Italy were drawn to face England and Germany in a tough 2022-23 Nations League group on Thursday.

The Azzurri beat England in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley in July and the two sides will do battle again in Group A3 of the Nations League.

They will also face Germany and Hungary home and away in matches that will take place next June and September 2022.

Holders France are in Group A1 along with Croatia, Denmark and Austria.

World champions France were crowned champions when they came from behind to beat Spain 2-1 at San Siro in October.

Spain were drawn in Group A2 and will come up against Portugal, Czech Republic and Switzerland in the third edition of the UEFA competition.

Belgium, who squandered a two-goal lead to lose against France…

And you thought the rivalry would calm down when he moved to Serie A…

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might not be operating in such close proximity any more, but their exploits continue to prompt wonderment and debate over who is the best footballer of their era and all time.

Ronaldo fired an equaliser for Juventus in their 1-1 Derby d Italia draw against Inter on Saturday to bring up his 600th club goal.

Four days later, having already got on the scoresheet in Barcelona s Champions League semi-final with Liverpool, Messi dispatched a stunning free-kick from 30 yards to crown a 3-0 first-leg win for the Blaugrana and reach the same milestone.

Among the numerous parallels of excellence the fellow five-time Ballon d Or winners have thrown up during…

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Turning their attention back to World Cup qualifying duties on Wednesday night, Portugal will welcome Ireland to the Estádio Do Algarve when the September international fixtures get underway.

Portugal

Starting with the hosts, eventually crashing out of this summer s European Championships without making much of a mark, Portugal will be seeking a much-welcomed boost on Wednesday night. Hit with a round of 16 1-0 loss at the hands of Belgium, the Seleção managed to collect just a single win during the whole of their European adventure, a run highlighted by that action-packed 4-2 loss against an inconsistent Germany. However, tipped as a landslide pick to make a return to winning ways in midweek, Head Coach Fernando Santos finds his s…

Harry Kane sits fifth in England s all-time scoring charts, but he could overtake Wayne Rooney s competitive record for the Three Lions against Andorra.

Kane has found the net nine times in 13 appearances in 2021 for Gareth Southgate s men to leave him 12 goals behind Rooney (53) as England s leading scorer.

However, the Tottenham forward has 36 goals to his name in competitive international fixtures – one fewer than Rooney – before the trip to the Estadi Nacional on Saturday.

Kane is also one shy of becoming just the second player to score 10 or more in two separate calendar years for the Three Lions, after Vivian Woodward in 1908 and 1909.

But comparisons between Kane and Rooney are likely to be the focus in the coming months, as the England…

It is finally official. Manchester City will be the new home of Erling Haaland next season after the announcement of an agreement with Borussia Dortmund for the superstar s capture.

Barring an unexpected issue with personal terms, the striker will arrive after two and a half years in the Bundesliga to bring even more firepower to the Premier League champions.

Having flirted with Tottenham s Harry Kane throughout last year s pre-season transfer window without landing their man, City have decided to go down the Haaland route to finally bring in the number nine they have sought since Sergio Aguero left.

Pep Guardiola has told anyone who will listen all season how incredible it is that his team has maintained the standards they have without a striker , which can …

Frank Lampard said Mason Mount would sign a new contract at Chelsea “in an ideal world” but accepted the situation may not be so straightforward for the England midfielder.

The 24-year-old is about to enter the final year of his contract and has been heavily linked with a move away from the club he joined aged six.

The parties have been in talks for much of the season over a new deal but have failed to reach an agreement, and it seems increasingly likely that he will leave with Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly interested.

If no extension is agreed it will mean he is free to begin negotiating with other clubs at the start of next year, but Chelsea could look to sell in the summer to avoid the possibility of the academy graduate leaving on a free tran…

Jack McMillan dropped down a division when he signed for Partick Thistle to get more game time and become a better player, but his goal was always to put that improvement to use back in Scotland’s top flight.

The 25-year-old has already achieved the first part of the plan he made when he left Livingston last summer, his performances in the cinch Premiership play-offs so far being evidence of that.

The right-back has scored three of Thistle’s 16 goals in their four matches to date, the latest a header against Ayr in his 50th appearance of the season.

This week he gets the chance to complete the other half of his target when Thistle take on Ross County for a place in the top division.

McMillan said: “I enjoyed my four years at Livingston, it was a gre…

Chelsea and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger has revealed she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer for a second time and will begin treatment this week.

Berger was initially diagnosed in November 2017 during her time with Birmingham City, but made a full recovery and was subsequently named in the PFA Team of the Year.

However, the 31-year-old said on Tuesday that after four years being cancer-free, a recurrence has been detected in her thyroid.

I ve said before that as a sportsperson, you have to fight every day to be the best you can be and that s something I will continue to do, she said in a statement.

I hope by sharing my journey I can help others that find themselves in a similar situation.

I am working closely with my club doctor…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid tribute to Bruno Fernandes ability to change games for Manchester United, even if the midfielder s exuberance sometimes frustrates his manager.

Fernandes was once again pivotal for United on Saturday as they drew 2-2 at Leicester City, the Portugal international setting up Marcus Rashford for the opener and then scoring the visitors second.

In finding the net, Fernandes became the first Portuguese player to score 10 goals in a single Premier League season since Cristiano Ronaldo did so for the Red Devils in 2008-09.

Since making his Premier League debut in February, Fernandes has had a hand in over half of United s goals (31/60), scoring 18 and setting up a further 13.

Fernandes has quickly made himself indispensable for United a…

The phrase ‘bigger and better’ has become a bit of a cliche, but it is still perhaps the most authentic way of describing the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup at a moment of reckoning in women’s football.

Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting the 2023 edition, which for the first time will feature 32 nations, 20 more than the inaugural 12-team tournament held in China in 1991.

Eight teams – the Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, Zambia, Haiti, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines and Portugal – are making their debuts in a World Cup organisers are hoping will attract a record two billion viewers.

We can t wait to see all of you again soon!

Which nation are you repping for the ?

— FIFA Women s World Cup (@FIFAWWC)

The …