TOP 3 AFTER SATURDAY | #RALLYPOLAND

THE MAFIA HAS MADE PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS 'WORTH MORE THAN COCAINE'

Credit: The World Anti-Doping Agency

On a quiet street in Poland, a group of camouflaged police officers have gathered. They carry machine guns, apart from the man at the front, who is driving a handheld battering ram into an unmarked door.

The lock quickly snaps and the police pour inside. They have entered a laboratory, akin to the underground facility in Breaking Bad where the rogue schoolteacher Walter White cooked up his crystal meth. Yet the powders they are seizing are not recreational drugs, but performance-enhancing ones.

The raid captured on our video was the result of a two-year collaboration between the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and Europol – the European equivalent of Interpol – and it represents a new front in the war against PEDs.

Wada and Polish police raid an organised crime lab making PEDs in Poland

When we think of dopers procuring illicit steroids like boldenone, nandrolone or stanozolol, we usually imagine them sourcing the drugs from a dodgy doctor with a backstreet office: a one-man cottage industry.

Increasingly, though, such substances are being produced in high volume by organised crime gangs: the same sort of clans that might also be involved in gun-running, people-smuggling or money-laundering.

“These groups are very quick in adapting to gaps in the system,” said Günter Younger, a German former policeman who used to be Interpol’s head of drugs, and is now Wada’s director of intelligence and information (I&I).

“What they want is big profit, low sentence and low chance of detection. Which is why PEDs fit perfectly into their portfolio. The profit is the same as dealing in cocaine, or sometimes even bigger. Law enforcement usually is not very interested in doping, so it’s easier to stay out of trouble. And even if you do get caught, you’re likely to get away with a slap on the wrist.”

Günter Younger, using his expertise as Interpol’s former head of drugs, has transformed Wada into a force to be reckoned with - Reuters/Denis Balibouse

As so often in the field of anti-doping, the robbers got off to a flier, leaving the cops flat-footed on the start line. Wada’s research suggests that dozens of steroid labs have sprung up across Europe over the past decade, with Poland, Slovenia and Serbia among the preferred locations. As Younger puts it: “If you have a warehouse with several tons [of PEDs], you look for a country that has a lower legal framework to follow up on this.”

Paradoxically, though, success can be counter-productive in the world of organised crime. The more money the gangs derive from an activity, the more it attracts attention. In this instance, the wheel of detection has started to turn.

Over the past two years, Wada has collaborated with European law enforcement teams to raid 35 labs and confiscate 40 tons of PEDs – a figure which equates to around 800 million individual doses. Warsaw has been at the centre of several operations, as it seems to be a laboratory hotspot, but significant seizures have also been made in Portugal, Greece, Germany and North Macedonia. Thus far, Great Britain has only been tangentially involved.

Wada’s European project was only the first step in a three-phase plan which will move on to Asia and Oceania in 2026, with the final stage planned for Africa and the Americas after that.

The whole process is being steered by Younger: a tall and imposing 58-year-old with a shaved cueball head, whose police career covered a variety of fields from drugs to counterfeit currencies, cyber crime and terrorism. In 2016, he accepted a move from the Bavarian police force to Wada, having previously collaborated with them on the Lance Armstrong case among other scandals. But in his early days in his new office, he found himself hamstrung by his lack of executive power.

“One of my first cases that I had here involved the IBU, the International Biathlon Union, where we got an informant telling us that the former president had been corrupted by the Russians. It was then that I realised that, as a sport organisation, I can only do voluntary interviews. If I speak to you, and you say ‘I’m not comfortable anymore’, I can’t stop you from leaving.

“So my next idea was to reach out to law enforcement from Austria and from Norway, because Mr [Anders] Besseberg [the former IBU president who has since earned a prison sentence for accepting gifts such as watches, hunting trips and the services of prostitutes] is Norwegian. We met at Interpol and this is where my idea of collaboration started from.”

Since Younger’s arrival, Wada’s I&I department has expanded to reach its present figure of 15 employees, around half of whom have backgrounds in law enforcement. For context, Wada’s entire staff approaches 190 people, who are mostly devoted to the testing side of the operation. The organisation’s budget also skews heavily in that direction, with recent surveys suggesting that more than £200m was spent on global testing in 2019, the most up-to-date figures available.

But I&I could be the next potential growth area for the anti-doping industry. While testing is a useful deterrent, it also has its limitations, with fewer than one per cent of samples coming back positive – a ratio which fails to approach most experts’ estimates of actual wrongdoing. The system mostly picks up the less sophisticated cheats, or those who have genuinely fallen foul of accidental contamination – and it is almost impossible to tell one group from the other.

The really big scandals usually emerge via a tip-off, a raid, or an intervention from law enforcement, as we see in the cases of Armstrong, Balco, or the massive Sochi doping operation that was exposed by Russian dissident Grigory Rodchenkov.

Large-scale PED raids can be inefficient in a different way. If you take down a lab, and you gain access to their client list, you might hope to find professional athletes on the spreadsheet. However, Wada has yet to reveal how many anti-doping rule violations have resulted from the 11,500 names it gathered through its European raids. Perhaps it is too early: the process often takes years to finalise. Or maybe we are talking about a different sort of client: weekend warriors searching for an extra edge.

“Personally, I’m not so interested in who the athlete is,” Younger replied, when questioned on this point. “I’m interested in the coach and the doctor who gets the money out of the athletes’ health. Sometimes we learn that – as in Russia – when you want to be in the national team, you have to do what the coach says. If you don’t, then you’re out. So, for me, the bigger criminals are those that exploit the athletes’ health. Also, we find that today’s amateurs are tomorrow’s elite.”

Whether Wada’s operations are picking up Olympic prospects or not, there are other benefits to the process. For one thing, these chemicals are invariably injurious to health. For another, the trade in PEDs is funding some of the most anti-social criminal groups in Europe. And the volume of product being sold is startling.

The trade in PEDs is funding some of the most anti-social criminal groups in Europe

“It’s so easy for organised crime to sell PEDs,” said Younger, “because they can use the clearnet [a technical term for the freely available part of the internet]. You don’t even need to go to the dark web, which is what you have to do to buy a weapon or normal, recreational drugs. Go online and search for PEDs and you’ll see how many websites you get. Because of the size of the industry, we can shut down a guy producing a ton every month, and the market doesn’t even notice.”

In all probability, the 40 tons of PEDs collected by Wada to date represent no more than the tip of the doping iceberg. But as Younger and his team turn their attention to Asia – thus coming into contact with countries like China and India which produce vast quantities of steroids for the medical market – there is a sense of growing momentum behind their work.

“In 2016 especially, we had meetings where law enforcement said, ‘Wada, who is that?’” Younger explained. “Now they’re coming to us. They say, ‘Can you work with us on this case?’ Or ‘Can you identify whether this is a steroid lab?’ We are building a reputation, and we have so many operations going on that we can only focus on the high-level ones. If you have the right people around the table, you can achieve quite a lot.”

- Simon Briggs

USYK PREPARES FOR DUBOIS REMATCH WiTH ALL HEAVYWEIGHT TITLES ON THE LINE

Oleksandr Usyk will face Daniel Dubois in a rematch. (Photo: instagram.com/usykaa)

Ukrainian boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk (23–0, 14 KOs), who currently holds the WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBO heavyweight titles, is set to face off once again against IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois (22–2, 21 KOs) in a high-stakes rematch.

Usyk is actively training for the July 19 bout, which will determine the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

A new video circulating online shows Usyk in top form, sharpening his punches and drilling speed and technique in preparation for the highly anticipated fight.

Their first clash took place on Aug. 26, 2023, in Wroclaw, Poland. In the fifth round, Dubois landed a controversial low blow that was ruled illegal. The referee paused the fight to give Usyk time to recover, and the Ukrainian boxer ultimately secured a technical knockout victory in the ninth round.

Dubois has since promised a “surprise” for the rematch, fueling speculation about his strategy going into what could be a career-defining fight.

- Demian Shevko

OLEKSANDR USYK TELLS DANIEL DUBOUS TO HIS FACE THAT ONE HEAVYWEIGHT HITS HARDER THAN HIM

Image credit: DAZN

Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Daniel Dubois is just days away.

