Category: Football

For English football fans, not only was the clock striking midnight on the 31st December to mark the start of a New Year, it was the beginning of a year with a major international tournament. The European Championship will once again return in Summer 2024, in a tournament that will attract the best talent across Europe. The tournament will take place in Germany this year and after such agony in 2021’s final (Euro 2020), England fans will be keen to see their team redeem themselves.

Heartbreak in 2021 saw England’s hands slip from the trophy after defeat in the final to Italy. Having been 1-0 up courtesy of an early Luke Shaw goal, Leonardo Bonucci levelled things up in the 67th minute.

The teams were inseparable after extra time and it was England’s archenemy, penalties, that saw them prolong their wait for another trophy. However, 3 years on from the disappointment in Euro 2020, can Gareth Southgate spur his men on to triumph in 2024? If so, what might their route to victory be if they are to go all the way? We take a look at all of England’s possible routes to the final.

When do England begin their tournament?

England will commence their Euro campaign when they face Serbia on the 16th June. Other teams in their group include Denmark and Slovenia who they will play on the 20th and 25th June. A relatively difficult group with Denmark being the most difficult challenge.

England were victorious over the Danes in the 2021 semi-final and will hope to repeat the outcome albeit at an earlier stage in the tournament. Although it is a difficult group, without any disasters, England should progress comfortably to the knockout stages.

What if England were to go through as group winners?

If England were to win their group they would go on to play the 3rd placed team in group D/E/F and if all results go according to the world rankings they would play Austria, Romania or Turkey.

Based on the rankings the Three Lions would then go on to play Italy, then France in the semi-finals and then Spain for a chance at European Glory.

Obviously, the likelihood of England following this route is slim as it is all based on ranking, however, if it were to happen England would have to beat two sides who have both caused heartache in the last 4 years; France having knocked them out of the 2022 World Cup after a Harry Kane penalty miss. How will your nerves be over the course of these two games if they were to pan out like this?

Spain, who were crowned 2023 Nations League Champions, are another team to be reckoned with. If England were to go through as group winners, they’d arguably have the most difficult route to the final.

What if they were to go through as group runners-up?

If England finish second in group C and all of the other results go with the world rankings England would face Germany in the round of 16, then Spain, the Netherlands in the semis and then battle it out with the French in the final. Another road to the final that will certainly not be easy but perhaps a one that England will feel they can be successful in.

After victory over the Germans in the round of 16 at Wembley in Euro 2020 they will be confident that they can repeat this feat, however, Thomas Muller’s infamous 1-on-1 miss in that game warns us just how dangerous they can be.

England have only faced the Netherlands three times in the last ten years, with the most recent game all the way back in 2019. It resulted in a 3-1 defeat as England crashed out in the semi-finals of the Nations League. England could face them in another semi-final with arguably a lot more at stake. Will they be able to get the better of them this time around?

What about if England were one of the four best third-placed sides?

If England finished third in their group, it wouldn’t necessarily mean they were going home. The four best third-placed teams in each group will progress to the round of 16 based on their points in the group stage. If England were to do this they would face the winner of Group F or Group E, groups that include Belgium and Portugal.

Perhaps if they were to finish third, they would arguably receive an easier round of 16 draw. With that said, Southgate will be keen for his team to finish as group winners convincingly and send a statement out to the other countries as well as his critics.

So can England finally get their hands on the major trophy they have been longing for for almost 60 years? What route do you think they will take to the final and which would you prefer?

In possibly England’s biggest opportunity for a major tournament yet, the whole nation will be excited to see how they get on. Fancy watching England in their Euro 2024 preparations? Watch the Three Lions take on Brazil and Belgium from the best seats in the house with Engage Hospitality.

Which players will be picked for Southgate’s side?

Gareth Southgate is set to unveil his preliminary squad selection immediately after the end of the Premier League season, with only a handful of weekends remaining in the club football calendar. As players battle for their spots, the competition for the 26 available places is intense.

Certain seasoned players, such as England’s No.1 Jordan Pickford and Manchester City’s defensive duo John Stones and Kyle Walker, are almost guaranteed their spots. Three Lions captain Harry Kane aims to make a comeback after missing the March internationals due to injury.

Phil Foden’s stellar performances for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have likely ensured his inclusion in the England squad this summer. However, he faces stiff competition from world class attacking stars like Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, among others.

Rice, Chilwell, Ramsdale, Maguire, Palmer, Rashford and Toney are just a few other names predicted to secure their spot and have the opportunity to achieve European glory this year.

We are unlikely to see Reece James, who is regarded as one of the world’s best full-backs make an appearance, due to lack of consistent fitness. Raheem Sterling, who was one of England’s star players at Euro 2020, has not been involved in recent camps and is not a part of Southgate’s preferred formation. Although his recent form has shown signs of promise, he is unlikely to feature now.

