BERLIN: With exciting football and vibrant fans lighting up cities across Germany, Euro 2024 has thrilled even though the European game’s biggest stars have failed to take the tournament by storm.
Between injury struggles, shaky form and bad luck, many of football’s leading lights have underwhelmed in the group phase.
Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo, playing at a record sixth Euros, is yet to strike in three appearances — if he manages to, the 39-year-old will become the oldest ever goalscorer at the tournament.
Arguably the best player in the world, Kylian Mbappe is only off the mark for France with a penalty against Poland in a disappointing 1-1 draw that resulted in the favorites finishing second in Group D.
Mbappe spurned a golden opportunity against Austria, missing a draw against the Netherlands with a broken nose before returning with a mask in Les Bleus’ third outing.
“He’s hungry to play and the game would have done him some good,” said France coach Didier Deschamps, hopeful the forward will quickly find his devastating best with a last 16 clash against Belgium beckoning.
Poland’s talisman Robert Lewandowski could not feature in their opening defeat against the Netherlands because of a thigh problem.
The Barcelona striker and his country were eliminated as he was ineffective when he came off the bench against Austria, before he netted a penalty in the France draw.
England duo Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored from open play against Serbia and Denmark respectively but have vastly under-performed after thriving at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich this season.
England coach Gareth Southgate hooked Kane in a drab 1-1 draw against Denmark, but the subsequent 0-0 against Slovenia was even more dour.
“Not every player is going to star in every game,” said Southgate afterwards.
France’s Antoine Griezmann and England’s Phil Foden have also fired blanks after strong seasons for Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.
“Sometimes (Griezmann’s) generosity means he doesn’t have as clear a head as he should have,” said Deschamps, who benched the midfielder in the final group match.
Belgium’s all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku is also without a goal, albeit not for want of trying, having had three disallowed by VAR as his team slunk through in second from Group E.
Veteran Luka Modric, 38, usually a key figure in Croatia’s frequently impressive exploits, did score against Italy but only after missing a penalty and struggling in the first two matches, with his country eventually eliminated.
Remarkably there have been seven own goals, making up 26 percent of the 27 inadvertently netted in the competition’s history.
Even the players who have shone thus far have largely been surprises for one reason or another.
N’Golo Kante is proving key for France despite moving a year ago to play in Saudi Arabia, while talented youngster Jamal Musiala has been hosts Germany’s leading light ahead of veteran stars Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz.
Target man Niclas Fuellkrug has scored twice for Germany like Musiala, while Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz and Romania’s Razvan Marin also have a pair of goals to their name.
Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo finished neatly for his second goal in a 3-2 defeat by Austria, in a performance their coach Ronald Koeman labelled “appalling.”
The tournament’s current top scorer is debutants Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze with three goals, two of those from the penalty spot.
Spain qualified top of Group B with a game to spare and have arguably been the team of the tournament so far, but two of their key players have been unlikely candidates in Fabian Ruiz and Marc Cucurella.
With 15 matches still to play before one of the 16 remaining sides is crowned champions in Berlin on July 14, fans are still waiting for the tournament’s star names to join the party.
Biggest stars yet to catch fire at Euro 2024
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Biggest stars yet to catch fire at Euro 2024
Hattan Alsaif ‘100 percent ready’ ahead of SmartCage return in Riyadh
- The rising Saudi MMA star faces Lilia Osmani in the first PFL MENA Championships on Nov. 29
RIYADH: When it comes to mixed martial arts in Saudi Arabia, there are few stars bigger than amateur standout Hattan Alsaif.
The history-making striker signed with the Professional Fighters League earlier this year, making her the first Saudi female to ink a deal with a major combat sports promotion.
And on Nov. 29 in Riyadh, Alsaif looks set to pick up her third straight win when she meets Algeria’s Lilia Osmani in the first- ever PFL MENA Championships. Competing on perhaps the most star-studded PFL card this year, Alsaif says she’s fully prepared to put on an impressive performance.