The Ukrainian looks to add even more to an already impeccable legacy this weekend at Wembley Stadium if he beats 27-year-old Brit Dubois for a second time.

The first time these two fought was in August 2023 out in Poland. It was a controversial fight given that ‘DDD’ had Usyk down on the canvas after landing what he thought was a fierce body shot, but the referee ruled it low and the Ukrainian was allowed time to recover, which he did, eventually stopping Dubois with a jab in the ninth round.

Since then, Usyk has beaten Tyson Fury twice on points to claim all four heavyweight belts, though had to vacate the IBF for the rematch.

Meanwhile, Dubois has matured as a man and as a fighter and has come through three increasingly tough tests against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua in the last 18 months, all of whom he stopped to become to earn the vacant IBF belt.

Most feel that Dubois’ chance in this return fight comes early and through his incredible heavyweight power. However, speaking to DAZN, the now-nearing 40-year-old Usyk was asked about the biggest puncher he has faced in the ring. Rather than pick his old foe Dubois, he went with a fellow Brit.

“I think it’s Derek. Crazy Derek.”

Usyk fought Chisora back in 2020 in his second contest up at heavyweight and won a tough contest on the cards. Many feel that ‘Del Boy’ set the blueprint for how to fight the Ukrainian, though nobody has been able to emulate it since, certainly not to the point of beating him.

Whoever wins this weekend will be crowned undisputed world heavyweight champion – in Usyk’s case, that could be for a history-making second time on top of having been undisputed cruiserweight champion.

- Kristan Caryl

FULL-TIME SCENES AND INSTANT REACTION AFTER CHELSEA WON THE CONFERENCE LEAGUE

 

CHELSEA WINS UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE | BEATS REAL BETIS 1-4

 

UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL: FOOTBALL FAN ON RYANAIR FLIGHT TO WROWCLAW FINDS HIMSELF SAT NEXT TO FORMER CHELSEA AND ENGLAND PLAYER JOE COLE

A Chelsea fan on a Ryanair flight to Wroclaw, Poland for the UEFA Conference League final found himself sat next to a football star.

Football Away Days posted a picture that the Chelsea fan had shared of himself and Joe Cole sat next to each other on a Ryanair flight to Wroclaw. The Europa Conference League final will take place tonight at 8pm with Chelsea taking on Real Betis.

One user commented on the post saying that is “class”. The UEFA Conference League was only introduced in 2021 and the Blues are looking for a win, after guaranteeing themselves a place in next season’s Champions League.

Real Betis vs Chelsea is scheduled for a 8pm BST kick-off tonight, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The match will take place at Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland.

A Chelsea fan on a Ryanair flight to Wroclaw, Poland for the UEFA Conference League final found himself sat next to a football star. (Photo: Facebook/Football Away Days) | Facebook/Football Away Days

In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports. Coverage starts at 6.30pm BST on TNT Sports 1 ahead of kick-off at 8pm. Joe Cole is in Poland ahead of Chelsea’s Conference League final.

In a career spanning two decades, the midfielder made 514 club appearances and earned 56 caps for England. He played in three World Cups for England and is especially remembered for his outstanding long-range volley against Sweden in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup.

His most memorable time was at Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup three times, the League Cup, Charity Shield and Player of the Season award. Since retiring in 2018, Joe Cole has remained active in football, transitioning into punditry and coaching.

- Isabella Boneham

CHELSEA'S MARESCA SAYS CONFERENCE LEAGUE 'BEST COMPETITION IN THE WORLD'

Wroclaw (Poland) (AFP) – Enzo Maresca said he had to convince his Chelsea players this season that the UEFA Conference League was the "best competition in the world" as he prepares for Wednesday's final against Real Betis.

Enzo Maresca faced the media ahead of the Conference League final in Wroclaw

The Premier League club are seeking to end their campaign with a flourish in Wroclaw after securing a Champions League spot for next season.

If they beat Betis in Poland, Chelsea would become the first club to win all four major UEFA competitions, having previously won the Champions League, the Europa League and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup.

Maresca, in his first season as manager at Stamford Bridge, said he had been forced to stress the importance of Europe's third-tier club competition to his players.

"Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference (League) has been to convince the players that for us it was the best competition in the world," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"And the reason why was because it was the competition that we were in."

Chelsea are two-time European champions but have not won silverware since lifting the Champions League in 2021 under former boss Thomas Tuchel, now in charge of England.

"We cannot play Champions League if we are in the Conference (League), or we cannot play Europa (League). We are in the Conference, so for us it was the most important competition, and we need to try to win that.

"If we are able to win, I think it's a good thing, especially because we continue to build a winning mentality."

Chelsea, favourites from the start, have reached the final in eye-catching style, scoring a competition-record 38 goals so far and winning 11 of their 12 matches.

Maresca, 45, will pit his wits against 71-year-old Manuel Pellegrini, a man he describes as a football "father figure" after playing under him at Malaga and serving as assistant coach at West Ham.

The Seville-based club, playing in their first European final, finished sixth in La Liga.

'Outburst'

Maresca rounded on his critics after his youthful side secured fourth spot in the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, even using an expletive.

The average age of Chelsea's starting XI is the youngest ever in a single Premier League campaign.

Maresca's men were within touching distance of eventual champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly, but results picked up again towards the end of the campaign.

On Tuesday he described Sunday's eruption as an "outburst" in the heat of the moment.

"From our point of view, they (critics) were not talking in the right way," he said.

"And the reason why is because, yes, we are young, yes, we are the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, but at the same time, they are men.

"So I also used what critics had said to say, 'Guys, today (Sunday) is a chance that we can say that we are not young, we are mature enough, we can compete and we can do the right things'."

The former Leicester boss said sealing a Champions League place for next season had been a huge relief.

"We feel much better," he said. "I said a few times during the season that for me it was already a good season for different reasons.

"It can become a very good season if we finish top four, top five and if we are able to win the final tomorrow.

"The first target is there. We achieved that last Sunday and hopefully we can achieve tomorrow the second one."

- © 2025 AFP

RUGBY 🏉 WOMEN'S STANDINGS

 

PORTUGAL AND KENYA WIN SECOND ROUND OF WORLD RUGBY HSBC SEVENS CHALLENGER IN CAPE TOWN

After two rounds of exciting World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger action in Cape Town, eight men’s and eight women’s teams qualified for the third round in Krakow.

Portugal and Kenya were crowned men’s and women’s champions at the second round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 in Cape Town.

Portugal overcame Germany 12-7 in the men’s final, while Kenya beat South Africa 17-0 in a hard-fought women’s final.

Germany’s men’s team and South Africa’s teams earned silver.

Top eight women’s teams, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Thailand, Czechia, Poland and Uganda, celebrated International Women’s Day by qualifying for the next round in Krakow.

Top eight men’s teams, Germany, Canada, Portugal, Chile, Samoa, Japan, Madagascar and Tonga progressed to the third round in Krakow on 11-12 April.

The Challenger provides a promotion pathway to HSBC SVNS, with the top four placed men’s and women’s teams securing their place in the high stakes HSBC SVNS Play-Off in Los Angeles on 3-4 May and an opportunity to gain promotion.

After two days of intense, high-action rivalry, Portugal’s men’s team and Kenya women’s took top honours at the second round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 in Cape Town.

The top eight men’s teams to go to the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger third round in Krakow are Germany, Canada, Portugal, Chile, Samoa, Japan, Madagascar, and Tonga.

On International Women’s Day, there was joy for Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Thailand, Czechia, Poland and Uganda, who marked the occasion by securing their places in the third Challenger round on 11-12 April in Poland.

Germany won the first men’s semi-final 24-12 over Canada, and Portugal reached the final thanks to a 36-14 win over Japan. Portugal dominated the men’s competition, claiming a spot in the final with a 12-7 victory over Germany.

South African women beat Czechia 21-15 in the first semi-final, while Kenya was victorious over Colombia with 12-5. For a second consecutive tournament, Kenya lifted gold beating South Africa 17-0 in an all-African women’s finals. South Africa ended in second place—Canada men’s and Colombia women’s beat Japan and Czechia to third place.

The Challenger series starts with back-to-back events in Cape Town, with the top-ranked eight men’s and women’s teams progressing to the third and final tournament at the Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow on 11-12 April.