Southgate is scheduled to reveal his training squad on Tuesday, May 21st.

The FA Cup third round is arguably the biggest weekend in the English football calendar. While the cup may have lost some of its magic in recent years, football fans up and down the country would have spent last week dreaming of seeing their side triumph in the final at Wembley in May.

Manchester City are looking to defend their crown having beaten rivals Manchester United last season on their way to an historic treble. But after beating Huddersfield, they face a tough test in the next round, which could open up the competition for everybody else.

Arsenal fall at the first hurdle

Having won the competition a record 14 times, Arsenal were targeting their first major trophy since 2020 in this year’s FA Cup. But they faced a hard task at home to Liverpool in the third round.

In a cruel twist of fate, the draw meant that one of the big hitters had to see their journey end before it began. And at half-time of this clash, you’d have been forgiven for condemning Liverpool to an early exit, with Arsenal dominating the tie.

Yet an own goal from Jakub Kiwior followed by a late Luis Diaz strike saw the Gunners bow out in the third round for the second time in three years. Liverpool last won the competition in 2022 and they’ll fancy their chances of going all the way after being dealt a home tie against Norwich or Bristol Rovers in the next round.

Elsewhere, Newcastle travelled to fierce rivals Sunderland in one of the most-anticipated ties of the weekend. The pair have endured differing fortunes in recent years. Sunderland spent several years languishing in League One while Newcastle have tasted Champions League football this season following their takeover.

But despite the anticipation, it was a routine 3-0 win for Newcastle, with Sunderland unable to lay a glove on them. The Magpies face Fulham in the next round and after narrowly missing out in last season’s Carabao Cup final, they’ll be desperate to secure their first piece of silverware of the new era.

While the FA Cup third round famously throws up giant-killings, there weren’t many shock results over the weekend. Championship side Bristol City will be confident of knocking West Ham out after forcing a replay following their 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.

Meanwhile, Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Luton Town will also have to try again having drawn with lower league opposition.

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Opportunity knocks in the fourth round

The fourth round draw has been made and with Arsenal already out, we’re set to see another couple of the tournament’s big sides exit the competition, which is welcome news to any side that has ambitions of going all the way.

Manchester City continued where they left off last season by strolling past Huddersfield in a 5-0 thrashing. Pep Guardiola’s side were rewarded with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round after the north London outfit saw off Burnley.

Meanwhile, eight-time winners Chelsea also face a tough test as they welcome Premier League surprise package Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. The Blues put on a second-half masterclass to ease past Preston 4-0, while Unai Emery’s Villa just about edged past Middlesbrough.

Newport and Eastleigh will lock horns again in a replay following a 1-1 draw and both sides will be desperate to progress. The winner of the tie faces a mouth-watering clash at home to Manchester United, who survived a potential banana skin to see off Wigan Athletic on Monday night.

Maidstone United are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and they face a tricky test away at Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town. And media darlings Wrexham will need to find another big performance in order to win at Blackburn Rovers.

We need to talk about replays

While there will be no replays in this season’s FA Cup from the fifth round, teams that draw in the third and fourth round have to meet again to determine who progresses. In fact, eight of the ties from last weekend are set to be replayed next week.

Replays are a great tradition of the competition and there’s no doubt that they’re incredible money-spinners for smaller sides. Should Newport or Eastleigh manage to draw with United later this month, the gate receipts from a return game at Old Trafford would transform the club.

Yet with a fixture schedule that’s already bursting at the seams, it’s about time there was some realism when it comes to forcing teams to play extra matches. One realistic option would be to give clubs a choice prior to the game what their preference would be should the game finish level.

It’s beneficial financially for smaller clubs to want a replay and that’s completely fine. But there are many instances where some clubs may prefer to settle the tie on the day. Crystal Palace travel to Everton next week, while Wolves face Brentford, and if you asked the players, coaches and fans of each club, it’s likely that the majority of them would rather not have the extra fixture.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has faced criticism this week for complaining about fixture congestion ahead of his side’s trip to Molineux. But it’s a fair point and in a season that has seen an unusually high number of injuries across the board, having extra matches just for the sake of it hardly seems worth it.

Two years on from Senegal’s triumph in 2021, the Africa Cup of Nations returns, with countries all over the African continent battling out for the prized trophy. Hosted by Ivory Coast this year, the 2023 competition promises to be an exciting one. However, unlike the European Championships played in the summer, AFCON is played midway through the Premier League campaign causing headaches for many clubs who lose players called up to international duty. So which key players are Premier League clubs losing in this year’s tournament?

Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian superstar will once again be called up for the African tournament leaving Liverpool without their star player and the league without the top goalscorer. Salah has scored 14 goals and grabbed 8 assists in the Premier League so far this season, playing a pivotal role in Liverpool’s position at the top of the table.

His absence could be a huge blow to the Reds’ title hopes, especially if Egypt make the final as Salah would miss four Premier League games. Liverpool will also be affected by the Asian Cup with the loss of Wataru Endo to Japan. The defensive midfielder has been a key player for Jurgen Klopp and will also be another big miss in their fight for the title.

Similarly, Tottenham will also lose Heung-Min Son to the Asia Cup as he will be called up for South Korea. Ange Postecoglou will also be without regular starters Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr as they are called up to AFCON for Mali and Senegal. With Spurs very much in the title race, you can’t help but wonder how losing three key players will affect them and their good run of form having won four of their last five games.

Nottingham Forest will take the biggest hit out of the Premier League clubs as they will lose six key players to AFCON when the tournament starts on the 13th January. After the departure of manager Steve Cooper and the appointment of former Wolves and Spurs manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, they have been in good form.

Wins away at Newcastle and at home to Manchester United have seen them move 5 points clear of the relegation zone. With that said, could the loss of Willy Boly, Serge Aurier and other senior players be detrimental to their survival hopes allowing the teams around them to catch them up?

With Manchester City being the only team in the current top 6 to not have any first team players involved in either competition, could this give Pep Guardiola’s side a chance to fight back after a poor start to the season?

The Citizens have been in unusually disappointing form this campaign dropping points to seven teams including Wolves, Crystal Palace and Chelsea. The task at hand for Guardiola seems a big one this season, however, only 5 points off the top spot with a game in hand, AFCON may give them that chance to close the gap.

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In the battle for European places, West Ham may have their hopes of another European adventure dented as they see two players depart who have played vital roles in their success so far this season. The Irons are currently 6th in the league but will be without Mohammed Kudus and Nayef Aguerd as the pair travel to their respective countries for international duty.

Kudus has scored 6 goals for the London side and Aguerd will be a huge defensive miss for David Moyes. The departure of both players could see West Ham struggle to match the pace of the other sides challenging for Europe.

With up to 46 Premier League players expected to be missing due to AFCON as well as several others attending the Asia Cup, how badly will it affect clubs? It may benefit some teams who have less absentees while for others it may give the opportunity for new stars to step up and make a name for themselves. Want to find out how the Premier League will be affected by the two tournaments? Watch it live from the best seats in the house with Engage Hospitality.

As we edge towards the busy Christmas period, Arsenal are the stars on top of the Premier League tree. Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t quite as free-flowing in attack as they were last year but they’re starting to grind out results.

The summer signing of Declan Rice has added a new dimension to their midfield and the England international was instrumental in their 1-0 win over title rivals Manchester City back in October.

However, there are concerns about their firepower up top and the fitness of Gabriel Jesus is an issue. There’s every chance they’ll fade away towards the end of the season again and they’ve got a tricky run of fixtures on the horizon, with games against Aston Villa, Brighton and Liverpool coming up.

City are just a point behind the Londoners but they haven’t quite been at their exhilarating best despite the continued goalscoring form of Erling Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne has been a huge miss in midfield, alongside John Stones who has been limited to just a few appearances.

The champions have drawn their last two games, following up a thrilling 4-4 draw at Chelsea by picking up a point at home to Liverpool. Defeats to Arsenal and Wolves will have disappointed Pep Guardiola and while they remain the favourites to defend their crown, a couple of injuries could derail their campaign.

Liverpool are sitting pretty in third and are looking to bounce back from a disappointing fifth-place finish last time out. They’ve looked strong so far, with summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai providing a much-needed presence in midfield.

Their only defeat came in controversial circumstances against Tottenham but they have been guilty of throwing away cheap points, most notably in a shock 1-1 draw at newly-promoted Luton.

Can Aston Villa make the Champions League?

Rewind a month or so and all the talk was about Tottenham mounting a title challenge despite losing Harry Kane over the summer. Ange Postecoglou has reinvented the north London side into a fearless, attacking machine.

Yet a few poor results has seen them fall away in recent weeks, with injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven leaving them short. They’re still within touching distance of the leading pack but they’re on a run of three consecutive defeats, including at the weekend against top-four rivals Aston Villa.

Villa are the season’s surprise package and have been imperious since Unai Emery took charge just over a year ago. The Spaniard is getting the best out of Ollie Watkins, whose seven Premier League goals has earned him a recall to the England squad.

It remains to be seen how they’ll cope when the Europa Conference League knockout stage starts but with a solid defence and a prolific attack, they’ve got all the ingredients to maintain their promising start.