“I am 100 percent ready for the anticipated match,” she said. “Achieving victory requires self-confidence, and I am confident in my abilities and my capacity to defeat my opponent, despite the fear, tension and anxiety I feel — not just before this fight, but before every fight I’ve faced.”
While Alsaif is only two fights deep into her MMA career, she’s no stranger to the rigors of combat sports training; she achieved success in Muay Thai before shifting gears to MMA.
For her upcoming bout, Alsaif has undergone a rigorous training camp.
“Combat sports require high levels of focus and significant mental and physical preparation, and I have undergone an intensive training camp in Riyadh under the supervision of my technical and coaching team to prepare for my fight against Lilia Osmani,” Alsaif said.
“This fight has been my main focus recently, and all my time has been dedicated to it.”
Alsaif has already made quite an impact in a very short period of time, from signing with the PFL to her performances inside the SmartCage. All of it, she says, continues to fuel her fire as she progresses in her career.
“The records I’ve achieved previously, including entering the Guinness World Records for the fastest knockout — defeating my Egyptian opponent in 41 seconds during the PFL event in Riyadh last May — serve as additional motivation to deliver the performance that the audience expects and hopes for in this historic and extraordinary moment,” she said.
The complete fight card is:
PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (5-0) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-2)
PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (7-0) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (12-6)
Amateur Women’s Atomweight Bout: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani
PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (15-3)
PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (6-1) vs. Georges Eid (10-4)
Showcase Fights:
Lightweight MENA Showcase: Mansour Barnaoui (21-6) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1)
Heavyweight MENA Showcase: Slim Trabelsi (7-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-0)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (19-4)
Featherweight Global Showcase: Asael Adjoudj (8-1) vs. Jose Perez (9-1)
Middleweight Global Showcase: Costello van Steenis (15-3) vs. Joao Dantas (7-1)
India five wickets away from big win in 1st test against Australia
- Australia struggle at 104-5 at lunch on Day 4 in chase of mammoth 534-run target
- India have won only nine Test matches out of a total of 53 on Australian soil
PERTH: Fast bowler Mohamed Siraj bowled India to the brink of victory in the opening Border-Gavaskar series cricket test with Australia struggling at 104-5 at lunch on the fourth day.
Siraj removed opener Usman Khawaja with his fourth ball Monday and then accounted for star batter Steve Smith to end a frustrating 62-run fifth wicket stand.
Siraj switched ends with fellow fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and forced Smith (17) to edge a low catch behind to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Siraj took 3-34 while Bumrah, the chief destroyer of Australia in the first innings with 5-30, had 2-26 at the break.
Travis Head was 63 not out and Mitchell Marsh unbeaten on five with the pair to resume after lunch as Australia faces the bleak task of surviving a minimum of 165 overs over five sessions to prevent India from taking a 1-0 series lead.
India is close to winning only its second test match against Australia in Perth in six outings following the 72-run win at the WACA ground in January 2008. It will also be the tourists’ 10th win in 53 tests on Australian soil.
India’s commanding position was set up by majestic centuries from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (161) and a masterful 100 not out by Virat Kohli as India closed its second innings at 487-6 declared.
This was after an outstanding spell of fast bowling by Bumrah which dismissed Australia for 104 in reply to India’s 150 all out on an eventful first day which saw 17 wickets fall.
Set an impossible 534 runs to win the test on a Perth Stadium surface that is increasingly deteriorating, Australia crashed to 12-3 on the third evening.
The start of day four did not go well for the hosts as Siraj forced Khawaja (4) to top edge for Pant to complete a running catch to reduce Australia to 17-4.
But Smith and Head survived some anxious moments against India’s pace quartet and Head counterattacked his way to a 63-ball half century with six fours. He has faced 72 balls and hit seven fours so far.
Smith, the most experienced batter in the side, put behind his first ball nought in the first innings to play a watchful innings, but was eventually undone by a superb Siraj delivery.
6 things to watch in Match 6 of AFC Champions League Elite
- Ivan Toney looks to get off the mark, Al-Hilal face Al-Sadd again, and Al-Nassr aim to stay perfect under Pioli
RIYADH: International duties give way to club commitments as Asia’s best return to their home sides, with another defining week of AFC Champions League action — across both the ACL Elite and ACL Two competitions — on the horizon.