Captain of the Portuguese team, Diogo Sarmento reflected on their experience: “This win is overwhelming. The conditions were not perfect for us as we had a lot of players making their debut and the average age of the group is 20. We stood together, and what we accomplished is fantastic. We worked hard and now we are looking forward to going to the next round.”

"Reflecting on their second World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger win in Cape Town, the captain, Grace Okulu said: This is the first time we achieved back-to-back wins in the Sevens Challenger and we are now Challenger champions. We are now ready for anything.”

The four men’s and women’s teams with the most cumulative points gained across the three Challenger rounds will then qualify for the HSBC SVNS Play Off in Los Angeles on 3 – 4 May, where they will face the bottom four ranked teams from HSBC SVNS 2025 in a high-stakes promotion and relegation tournament with four coveted places in future SVNS at stake.

The Challenger was introduced in February 2020 to boost the development of rugby sevens across the globe and provide a clear promotion pathway to reach the top level of global rugby sevens for the short format of the game, which has experienced massive growth over the past two decades since the introduction of the global sevens series and becoming an Olympic sport at the Rio 2016 Games.

Fans around the globe can watch the action on rugbypass.tv or via domestic broadcast partners.

 - Asia Rugby 

UEFA BANS TWO POLISH REFEREES FOR 'TERRIBLE MISTAKE'

Tomasz Musial and Bartosz Frankowski were charged by Uefa with bringing the game into disrepute

Two referees have been banned from officiating in Uefa matches until June 2025 after a bizarre incident on the morning of a Champions League qualifier between Rangers and Dynamo Kyiv.

Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial were replaced as VAR officials before the third qualifying round match in Lublin, Poland on 6 August after reports of "improper behaviour".

Polish media reports alleged the pair had been drinking and were stopped by police with another man in the early hours having moved a road sign, with Frankowski later confirming details of the incident in an interview.

Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body said on Friday the Polish duo were banned for violating "basic rules of decent conduct" and for bringing the sport and Uefa into disrepute.

A police spokesman said at the time that the men had been caught on CCTV cameras carrying the sign and were detained.

Superintendent Kamil Golebiowski said, according to Polish news outlet TVP World, that the men were breathalysed and had alcohol in their systems and were later fined.

Frankowski and Musial released statements of apology, with both saying that they co-operated with the police without aggression while Musial described the incident as "irresponsible and unprofessional".

Musial added: "I feel very sorry and - in purely human terms - stupid, because I know that my unfortunate behaviour will cast a shadow over many years of hard work.

"I am aware of the consequences that await me, but I hope that I will be able to rehabilitate myself and rebuild your trust."

Frankowski said: "Throughout my 22 years of refereeing I have tried to discharge my duties professionally and avoid any blemishes on my image.

"I made a terrible mistake that I deeply regret. I will accept the consequences with humility, but at the same time I would like to hope that I will be able to rebuild your trust someday."

Frankowski and Musial were intended to be the video assistant referee (VAR) and VAR assistant for the Champions League qualifier but were replaced by other officials from the Polish Football Association.

The pair were also suspended by the Polish FA in August.

The match was drawn 1-1. Rangers suffered a 2-0 defeat at home the following week that meant Dynamo won on aggregate.

- BBC Sport

RONALDO GOAL HELPS PORTUGAL BEAT POLAND

Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in five straight matches for club and country.
Rafal Oleksiewicz/Getty Images

First-half goals from Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo helped group leaders Portugal to a comfortable 3-1 victory away to Poland in the Nations League on Saturday as they continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins.

Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, netting from Bruno Fernandes' headed assist, before captain Ronaldo got his 133rd international goal when he doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a first-time shot after Rafael Leão hit the post.

Piotr Zielinski pulled a goal back for Poland in the 78th with a powerful strike into the roof of the net before home defender Jan Bednarek netted an own goal in the dying minutes.

Portugal continue to set the pace in League A Group One with nine points, three points clear of Croatia who came from behind to beat visitors Scotland 2-1 earlier on Saturday.

Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 on the road in their opener before losing 1-0 in Croatia, are third with three points while the Scots have none so far.

The Poles started on the front foot and leading striker Robert Lewandowski came close to netting an early opener when he was inches from getting his head to a cross as Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa beat him to the ball.

Portugal, however, were quick to grow into the match and Poland keeper Lukasz Skorupski was put to work early when he blocked Diogo Dalot's effort from close range.

Ronaldo then hit the bottom of the bar as Portugal continued to enjoy the bulk of possession and their chances kept coming.

Fernandes put Skorupski to the test again with a curled shot from just outside the box in the 14th minute and the keeper had to stretch to tip the ball away.

Poland's vulnerable back line eventually capitulated when Silva struck before Ronaldo made it 2-0 with a calm finish.

Leão had recovered the ball near the halfway line and slalomed past four defenders before striking the post from inside the box leaving Ronaldo to slot home the rebound.

The 39-year-old Al Nassr forward, who helped Portugal to 2-1 wins against Scotland and Croatia with a goal in each match, scored his 11th of the season for club and country.

He could have added a third after the restart but hesitated to finish from inside the area and instead found Fernandes, who sent the ball flying over the bar.

Poland got a glimmer of hope when Lewandowski had a chance a minute later as he climbed highest in the box to connect with a cross but sent his header narrowly wide of the left post.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez continued to manage Ronaldo's playing time, with Diogo Jota replacing him in the 63rd minute.

After playing practically every minute of every game at this year's Euros, Ronaldo was replaced by Jota late in the game with Croatia and only started in the second half against Scotland.

Zielinski's strike injected some life into the hosts but Poland lacked clear chances to equalise before Bednarek's own goal confirmed the end of their two-year unbeaten home run.

Game Information

PGE Narodowy

9:45 PM, October 12, 2024

Warsaw, Poland

Line: POR -0.5

Over/Under: 2.5

Referees: Serdar Gözübüyük

- Reuters 

BEST OF RALLY OF POLAND 2024

 

OLEKSANDR USYK DETAINED IM POLAND; ZELENSKY AIDS IN RELEASE

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk was detained Tuesday at Krakow Airport in Poland and subsequently released after Ukraine's Foreign Ministry intervened, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media.

A source told ESPN that Usyk, a native of Ukraine, was detained after he attempted to board a flight to Valencia, Spain, where he is set to begin preparations for his Dec. 21 heavyweight championship rematch with Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk and his trainer, Sergey Lapin, were denied boarding after an airline official determined they were not fit to travel, a source said.

According to a source, Usyk explained that they were fine to fly and were simply exhausted from a nearly 14-hour travel day from Kyiv, the capital of war-torn Ukraine, that included a 557-mile drive. Between the language barrier and Usyk being adamant that they were not impaired in any way, he was detained.

Usyk's wife, Katheryna, was traveling with Usyk and Lapin. She posted a video on social media that showed Usyk being led away in handcuffs on the jet bridge. She said the matter was "nothing criminal."

"A misunderstanding took place," Usyk wrote on social media. "It was quickly resolved. Thanks to all who got concerned. Thanks to Ukrainian diplomats for the efficient support. And respect to Polish Police for conducting their obligations with no regards to height, weight, reach and regalia."

Zelensky wrote on social media that he spoke with Usyk after he was detained. His post included a photo of Usyk alongside a Ukrainian official.

"I was disappointed by this attitude towards our citizen and champion," Zelensky wrote in his post. "I instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, to immediately look into all the details of the incident at Krakow airport.

"Now, everything is fine, our champion has been released, and he is no longer being detained."

Usyk, 37, is ESPN's No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer. The Olympic gold medalist defeated Fury in May via decision to become boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2002. Usyk is expected to be ringside in London on Saturday for Anthony Joshua's title fight against Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. Usyk defeated Joshua to become unified champion in 2021 and again in the rematch one year later.

- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider

KYLIAN MBAPPÉ SAYS REAL MADRID HAVE 'NO LIMIT' AFTER SUPER CUP WIN

Kylian Mbappé said there's "no limit" to how many goals he and Real Madrid can score this season, after getting off the mark in his debut as the club lifted the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Atalanta.

After a tight first half in Warsaw, Poland, Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 59th minute, converting Vinícius Júnior's cross, before Mbappé scored his first Madrid goal nine minutes later from a slick attacking move involving Rodrygo , Vinícius and Jude Bellingham.

