World Cup Qualification UEFA news

Barcelona are reportedly planning to block Lamine Yamal from being called up by Spain for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria as the fallout from the forward’s recent groin injury continues. The Blaugrana were incensed after discovering the 18-year-old aggravated a groin issue by taking painkillers to play in his country’s international double header earlier this month.

Florian Thauvin's impressive revival at Lens has earned him a pre-call-up to the French national team for the first time in over six years. The 2018 World Cup winner, who believes he is now a "much more complete" player, is in contention for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers after a journeyman career path.

The Norwegian Football Federation has (NFF) announced that all ticket revenue generated from the World Cup qualifying clash against Israel will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. President Lise Klaveness reflected on the need to contribute to a humanitarian cause amid growing international pressure on Israel.

Spain are attempting to lure Club Brugge prospect Samuel Gomez van Hoogen into pledging his international future to La Roja, despite competition from Belgium and Netherlands. The 19-year-old centre-back, who holds three passports, has yet to make a senior debut in official competition and could follow the same path as Dean Huijsen.

Lamine Yamal was given an injection by the doctors and physiotherapists of the Spanish national team ahead of their World Cup qualifying clash against Turkey as he was experiencing acute lower back pain. The 18-year-old had sustained a minor injury in the sacroiliac region before joining up with the national team but was trusted to play in the international games, sparking fury at Barcelona.

Portugal assistant coach Ricardo Carvalho has opened up on the team's struggle to cope with the tragic death of Diogo Jota, describing the Liverpool forward as a "five-star person." The comments come over two months after Jota and his brother were killed in a car accident, with Carvalho admitting the squad is still processing the loss.

The Spanish football federation has hit back at Barcelona after Hansi Flick accused the national team of ignoring the possibility of Lamine Yamal suffering a potential injury. The teenager will not be available for the game against Valencia, which made Flick furious. However, the Spanish FA has clarified that they conducted all medical checks on Yamal.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has criticised Spain’s handling of Lamine Yamal after revealing the winger took painkillers to play in their World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Turkey. Flick confirmed the teenager will subsequently miss the Blaugrana’s La Liga clash with Valencia on Sunday evening with a groin injury.

Former England international James Beattie has described how unwelcoming the Three Lions’ squad was during its famous golden generation, revealing just four players introduced themselves following his first call-up. Beattie was in the prime of his club career with Southampton when he received the news that he had been called up for England in 2003.

Former Germany star Michael Ballack has backed Florian Wirtz to show his quality at Liverpool, insisting the midfielder's slow start is nothing to worry about.

Thomas Tuchel has warned England’s star players that their reputations will not guarantee them a place in his squad for the 2026 World Cup. After a 5-0 qualifying win over Serbia, the German coach praised the emerging talent in the nation and vowed to make “brave decisions” to keep competition high and ensure balance in the Three Lions squad.

Cristiano Ronaldo told a fan to “f*ck off”, claims a lip-reading expert, after shoving the selfie-hunting supporter out of his personal space.

Cristiano Ronaldo has promised Dominik Szoboszlai to give him his shirt after the Liverpool midfielder missed out on swapping jerseys with his idol in Hungary’s World Cup qualifier defeat to Portugal. Szoboszlai, who has admired Ronaldo since childhood, was left disappointed after the Portugal captain had already given away his shirt but received a pledge instead.

Kylian Mbappe has climbed another rung on French football’s ladder of greatness as the Real Madrid sensation etched his name above Thierry Henry by netting his 52nd international goal, becoming France’s second-highest scorer of all time. Only Olivier Giroud now stands between him and the ultimate record.

Harry Kane is closing in on more England history as the Bayern Munich star eclipsed the great Bobby Moore during the Three Lions' victory over Serbia. Kane’s appearance was his 109th in an England shirt, nudging him past World Cup-winning skipper Moore (108) and into fifth place on the list of all-time most-capped players.

England captain Harry Kane struggled to hold back the tears in an emotional speech to Djed Spence after his ex-Tottenham team-mate earned a first Three Lions cap to become the country's first openly Muslim player. The crushing 5-0 victory over Serbia in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night was about far more than the scoreline. For Spence, it was the moment dreams became reality.

Kevin De Bruyne compared Belgium team-mate Malick Fofana to Jeremy Doku but warned the Lyon star he must reach a higher level.