. Italy, one of, if not the, best performers of the tournament, will go head-to-head with England at Wembley for the coveted title. The last two opponents for the Azzurri were not easy, beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals before overcoming Spain in the semis despite La Furia Roja being the better side. The Three Lions, on the other hand, last faced a tough opposition – on paper, at least – in the round of 16, beating Germany 2-0 before brushing aside Ukraine 4-0 in the last eight. Kane and Co's semi-final showdown with Denmark was a tricky one as Southgate's men were forced into extra-time, needing a late penalty to get across the line. After decades of shortcomings, will this be the year the Three Lions bring it home or will the Italians crush the hearts of the English? Tune in to find out.
USMNT and Mexico kick off Gold Cup campaign with Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago showdowns this weekend live on Fox Sports, TUDN, and Univision
The Gold Cup is finally here! Fans of CONCACAF football will get to witness the best of the best from North America, Central America, and the Carribean lock horns for this title. All eyes will be on Mexico and the USA, the colossal giants of this scene, as they both embark on their campaigns this weekend.
El Tri are the reigning champions and will begin their title defense on Saturday against Trinidad and Tobago, with Fox Sports, TUDN, and Univision set to bring this match live to the US screens. The following day will see the Stars and Stripes take to the field, facing Haiti in their opener. The USMNT last won this title in 2017, closely missing out on the 2019 edition after losing 1-0 to Mexico in the final. How will they fare this time around? Fox Sports, TUDN, and Univision will be offering live coverage in the United States for both the English and Spanish-speaking demographics.
Biggest stories of the week
UEFA Euro 2020: Kane matches Gary Lineker's record as England beat Denmark after penalty controversy
England skipper Harry Kane entered the history books yet again for his contribution in Wednesday's clash with Denmark under controversial circumstances. The Tottenham Hotspur striker scored the Three Lions' winning goal - his fourth of the tournament - to equal Gary Lineker's record for the most goals scored in international tournaments by an English player (10). Denmark had taken the lead through Mikkel Damsgaard's sensational free-kick in the 30th minute before the playing field was levelled nine minutes later as a result of Simon Kjaer's own-goal. A questionable extra-time penalty awarded to Raheem Sterling was missed by Harry Kane in the first half of extra-time but the striker reacted quickly to fire home the rebound to snatch the win for his side.
UEFA Euro 2020 Final - England vs Italy stats and facts ahead of title clash
The UEFA Euro 2020 has given fans some exciting moments, and it will all come to an end this Sunday when Italy and England lock horns to decide the winner.
Like with most major European teams, Italy and England have faced each other in different tournaments, and the Azzurri have a slight edge against the Three Lions in both friendly games and competitive matches.
Out of the 27 games played between these teams, the vast majority of them have been friendly games. The first one of those ended in a one-all draw back in 1933. Since that game, England and Italy have played 16 more friendly matches, with each team winning five games and with six draws completing the tally.
Nevertheless, things change when it comes to competitive fixtures, as Italy have won five games during regulation and one more after penalties. Meanwhile, the Three Lions have won three matches against the Azzurri in competitive games, adding one draw to those numbers.
There have been two prior meetings in the European Championship between these teams. The first one came in the 1980 edition, where Italy claimed a one-nil win over England in the group stage. The other one came in the UEFA Euro 2012, and the end result saw Italy claim the victory after a penalty shootout in the tournament's quarter-finals.
Speaking about other major tournaments, Italy also claimed a FIFA World Cup win over the Three Lions in the 1990 World Cup, which was good enough to see the Azzurri claim the third place of the competition.
So, there you have it. For English fans, Sunday's game will give the Three Lions a chance to end one more hoodoo against one of Europe's titans, as they did against Germany earlier in the competition. For the Azzurri, the game could mark a re-birth of Italian football after years of darkness that saw them miss out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Which side will come out on top?
Will Italy or England win the Euro 2020 final?
Diego Maradona Jr becomes manager of Napoli Utd 37 years after father signed for Napoli
As the commonly used expression goes, "Like father, like son". And that well-known utterance has again rang true for Diego Maradona and his namesake son. His son, Diego Jr., hasn't enjoyed the same levels of success as his famous father, but nonetheless also played for the Napoli youth team as well as enjoyed a stint as part of Italy's national beach football team.