"We're at Real Madrid, we have no limit, I have no limit," Mbappé told Movistar after the match on Wednesday when he was asked whether 50 goals was a realistic target for him this season. "If I can score 50 goals, it's 50. But the most important thing is to win and improve as a team, because we're going to win as a team."

Mbappé joined Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, signing a five-year contract and ending a long-running, high-profile transfer saga.

The France international started the Super Cup game -- which pitted the winners of last season's Champions League, Madrid, against the Europa League winners, Italy's Atalanta -- and played as a central striker, just a week after joining up with his new teammates for preseason training.

"A great night," Mbappé said. "I've been waiting for this moment a long time, to play in this shirt, with this badge, for these fans. It's a great moment for me.

"Winning a trophy is very important, we know that [at Madrid] we always have to win. I'm very happy, for sure with the goal, for a forward like me, being decisive in my first game, but more importantly it's a pleasure to play."

Madrid lined up with Brazilians Vinícius and Rodrygo either side of Mbappé, and Bellingham behind him, in an attacking side picked by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

- Alex Kirkland, ESPN FC

REAL MADRID'S ANCELOTTI: VINICIUS JR. SAUDI LINKS 'SPECULATION'

Getty Images 

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed reports linking star player Vinícius Júnior with a move to Saudi Arabia as "just speculation."

Ancelotti spoke in Warsaw ahead of Madrid's first game of the season on Wednesday, the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, where he said new signing Kylian Mbappé could make his debut.

ESPN reported on Monday that Vinícius, 24, was considering a proposal from the Saudi Pro League, although the Brazil international is happy in Spain and Real Madrid do not want the player to leave.

"There isn't anything at all," Ancelotti said in a prematch news conference on Tuesday. "There's just speculation, at this time in the [transfer] market, which closes on Aug. 31. There's just speculation, nothing else."

Vinícius was a key player in Madrid's Champions League and LaLiga-winning season in 2023-24, scoring 24 goals in all competitions.

"Of course speculation doesn't affect [Vinícius]," Ancelotti said. "He's here, he wants to be here. He wants to do his best and help Real Madrid."

The Italian manager denied that Madrid's sporting project was under threat from Saudi Arabia's investment in football, which has seen high-profile signings such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar arrive in the country in the past two years.

"No, absolutely not," Ancelotti said. "We have our project and we continue in that. We have a squad of great quality. ... We've lost important players and we've brought in others who have to adapt. We have to work to maintain the atmosphere, and the commitment, which was the key last year."

Madrid's squad has been strengthened this summer by the arrival of Mbappé, who signed last month on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain but only arrived to training recently due to his participation with France in the European Championship this summer.

Mbappé only joined up with his new Madrid teammates for preseason training last week, but Ancelotti said he was in contention to start against Atalanta.

"Kylian has arrived well, like all the other [players], who haven't had much time [to train]," Ancelotti said. "He's arrived in good form, he's adapting well. Obviously everyone who's here [in Warsaw] could play tomorrow.

"There's an atmosphere here that's very healthy. That's down to the players who've been here, like Dani [Carvajal], like Nacho [Fernandez], [Luka] Modric.

"There are no princes or kings; there are just players with different qualities, players who've used their qualities for the good of the team.

"I've trained with [Mbappé] a couple of times now," midfielder Federico Valverde said. "We know the class he has, he's one of the best in the world. He looks motivated and for sure he'll leave his mark at this club."

Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga had to leave his team's practice early on Tuesday after suffering a knee injury. He is set to miss Wednesday's Super Cup showdown with Atalanta.

- Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez

LITTLE PRESEASON, LESS REST: REAL MADRID TEACH MBAPPÉ ABOUT HUNGER

Barely a month after being knocked out of Euro 2024, Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid career is set to begin. Victor Carretero/Real Madrid via Getty Images

WARSAW, Poland -- For "winning" clubs, preseasons have always centred around hunger. One way or the other.

Once, they were about working off the damage that hunger can do when players are let off the leash and spend the summer gorging on beer, desserts and crisps. Put bluntly, very many footballers returned from summer break several pounds heavier and, in some instances, downright fat. More about that in a moment.

Real Madrid are the perfect example of how hunger -- in its most driven, fanatical form -- will be key to them winning some or all of the (record-breaking) seven trophies available to them during what looks like being a 334-day season that begins in Warsaw against Europa League winners Atalanta on Wednesday in the UEFA Super Cup and may not end until the Club World Cup final on July 13, 2025.

The biggest, most-important teams will always be stuffed full of talent. That's not in question. However, their best footballers are having more and more squeezed out of them, given ever-decreasing time to intensely train their physical and athletic resources.

Thus, the players union FIFPRO is suing FIFA for what they claim is breach of "fundamental rights," meaning the ability to enjoy a humane amount of rest between matches and between seasons.

Notwithstanding all the ability, professionalism, commitment and good coaching at elite clubs, the vital factor is that their dominant footballers are driven not by salaries, nor even personal pride, but by sheer, unquenchable hunger to compete, to win and to lift trophies. And to do it repeatedly.

Given how different this modern age is, maybe you thought I was joking about the state even great players used to get themselves into when summer came around.

Preseason was, effectively, hell on earth and principally designed for footballers to shed weight. They sweated, sometimes wearing bin bags under their training kit in order to multiply the fluid loss. They ran and ran until their legs felt like falling off, barely kicked a football and were weighed relentlessly.

That was when preseason lasted an eternity, though.

Roy Keane recently told an anecdote about Steve McClaren ringing him after two days of Manchester United's summer training to express concern about the Irishman's performance. Keane, in industrial language, reminded Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant that there were "four or five weeks" to get things right and that he needed to stop panicking.

The sentiment seems about a century old but it was really only a couple of decades ago. These days, elite players often preseason for a week, then they're expected to play flat out. Injuries? Don't even mention them.

Ronaldinho, not long after winning the Ballon d'Or, all but ended his Barcelona career with his weight gain. Ronaldo Nazário (and that's two of the greatest footballers of all time I've highlighted) was several kilos too heavy when he was starring for Real Madrid. As for Eden Hazard's physique when he turned up for training with Los Blancos in summer 2019, the less said the better.

Last week in Charlotte, after his team beat Chelsea, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed: "The players who came on tour are now in good shape, let's see what state the last few guys are in. They've been working at home during the break, hopefully they'll be in good condition when we finally train as a full squad. If not, no problem -- they'll all be benched!"

Said with a twinkle in the eye, typical Ancelotti. But don't you dare doubt how serious he was.

Now Dani Carvajal, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde (the guys in question) are so admirably lean, fit and hungry that they'll play their first competitive match of the season, for a trophy Madrid are properly committed to winning, after more or less one week's training. It's incredible.

Just as much as the elimination of the backpass rule, or the introduction of VAR, the rapid evolution of summer football training from a purgatory for the podgy to a parade of the perma-fit has been utterly revolutionary. Whatever scrutiny Kylian Mbappé is under when he pulls on Los Blancos' famous shirt for the first time against Atalanta, his physical silhouette and how snug those shorts are won't be part of it.

He was a toddler when Ronaldo was stretching out his shirt at Madrid, and his idol has always been Zinedine Zidane (who took himself to a clinic in the Dolomite mountains in summer in order to ensure he was super lean for Madrid's preseason training). The 25-year-old France striker is a standard bearer for this relatively new perma-fit generation.

He's at the Bernabeu to make it his footballing Garden of Eden, not to replicate the silhouette of Eden Hazard. Not that anyone should doubt Mbappé's hunger. He wants to "eat the world," as they say in Spanish about the ambitious ones, not eat the dessert cart.

What might be of some concern is that he was beginning to look like someone jaded by football's voracious demands of more, more and even more from its key resource: talented, creative, imaginative players.

Look back at Paris Saint-Germain's two Champions League semifinal matches against Borussia Dortmund in May -- a rival the French champions vastly outmuscled in terms of pure talent. Mbappé was markedly disconnected, his normally fleet feet more Fred Flintstone than Fred Astaire.

That's not a criticism; no one can question his willingness to keep putting himself on the line. For someone who's closing in on 500 senior games still aged 25, his résumé says it all: perpetually available, always hungry to play, score, compete and win.