Despite appearing to be in a constant crisis, Manchester United are just six points off the top of the league. Erik ten Hag’s side have won three on the bounce but they face a tricky run, with Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool to come in their next four.

The battle to beat the drop

Before the season started, you’d be forgiven for writing off Luton and even suggesting they were in danger of breaking Derby County’s infamous points record. And while the Hatters have hardly set the world alight, they’ve been anything but pushovers.

Last year’s play-off winners earned their first ever home Premier League win at the weekend as they saw off Crystal Palace to add to previous good results against Everton and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Everton find themselves in the bottom three following their 10-point deduction. While many people still expect them to be fine, they still need to get the results and keeping Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit could be key to their survival.

While Luton have made themselves tough to beat, the same can’t be said of their fellow promoted sides. Sheffield United and Burnley have struggled to adapt and have won just once each so far.

Will Haaland win another Golden Boot?

There are no prizes for guessing which two players lead the way in the race for the Golden Boot. Last year’s winner Haaland tops the charts with 14 goals from his first 13 games. Just behind the Norwegian on 10 is three-time winner Mohamed Salah.

It seems unlikely that the pair will be caught, with Son Heung-min and Jarrod Bowen on eight, while Watkins and Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan are on seven.

Also on seven are Newcastle duo Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak. The pair have both struggled with fitness this season, which adds to the Magpies’ injury woes. Despite their packed medical room, Eddie Howe’s side are only five points off the Champions League spots and will fancy their chances of repeating last season’s heroics.

Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the sole bidder to host the Men’s FIFA World Cup in 2034, making it all but a formality that there will be a second World Cup in the Gulf within 12 years.

Australia opted not to submit a bid to host the tournament just hours before FIFA’s deadline for declarations of interest, which was last Tuesday.

Saudi’s Investment Pays Dividends for World Cup Bid

The anticipation of a World Cup taking place in Saudi Arabia has been a long-held expectation, given the country’s substantial investments in sports in recent years, which have consistently pointed toward this significant milestone.

For those who have been closely following Saudi Arabia’s transformative influence in the world of golf via the innovative LIV Series, it’s increasing prominence as a host for top-tier boxing events, and it’s disruptive impact on the global football transfer market, the realization of this World Cup opportunity shouldn’t come as a major surprise.

With the country now almost certain to host the tournament in eleven years, there is a possibility that it may become even more contentious than Qatar’s hosting in the previous year. Concerns encompass a wide range of issues, including human rights worries, FIFA’s management of the bidding process, potential disruptions to the sporting calendar, and the impact on player well-being due to the likely need for another winter World Cup to avoid extreme summer temperatures.

The potential for disruption could surpass that of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with an expanded 48-team format and the necessity for substantial infrastructure development, there are fears around sustainability too. Even though Saudi Arabia boasts a richer footballing history compared to Qatar, attendances at most of the Pro League clubs have declined during the current season.

However, regardless of the actual intentions of Saudi Arabia’s leadership, their unopposed bid for the 2034 World Cup will heighten scrutiny of FIFA’s procedures and decision-making. Some observers have expressed reservations that this result may have been deliberately orchestrated, creating an effective fait accompli in a deal marked by a lack of transparency and accountability.

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Looking Ahead to the World Cup in 2026 & 2030

The 2026 World Cup will take place from June to July and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico and the US. The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994.

The upcoming tournament will mark the introduction of an expanded format featuring 48 teams, a significant increase from the previous 32-team setup. The United 2026 bid successfully prevailed over a competing bid by Morocco in the final vote held at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow. Notably, this tournament will be the first since 2002 to be jointly hosted by multiple nations.

The FIFA World Cup is set to undergo a significant transformation by featuring 48 teams for the first time. This expansion represents an increase of 16 teams compared to the previous seven tournaments. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of 4 teams. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a new round of 32. The expansion was officially approved by the FIFA Council on March 14^th 2023, marking the first alteration of its kind since 1998.

Now looking at the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the 24^th edition of the tournament is a significant milestone, celebrating the centennial of the World Cup competition. It will also introduce a novel approach to hosting, with three countries spanning two continents taking on the responsibility. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will jointly host the event.

Furthermore, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will participate as nations that kick off the tournament, in a special tribute to the 100th anniversary of the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay. This competition will represent a return to Africa, which last hosted in 2010, South America, which last hosted in 2014, and Europe, which last hosted in 2018.

The announcement of the 2030 addition has generated criticism from various quarters, including fans, football officials, and environmental organisations. These critics have raised concerns about the considerable distance between South America and Europe, which would necessitate extensive air travel. This, in turn, could significantly increase the tournament’s carbon footprint and potentially undermine FIFA’s carbon-neutral initiatives.