Now that the 34-year-old has seemingly hung up his boots, he's turning his attention towards management, with his first position being with Napoli United.
And the unique connection certainly wasn't lost on Napoli United, who play in the Eccellenza division, which is the fifth tier of Italian football. His father signed for the Partenopei on July 4, 1984, and Diego Jr. secured his first post 37 years later - on July 4, 2021.
New stumbling block: Mbappe demands illegal clause in PSG contract negotiations
PSG are still locked in contract negotiations with Kylian Mbappe, with the French sensation having entered the final year of his Parc des Princes deal. The Ligue 1 giants are keen on securing an extension before the current transfer window ends but all their attempts have been to no avail so far.
According to reports, Mbappe's desire is clear. While he has no intentions of leaving the French capital on bad terms by forcing an exit, the 2018 World Cup is determined to join Real Madrid, be it this summer or on a Bosman transfer come the summer of 2022. Signing a new contract in order to protect his market value, while agreeing on a clause that would ensure him a move to the Santiago Bernabeu should Los Blancos come calling would be the perfect solution. Kylian, who is currently on holiday after his disappointing Euro 2020 campaign, has this in mind and has thus asked for an exit clause to be included in any new contract in order to protect his wish of one day donning the Merengues shirt.
However, Les Parisiens will not accept such demands, or more accurately, cannot abide by the 22-year-old's wishes. The reason is simple: under article 202 of the French Professional Football League, French clubs are banned from including exit clauses in contracts. This means a gentleman's agreement with the PSG higher-ups is Mbappe's only route, but this would be risky. While the former Monaco sensation enjoys a great relationship with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a gentleman's agreement is not as binding as one on paper, meaning the Qatari executive could always go back on his word.
Mbappe is being advised to leave PSG by former France sensation Anelka
Other key headlines from the world of football
Bale set to retire from club football after contract at Real Madrid ends
According to a report by The Mirror, the Welsh ace has decided to call it quits from his club football career once his deal at Real Madrid comes to an end in 2022. The footballer, about to celebrate his 32nd birthday, does not seem interested in adding more accolades to his successful career, and he would call it quits from club football once the 2021-22 season concludes.
The report states that Bale has spoken to those close to him, including his agent Jonathan Barnett, assuring them that he is not interested in getting a new team once his deal with Los Blancos expires. Nevertheless, and as strange as this could seem, Bale would not retire from football entirely.
The same article suggests that Bale would be keen on playing the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Wales before retiring from football altogether. In order for that plan to work, Bale would need to spend five or six months without a club and ask for FIFA's permission to play in the tournament as a free player. That way, Bale would end his career by leading Wales to their first FIFA World Cup since the 1958 edition.
Roma renew sponsor deal ahead of upcoming 2021/22 campaign
Although Roma haven't been active so far regarding personnel, the Giallorossi, who finished in seventh place and thus will be competing in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Europa Conference League, have been operative in other areas. The Europa Conference League is UEFA's tertiary club competition, ranking behind the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
Whilst they look to hopefully bring in some new faces, Roma have ensured that one of their partnerships will continue for a bit longer. As per sources, the Lupi have opted to extend their sponsorship deal with Hyundai. The capital club and the Korean car manufacturer first linked up ahead of the 2018/2019 season in a deal worth an approximate $3.6 million (€3 million), with the contract lasting for three years through the 2020/2021 term.
Antoine Griezmann loses high-profile sponsorship deal after video backlash
The French star, who was part of France's 2018 World Cup winning squad, continues to find himself in hot water after a leaked video featuring him and teammate Ousmane Dembele hit the airwaves. In it, the duo, who play their club football for Barcelona, were seen laughing and mocking a group of Japanese technicians who had come to fix a TV in their hotel room while the Blaugrana were in Japan in 2019.
Griezmann has since issued a groveling apology, including a personal one to Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten, who are one of Barcelona's chief sponsors. Although the former Atletico man doesn't appear to have actually spoken in the video, he did laugh when Dembele made rude comments about the workers' appearance.
Regardless, Japanese entertainment company Konami, another major sponsor of Barcelona, have decided to cancel their contract with Griezmann. The player had initially been appointed as an ambassador for Yu-Gi-Oh!, a cartoon series and video game produced by Konami, but in light of these recent developments - and certainly pressure from people on social media - they've decided to nullify their agreement.