But when he received yet another award having just turned 23, he had the foresight to warn: "We like to play but it's too much. If people want to see the quality, we have to take a break."

I was at Mbappé's final game of last season, the Euro 2024 semifinal against Spain in Munich.

He and France were two steps away from wining the European Championship, and Madrid's newest Galactico set up Les Bleus' first goal. After which, again, he was a bit listless; determinedly reaching for top gear but failing to connect with fourth let alone fifth.

I think the French have a word for it: knackered.

After the quarterfinals, France coach Didier Deschamps admitted that Mbappé actually asked to be taken off. A career first.

"Kylian's always very honest with me when he doesn't have the capacity to accelerate," Deschamps said. "He's not at his top form ... he felt very tired indeed. It was pointless to leave him on."

That defeat to Spain was only the blink of an eye ago. He's had approximately three stress-free weeks before reporting for training. That's insufficient, at least if we want to now see year-long quality.

What Madrid are going to discover is that they owe a debt of gratitude to their ex-midfielder, Luis Enrique -- a persona non grata at the Bernabeu since leaving for Barcelona on a free transfer in 1996. The now-PSG coach spent time last season undertaking one-on-one video sessions with Mbappé showing his deficiencies in pressing, detailing the need to help out his full-back, and educating the striker about how those deficiencies damaged the team and match strategy.

Mbappé is bright, dedicated to improving; those aren't lessons he'll discard along with his blue-and-red shirt now that he's finally left Paris.

When I spent 40 days with Spain during the summer, coach Luis de la Fuente described one of his touchstone footballers, Mbappé's new Madrid teammate Carvajal, as a "spartan." He said, "Dani doesn't stop because he's insatiable, he's a born competitor. He's a Spartan, someone prepared for the fight, for the work, for the effort."

That's what Mbappé has joined. That's Madrid. He'll adapt, he'll learn. But he'll need to add that last element of tungsten toughness to his mentality: team and club first, always. Personal glory a distant second plus a total embracing of the all-for-one-one-for-all mentality.

That is a level above where he's been so far. Once that happens, what an asset he will be.

This first trophy, I figure, will be won. Madrid are simply better at getting across the line when they're not fully in shape than Atalanta will be. Best guess.

Then comes a brutal nearly full-year assault course (not mentioning national team duties) for Madrid's squad. Is it genuinely feasible for them to win all seven trophies? Wouldn't winning the big three -- LaLiga, Champions League and Club World Club -- be sufficient?

The losses of veterans Toni Kroos and Nacho will be felt, but youngsters will step forward, and most fundamental attitudes won't change one millimetre. I think Madrid will win LaLiga. I think they're in shape to win the Champions League, perhaps most of all because of their hunger, not just because they remain absolutely jam-packed with footballers of the most divine ability.

- Graham Hunter, Spain writer

EURO 2024 UPDATES: TONI KROSS DELIVERING IN CAREER SWAN SONG

Due to retire after the 2024 Euros, Germany's Toni Kroos is showing why he's still one of the game's best midfielders. (Photo by Alex Caparros - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

 The lead: Toni Kroos is worth it

STUTTGART, Germany -- Jamal Musiala and Ílkay Gündogan found the net and will make the highlight reels (rightly) as Germany dispatched Hungary 2-0 to seal a place in the knockout round. But the game only reinforced how this is Toni Kroos' team and how Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is bending over backwards to accommodate him.

Kroos is 34, and it's a battle-worn 34. He has played a remarkable 3,607 minutes (plus injury time) spread out over 53 games. That's quite a feat for the midfielder in the twilight of his career. Indeed, Kroos himself revealed on the popular podcast he does with his brother that he thought he would miss the opening game because of a persistent pain in his neck.

But then, these are his final games as a professional -- he's retiring after the Euros -- and the pain is evidently worth bearing. With his mobility reduced, Nagelsmann didn't ask him to play in his traditional midfield role, and instead he turned Kroos into a point guard in possession. Kroos dropped deep to the left of the central defenders -- Antonio Rüdiger and Jonathan Tah -- and controlled the game. Probing, testing, giving and receiving the ball until he saw the opening for the sort of pass few can see and fewer still can deliver.

Writ large, it's an adjustment for a coach whose critics accused him of being too rigid and system-obsessed. And it's not the only one: Witness Musiala and Florian Wirtz being encouraged to cut inside from wide areas or Gundogan operating in the hole.

It worked against Scotland, partly because Steve Clarke's crew -- in addition to being terrible -- also played down a man in the second half. Hungary was a much sterner test and, again, it paid off. What Kroos gives you in possession outweighs the fact that off the ball the best he can do is clog passing lanes. He was a steadying presence -- the hub of Germany's wheel -- on a day when some of Nagelsmann's other ballers (Musiala, Gundogan) were sublime and others were more muted (Kai Havertz, Wirtz). Which is probably why Nagelsmann left him out there for the entire game.

Kroos is too important, and the adrenaline will carry him through in any case. Though that neck is bound to smart tomorrow. -- Gab Marcotti

Sights and sounds around Euro 2024

Shaqiri makes American history in Euros

COLOGNE, Germany -- We've seen wondergoals from Xherdan Shaqiri before in the European Championship. Remember his bicycle kick against Poland in 2016? If not, look it up. He added another to his impressive one-man canon of incredible strikes as his first-half goal in Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Scotland helped ease Switzerland toward the knockout stages of this year's competition.

Shaqiri has spent the past couple of years in MLS with the Chicago Fire FC, and his 26th-minute strike earned him a slice of American history. He became the first MLS-based player to score in the Euros. So savour that, as he's not sticking around. He said last week that he's planning to leave Chicago and head back to Europe, and his goal against Scotland would've done his hopes for a contract no harm whatsoever.

While Scotland successfully nullified the threat of Granit Xhaka -- perhaps in some sort of Toni Kroos-related PTSD -- they lost Shaqiri for his first-half goal. Sloppy play at the back led to Anthony Ralston misplacing a pass straight into the path of Shaqiri, and without breaking stride, the diminutive, barrel-chested forward curled a beautiful effort past Angus Gunn and into the top left corner of Scotland's goal.

Xherdan Shaqiri scored Switzerland's goal in their 1-1 draw against Scotland on Wednesday in Cologne. JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images

"You knew when it was rolling towards Shaqiri, it was going into the back of the net," Scotland manager Steve Clarke said after the match. "You don't give top, top players that type of chance."

Shaqiri wasn't necessarily the best player on the pitch -- those in blue had several candidates for that, while Manuel Akanji was outstanding -- but he gave another reminder of his incredible skill set and why he's still box office. With Switzerland now on four points from their first two matches, they should be safely into the knockouts, where Shaqiri will be looking to add further goals to his highlight reel. -- Tom Hamilton

Spygate in the Switzerland camp?

An investigation was opened by German police in Stuttgart on Tuesday after an unidentified drone was seen flying over VfB Stuttgart's training ground during Switzerland's training session before Wednesday's game against Scotland.

The Swiss coaching team have two drones of their own that they use to film every session for manager Murat Yakin and his staff to analyse afterward. So imagine their surprise when, out of nowhere, they spotted a third one circulating over the pitch. The unexpected flying object remained above them for 10 minutes before flying off.

With Swiss suspicions of spying unable to be ruled out, police were called in to investigate, and the authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from around the complex. Judging by the good mood among Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka and his teammates after their convincing 3-1 victory in their first game against Hungary, the incident appears to have dampened their spirits. -- Julien Laurens

Georgia not delighted by Turkish anthem boos

Georgia manager Willy Sagnol was full of praise for his team despite their 3-1 defeat to Turkey in Tuesday's thrilling match in Dortmund, but he was less than impressed with the actions of some of the rival fans.

The thousands of Turkey supporters inside Signal Iduna Park made for a raucous and intimidating atmosphere. Sagnol didn't mind that at all, but after the game, he criticised those who had booed and whistled during the Georgian national anthem when it was played ahead of kick-off.

"You shouldn't do that," he said. "You should always respect your opponent. That didn't reflect well on Turkey."

With almost three million people of Turkish heritage living in Germany, their games at these Euros were always expected to attract feverish support. They turned Dortmund into a sea of red before playing Georgia, although their prematch partying was disrupted by torrential rain that continued during the game and after the final whistle. -- Rob Dawson

Germany stars honoured from station to station

If you are travelling to Germany by train, or using the rail network to move around the country during the Euros, be sure to double-check the names of each station that you pass through. As an honour for the players who have been called up in the host nation's squad by coach Julian Nagelsmann, each player has had his name added to the signs of the railway stations of his hometown.

Stuttgart's train station, for example, has "Heimatstadt von Jamal Musiala" ("hometown of Jamal Musiala") added to its regular signage. While the claim is technically accurate as the Bayern Munich star was born in the city, he moved elsewhere in Germany soon afterward and also spent part of his childhood in England, for whom he first played international football at under-15 level.

The capital city of Berlin has done the same for Antonio Rüdiger, Essen for Leroy Sané and Greifswald for Toni Kroos to name but a few. So far, 11 stations have been updated to call out one of their most illustrious sons, with 13 more to get the same treatment over the next few days.

This is part of the "Home of Football Stars" campaign, led by the German football federation and DB, the national train company, with 24 cities involved in total. -- Laurens

Heavy Metal Football

Frankfurt has turned out to be a melting pot of fans from many competing nations at Euro 2024 due to its well-connected international airport and proximity to other host cities including Dortmund, Stuttgart, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen.

But the national jerseys of Scotland, Denmark, England, Croatia and Albania were heavily outnumbered by the black T-shirts worn by followers of heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch in Frankfurt on Monday.

The Las Vegas-based rockers, whose hits include "Wrong Side of Heaven" and "The Tragic Truth," played to a sell-out 13,500 crowd at Frankfurt's Festhalle while the football fans watched the Euro 2024 action in the city's bars.

Posters advertising the concert had red "AUSVERKAUFT" (sold out) stickers emblazoned on them throughout the city, something that other acts such as Bryan Adams and Scorpions are yet to achieve for their gigs at the same venue later this year. -- Mark Ogden

Stat of the day

Klaus Gjasula of Albania is the first player in Euro history to come off the bench and have a goal and a own goal in the same match as Albania drew 2-2 against Croatia. -- ESPN Stats & Information

Match previews for Thursday

Group C: Slovenia vs. Serbia (Munich; 3 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Slovenia -360, Draw +240, Serbia -125

Slovenia face Serbia at the Allianz Arena full of confidence after earning a 1-1 draw in their opening game against Denmark.

Making their first appearance at a major tournament since the 2010 World Cup, coach Matjaž Kek suggested his team were nervous in the opening exchanges against the Danes. But settling down after half-time and finishing the game strongly has created a sense of optimism in the Slovenian camp. They have never been past the group stage of a World Cup or Euros as an independent nation, but victory over Serbia at the Allianz Arena would put them on the brink of qualification for the last 16.

One thing they may have to work on is getting 21-year-old striker Benjamin Šeško into better goal-scoring positions. He hit the post with a stunning long-range strike against Denmark but didn't have one touch inside the penalty area. -- Dawson

Group C: Denmark vs. England (Frankfurt; 6 p.m. local / midday ET)

Odds: Denmark +425, Draw +250, England -145

These two teams last met in the semifinals of Euro 2020 at Wembley, when England came from a goal down to win 2-1 in extra time. Gareth Southgate's side can qualify for the round of 16 with a win in Frankfurt, but their opponents' need is greater, having been held to a 1-1 draw in their first game against Slovenia.

England's 1-0 win over Serbia puts them in a position of strength from which to improve, but they will need to do just that to justify their status as one of the pre-tournament favourites. Their first-half performance in Gelsenkirchen was encouraging, with Jude Bellingham playing a starring role, but England slipped back into familiar habits as the game wore on, dropping deeper and losing the ball cheaply. Southgate blamed that on fatigue, so it is possible he may look to freshen things up, but wholesale changes are unlikely.

Christian Eriksen enjoyed a dream return to Euros football three years on from his on-pitch cardiac arrest by scoring Denmark's goal against Slovenia. Here, he will come up against former Tottenham Hotspur teammates Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Kieran Trippier, while fellow Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo might feature off the bench. -- James Olley

Group B: Spain vs. Italy (Gelsenkirchen; 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Spain +110, Draw +120, Italy +270

The reigning European champions take on the UEFA Nations League winners as Italy and Spain meet in one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the group stage. The fact both teams won their opening games slightly reduces the pressure, but the match represents a huge opportunity for coaches Luciano Spalletti and Luis de la Fuente's sides to lay down a marker for the tournament.

There is plenty of recent history between these two nations, too. Italy beat Spain in the semifinal on penalties en route to lifting the trophy three years ago, while La Roja exacted revenge on the Azzurri in back-to-back Nations League semifinals in 2021 and 2023. Spalletti said Italy will attempt to play the attacking football he likes, but added that his team will be ready to "scuff up their Giorgio Armani suits" if necessary.

In a tournament where young players are playing a major role, all eyes will be on Spain's Lamine Yamal -- who against Croatia became the youngest-ever player at a Euros at 16 years and 338 days old -- as well. The winger spoke this week of seeing the fear in opponents once he has beat them for the first time. Likely to be tasked with stopping him is Federico Dimarco. -- Sam Marsden

Betting tip (odds via ESPN BET)

For me, Spain were the most impressive side in the opening round of matches. We saw a different style to what we are used to, but boy did it work. I like Spain to win against Italy +110. -- Dan Thomas

One big read

We've had our first look at the Euro 2024 field, and Germany look like the team to win the whole thing. What else have we learned? James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

All of the teams in Euro 2024 have played their first games, and they gave us a bit of everything we could want.

Five teams scored at least three goals, and Germany scored five. Fans from Albania and Georgia, immense underdogs, each got to thunderously celebrate goals, one of which came just 23 seconds into Albania's match with Italy. Another underdog, Slovakia, got to celebrate a huge win over Belgium. England got to both win and be miserable, two things they very much enjoy.

If you're a fan of last-minute fireworks, we got all we could want in Group F, with Georgia nearly scoring to tie Turkey before giving up an empty netter to fall 3-1 and Francisco Conceição scoring in the second minute of added time to finally pull Portugal ahead of the Czech Republic. (And if you're a fan of slapstick, we even got three own goals!)

The first round of matches at the 2024 European Championships was an absolute delight even if it didn't change a whole lot about the competition. The betting favorites before the tournament -- England, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain -- remain the favorites, and Belgium was the only team that lost as even a moderate favorite.

But let's overreact anyway. It's fun. Here are some takeaways from the first 12 matches of Euro 2024.

As if slumping to a shock defeat in Belgium's opening game at Euro 2024 wasn't bad enough, Amadou Onana was further vexed when a case of mistaken identity during his postmatch media duties caused the midfielder to become so incensed that he temporarily changed language.

After slogging through a less-than-stellar 1-0 defeat against Slovakia, Onana was pressed into fielding media questions, which he did so fluently in several different languages, including French and German.

That was until one journalist mistakenly referred to him as "André," which caused the Everton star to suddenly flip into a broad English accent in order to rebuke him.

"Andre's not even my name, mate," Onana snapped in crystal clear dialect, even chucking in a bonus "D'ya know what I mean?" for good measure.

This came after the journalist had presumably mixed him up with Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana -- who isn't featuring at the European Championship on account of being from Cameroon. -- Chris Wright

- ESPN

POLAND VS. NETHERLANDS | EURO 2024

 

EURO 2024 POWER RANKINGS: FRANCE TOPS, GERMANY BELOW ENGLAND

Kylian Mbappe's France are one of the favorites going into Euro 2024. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

 Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday when 24 teams will have the chance to get their hands on the iconic trophy. But how likely are each one to win the tournament?

The question seems simple enough, but it mixes in all manner of elements: Star quality, squad depth, national confidence, weaknesses, tactical approaches, injuries and -- perhaps most importantly for those below the top eight -- bracketology, too. Some nations have landed in really sweet spots with regard to a potential pathway into the round of 16 (or beyond).

So who are the favourites? Who's got no chance? We've ranked all 24 teams in Germany this summer. Let's dive in.

24. ALBANIA

This will be Albania's second European Championship, having qualified once before in 2016. They faced France in the opener that year and nearly pulled off an almighty shock, holding the hosts until the 90th minute before Antoine Griezmann broke the deadlock.

They'll need some more of that opening night spoiler energy if they're to make any waves at Euro 2024, as they've landed in a group with three heavyweights: Spain, Italy and Croatia. Under manager Sylvinho, Albania have tried to move toward a more attacking style, but they'll probably have to revert to the more-defensive approach of old given the calibre of their opponents. They have some experienced defenders, and a real talent in midfield in Kristjan Asllani of Internazionale, but this group looks borderline impossible to navigate for them.

23. ROMANIA

Romania are an intriguing, spritely team and, despite the fact they haven't won a game at a European Championship or World Cup since 2000, they will fancy getting something from a Group E containing Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine.

But they face two serious issues. First, a severe quality deficit compared to the rest of the finalists, as very few of their players play in a top league. Second, a few of their key performers have struggled for minutes at club level in 2024, suggesting a lack of sharpness. Romania will be free to play a counter-attacking style and try to catch their opponents on the hop, but there's no realistic hope of them stringing together a fairytale run deep into the competition.

22. GEORGIA

On paper, Georgia have all the pieces to enchant us with a fairy-tale run: First-ever appearance at the finals? Check. Good goalkeeper (Giorgi Mamardashvili)? Check. Rigid five-man back line? Check. A true difference-maker in attack (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia)? Check. And some fine talent sprinkled across the midfield to boot.

This team will defend as if their lives depend on it, then give the ball to Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia who will dribble, dribble and dribble some more -- no one completed more dribbles than him (44) during qualifying. It's a plan that depends on Kvaratskhelia's execution in the final third, not unlike Wales' Euro 2016 effort with Gareth Bale. It would be magical if Georgia could pull this off, but the reality is that it will be tough for them to repeat over and over, especially in a group containing Czechia, Portugal and Turkey.

21. SLOVENIA

Slovenia are one of the most traditional-looking teams heading to the tournament from a tactical perspective, playing a stout 4-4-2 formation that relies on difference-makers at both ends of the pitch.

Up front, they have RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who this week shunned the interest of multiple top clubs in order to stay at the Bundesliga outfit and continue honing his craft. The 6-foot-5 frontman is pretty much the leading light of this team, adding a dash of quality to an otherwise workmanlike outfit, ready and willing to make tackles and launch counters. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak of Atlético Madrid is a star between the sticks and should be kept busy too.

Slovenia scored more and conceded fewer than Denmark in qualifying but only took a single point in fixtures between them, and will meet them again in Group C. Serbia are even tougher opponents and England one step further, meaning their overall chances look slim.

20. CZECHIA

Czechia really are anyone's guess. Ivan Hasek was only appointed as coach in April after Jaroslav Silhavy's decision to quit at the end of qualifying in November.

Hasek, who captained the side in the 1980s and '90s, before coaching them in 2009, leads them into the tournament now, but he had just two tune-ups to put his stamp on the team before facing Portugal in the group opener.

That makes them almost impossible to rank. All we can do is measure their squad quality against their group opponents, and a conservative assessment places them below Portugal and Turkey, but above Georgia. In ranking them 20th, we're noting their top-level quality (Patrik Schick, Adam Hlozek, Tomás Soucek, Vladimír Coufal) but questioning their readiness for a tournament run.

Can Robert Lewandowski lift Poland past the group stage? Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto via Getty Images

19. POLAND

Given their undoubted star quality in certain positions, you may be shocked to find Poland ranked so low, but even top European footballers like Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zielinski and Wojciech Szczesny have failed to bring this national team to life over the years. They were shocking to watch during the 2022 World Cup group stage and no better during qualifying for Euro 2024, having to settle for the playoffs despite being in a group with Albania, Czechia, Moldova and Faroe Islands.

Lewandowski is the difference-maker so many nations crave, but his record of six goals in 18 Euros/World Cup games is poor. Having only scored three in eight qualifiers, it's hard to believe the 35-year-old striker's fortunes will change this summer -- especially considering he's an injury concern and could miss one or two group games. His natural replacement, Arkadiusz Milik, is injured too. As a result, it's unlikely Poland will do much against Austria, Netherlands and France in Group D.

18. SERBIA

The local sentiment around this Serbia team is one of genuine fear and embarrassment, which is a huge shame given this is a stage they've been longing to return to for 14 years. Qualifying performances were poor -- manager Dragan Stojkovic admits as much -- and while things did perk up a little with a 3-0 friendly win over Sweden this month, it's tough to take too much from that.

There are huge concerns around a defence that conceded eight goals in three games at the 2022 World Cup. That unit looks no better and is now about to face England's Harry Kane, Denmark's Rasmus Højlund and Slovenia's Sesko, which is a truly torrid run of opposing strikers. Serbia obviously have quality, but the balance of the team is off and there's very little confidence in them overall.

17. SLOVAKIA

Slovakia are among a handful of teams hopeful of playing at least four games in Germany this summer. Qualification from Group E is achievable and would mean everything to them. They'll lean on a mean defence in their attempt to do it, with Paris Saint-Germain's Milan Skriniar, FC Copenhagen's Denis Vavro and Feyenoord's Dávid Hancko an underrated, stout group. Up front, Boavista striker Róbert Bozeník is a threat, while midfielder Stanislav Lobotka is a quality signal controller for both Napoli and his nation.

Is that enough to pip Romania and then tussle with Ukraine for qualification to the knockout rounds? Almost certainly, and then anything else is a bonus.

16. HUNGARY

Hungary enter Euro 2024 as one of the most settled teams, which certainly counts for something -- after all, the winners of the last edition, Italy, were similarly set and composed. That's not to say the team will be lifting the trophy on July 14, but in a group containing Scotland and Switzerland (as well as hosts Germany), they'll be eyeing qualification.

Manager Marco Rossi will use a stern, experienced, physical back three; flying wing-backs who cover loads of ground; a familiar midfield partnership to break up play; and then give Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai and SC Freiburg's Roland Sallai the freedom to roam, get on the ball and make the difference.

It could well be enough to carry them into the knockouts, which would be a tremendous showing.

Will Scott McTominay be able to repeat his goal-scoring form for his country? (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

15. SCOTLAND

Scotland open the tournament against hosts Germany on Friday and will look to cause a stir. Given how stubborn a team they have proven to be under manager Steve Clarke, it's not out of the question that something special happens. Beyond that, they'll fancy themselves to get a win against one of Switzerland or Hungary, drawing upon a brilliant goal-scoring midfield powered by John McGinn and Scott McTominay.

A knockout berth is well within reach of the Scots -- something they have never achieved in their history. Anything beyond that might seem fanciful, but they won't care if they secure it.

14. SWITZERLAND

Many have been surprised that manager Murat Yakin remains in charge of Switzerland; the case for sacking him was there to be made after they won just four of 10 qualifying games against Romania, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra. But they've pressed on with him regardless, hoping the natural order will restore itself: Switzerland have made the knockout rounds in every tournament they've entered since 2014 and have landed in a workable Group A which involves Hungary and Scotland.

In Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji and Yann Sommer they have some of the best players heading to Euro 2024, but the question is about whether Yakin can patch up the side's fragile confidence levels and get them going again.

13. TURKEY

After the fiasco of Euro 2020 -- in which Turkey were tipped to go far but went on to lose all three group games and concede eight goals in the process -- it's natural to treat this team with caution three years on. But it's undeniably an exciting crop of players, headlined by Hakan Çalhanoglu of Inter Milan and spruced up by several attacking starlets including Real Madrid's Arda Güler.

Turkey finished top of a qualifying group that included Croatia and Wales, and they're threatening to play some pretty vivacious attacking football. No one is predicting much this time around, but they should expect to finish second in Group F and set up a thrilling round-of-16 tie with France.

12. UKRAINE

Ukraine squeezed into Euro 2024 via the playoffs, so you might be surprised to see them ranked above 12 other nations, many of whom qualified automatically. There's a good reason for this, though, and it's based on bracketology.

Simply put, Ukraine have landed in a group ripe for qualifying: against Belgium, Slovakia and Romania. Second place is there for the taking and that could set up a round-of-16 game against Austria or Netherlands.

Admittedly, Ukraine's qualifying results (P8, W4, D2, L2) don't exactly inspire confidence, but their unique circumstances must be considered and playing in neutral venues due to the ongoing war with Russia is never going to extract your best form. This is a good squad who have a desire to win and, in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mykhailo Mudryk and Artem Dovbyk, they have a series of potential difference-makers.

11. DENMARK

Will it be a repeat of Euro 2020, where an emotional rollercoaster like no other (after Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch in the opening game) saw Denmark reach the semifinals? Or a repeat of the 2022 World Cup where they fell flat? It is difficult to say.

Much of the team has remained the same over the past four years, meaning that many of the players are 30+ years of age and unable to replicate the intense style they thrilled us with in 2021. That threatens to make them just a little too old and slow to be a significant threat in Germany, but there's always something to be said for experience at a major finals.

Denmark are expected to qualify from the group, probably in second place behind England, but in doing so they'll set themselves up for a tough run of opponents -- possibly starting with Germany in the round of 16. That keeps them outside of the top 10 in this ranking.

David Alaba could be a big miss for Austria Christian Hofer/Getty Images

10. AUSTRIA

It's rare that you find perfect managerial fits for nations, but Ralf Rangnick and Austria feel like just that. Thanks to his Red Bull background he's played a part in so many of the players' careers he now directly manages, so it feels right he's the one who has been tasked with leading them into the European Championship.

Rangnick will have them pressing harder than any other team at Euro 2024, utilising a midfield full of energy to create turnovers and then share the goals out. That makes Austria's lack of a proven scoring No. 9 striker less of an issue, but perhaps won't fully mitigate the crucial loss of their best player, Real Madrid defender David Alaba, to injury.

Landing in a group with France and Netherlands is tough, but they have it in them to pip Poland to third and perhaps even beat the Dutch to second. If they do finish second, they'd land a very friendly round-of-16 tie (likely Slovakia or Ukraine), meaning that there could be a surprisingly clear path opening up for this team to have a run. Austria are definitely one to keep a close eye on.

9. NETHERLANDS

Be it over fitness or form, Netherlands seem to have question marks all over the pitch as they head into this tournament. How sharp will talisman Memphis Depay be? How will the left flank look? Can RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons replicate his club form for his country? And on the eve of the tournament, an absolute bombshell dropped: central midfielder Frenkie de Jong is injured and can't participate -- how will they cope?

That's a lot of questions to have hanging over your head, which probably explains the local pessimism. But this is a team that boasts Virgil van Dijk, Denzel Dumfries and Cody Gakpo -- that's true star quality -- and if Memphis can find fitness, it will start to look pretty dangerous once again. Their easiest fixture (Poland) comes first, perhaps giving them a little bit of time to figure things out.

8. CROATIA

Despite Croatia's recent international success, the European Championship remains a bit of a bleak spot for them and they've never even won a knockout game in four attempts. Will 2024 be fifth time lucky?

Some would argue they're caught between two generations; others could say they boast a nice blend of youth and experience. It's up to manager Zlatko Dalic to mix in the fresh faces responsibly and, perhaps, manage the minutes of the old-guard. Luka Modric will lead them out, aged 38, but is unlikely to last the full 90 minutes as he did so only five times for Real Madrid in 2023-24.

There isn't much room for error -- not with Spain and Italy in the same group -- and there are questions over whether this team can genuinely run such an intense seven-game gauntlet to the finish.

7. ITALY

Italy and Croatia were both in the running for seventh but, in the end, we gave a respectful nod to the defending champions -- although they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, were forced into a managerial change last year, and have suffered worse than anyone with regard to injuries, with the defensive line hit particularly hard.

That said, they are unbeaten this calendar year. In Gianluca Scamacca they have a striker in fine form, while the midfield unit led by Nicolò Barella (when fit) is both tremendously energetic and packed with quality. Italy have the strength to beat anyone on their day, but they just don't feel as overwhelmingly strong as the nations ranked above them.

6. BELGIUM

Belgium are one of the toughest nations to gauge (and therefore rank), as while some pre-tournament excitement has been building around them, it's not necessarily coming from their supporters. Perhaps that's because anyone who looks at a teamsheet and sees the names Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Jérémy Doku can't help but get excited. And remember that Lukaku scored 14 goals in qualifying, breaking the record.

Unfortunately for Belgium, there's problems at the other end of the pitch. Perhaps that's gone under the radar a little as they only conceded four during qualifying, but things aren't as rosy as they might seem. First off, you don't get to play Azerbaijan and Estonia at the Euros -- the opposition is a lot tougher than that. Second, Thibaut Courtois, arguably the world's best goalkeeper, is fit again after spending most of the season recovering from injury for Real Madrid but has been left at home after a public spat with Belgium's manager, Domenico Tedesco. Third, the defence is better than it was at the World Cup in 2022, but is still creaky and wants to lean on veterans Jan Vertonghen or Axel Witsel.

When Belgium face the best, will they stand up defensively, or collapse? Or will they simply outscore their opponents? Their ceiling is unclear, but they do promise to be tons of fun.

5. SPAIN

Spain won three straight international honours between 2008 and 2012, but have largely disappointed since then and have left us asking the same question over and over: Can you make your possession count?

The answer in 2018, 2021 and 2022 was no, playing better football than Russia, Italy and Morocco respectively but losing to each on penalties. But then in 2023 they won the UEFA Nations League, beating Croatia, which reacquainted them with success and could give them an edge this summer.

In measuring Spain against the rest of the top five in this ranking, there's not an awful lot in it, but they end up fifth because they're in the toughest group alongside Italy and Croatia. Of all the teams in this top tier, there's probably the most scope for things to go wrong early on.

4. GERMANY

Is it all coming together for Germany, just in time? They had a wretched 2023, losing five of nine friendlies and winning two, but since the turn of the year the mood has perked up significantly -- particularly after beating France and Netherlands in quick succession in March.

The emotional power of Toni Kroos' final goodbye before he retires could be enough to give them the extra edge. Add that to the home-crowd advantage; the talent of the likes of Ilkay Gündogan, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz; the fact that, for the most part, problematic positions of left-back and striker have sorted themselves out, and rivals will be wary.

Sentiment among the fans remains somewhat reserved -- likely due to the fact their last three tournament performances have been disastrous -- but given what's happened since March, this is a team that we need to take seriously.

3. ENGLAND

As has often been the case over the past three decades, England's big question is not one of quality it's one of mentality. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are world-class attackers who will undoubtedly lead the Three Lions safely through the group stage, but when the knockout rounds hit and it's time to face up against a team like France, can they get it done? And will a defence short of top names hold up?

England's unbeaten qualifying campaign proves they can handle anyone from Italy to Malta, from a quality perspective. What we don't know, though, is whether the last few years of England's players winning Champions League titles (with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City) has changed the mentality of this team in a way that will allow them to finally overcome a true giant.

This, plus the upheaval and uncertainty in the back line, holds them back when compared to a couple of other nations.

2. PORTUGAL

Portugal made light work of their qualifying campaign, winning 10 games out of 10, scoring 36 goals and conceding two. It should be noted, though, that it was a really weak group; for context, the team who finished second, Slovakia, are ranked 17th in this piece.

Still, you look at the squad and can't help but be impressed: Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias and João Cancelo all started eight or more qualifying games and remain at the heart of this team, then a series of other extremely talented players fill in the gaps as manager Roberto Martínez sees fit.

Portugal boast loads of goals, creativity and some great defenders, while physicality runs through the spine of the team. Plus, there's added tactical flexibility nowadays. Those are all the ingredients you need to win a tournament and the hype they are generating is well justified.

1. FRANCE

But for a handful of adjustments, France head into Euro 2024 looking like the same force that came within a penalty kick of winning the 2022 World Cup. They're still tactically disciplined, physical, stacked with quality and boast one of the world's best forwards in Kylian Mbappé. So, with that in mind, they're still favourites in our eyes.

Didier Deschamps' men will need to shake off the disappointment of a quarterfinal exit at Euro 2020, but you get the impression that, with Olivier Giroud back in and Karim Benzema back out, this team will hum a more familiar tune. That tune -- a cautious one that doesn't always excite -- isn't universally popular, but it has proven to be devastatingly effective.

France are not without their injuries and issues -- veterans Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane have departed the scene, while Lucas Hernández is injured -- but Les Bleus' incredible depth means they still look formidable, and their tournament record since 2016 marks them out as the team to beat.

- Sam Tighe