Players from Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be out to make a statement after a disappointing window, while those from the UAE will be buoyed by their improved fortunes on the road to North America for 2026.
As the players disperse across the vast continent, here are the six things to look out for this week.
Al-Sadd and Al-Hilal in a rematch of their epic semifinal
Five years on, people still talk about the remarkable 2019 semifinal between Al-Sadd and Al-Hilal.
Spearheaded by the recently retired Bafetimbi Gomis, Al-Hilal traveled to Doha and put four past Xavi’s Al-Sadd outfit in a dominant 4-1 win, with most observers believing the tie was all but settled as they returned to Riyadh for the second leg.
And after opening the scoring inside 15 minutes to take a commanding 5-1 aggregate lead, the tie looked done. And perhaps Al-Hilal thought so, too, because they conceded three times in three remarkable minutes to turn the game on its head.
What followed was the best of continental football in Asia, with Al-Hilal eventually surviving, despite a late scare and a last-minute free-kick that had everyone holding their breath.
The stakes are not quite as high this time around, but with the sides even stronger than they were back in 2019, even a match half as good would be something special.
Last chance for the defending champions
Just six months ago Al-Ain were the toast of the continent, lifting their second continental title with a dominant display over Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos, thanks largely to the scintillating performances of Moroccan international Soufiane Rahimi.
What a difference a few months can make. Halfway through the League Stage of the recently reformatted tournament, the defending champions are yet to taste victory, and are rooted to the bottom of the 12-team West Zone with just a solitary point to their name.
With only four games remaining, and 12 points left on the table, it is pretty much now or never for Al-Ain. They need to take something from the visit of Al-Ahli to kickstart their campaign.
With ACL-winning coach Hernan Crespo recently relieved of his duties, replaced by serial title winner Leonardo Jardim, who won the ACL with Al-Hilal in 2021, perhaps a new voice and a new message might deliver the turnaround in form needed to keep their title defense alive.
Can Ivan Toney get off the mark in Asia?
Much was expected of English international Ivan Toney after his big-money move to Al-Ahli from Brentford — a switch Matthias Jaissle and the Al-Ahli faithful hoped would turn them into title contenders this season.
But two months in and Toney has failed to fire in Jeddah, at least when it comes to playing in Asia. His return of three goals from eight matches in the league is passable, although they need more if they are to start moving up from their current mid-table position.
While his lack of goals in the AFC Champions League Elite is not affecting them on the pitch so far, with four wins from as many games, including a 5-1 rout of Al-Shorta last time out, Toney will be keen to get off the mark on the continent to keep their good run going.
Against an Al-Ain side that has conceded 15 in just four games, the most of any of the 24 teams in either the West or East zones, this might be just the time to do it.
Al-Nassr look to remain perfect under Pioli
Changing a coach so early into a season is never a good sign, but is done to provide a circuit-breaker to turn around a side’s fortunes.
That was the case for Al-Nassr, whose start to the season included a loss to Al-Hilal in the final of the Super Cup, dropped points against Al Raed and Al Ahli in the league, and only managing a point against Iraqi side Al-Shorta in their opening game of the AFC Champions League Elite.
That saw Luis Castro replaced by Serie A-winning coach Stefano Pioli. It was a brave call, but one that has been justified. A shock loss in the King’s Cup aside, Al-Nassr are yet to taste defeat in either the league or AFC Champions League, going three for three on the continent since his arrival.
After thumping defending champions Al-Ain 5-1 in their most recent outing, they will be looking to maintain their perfect record on the continent under Pioli when they travel to the glorious Al-Bayt Stadium, which two years ago hosted the FIFA World Cup, to take on Al-Gharafa.
UAE champions try to keep pace
It has been a weird old season for defending UAE Pro League champions Al-Wasl.
On one hand, they are undefeated in their last five in all competitions. On the other, they have failed to win in the league since September, and are dangerously close to falling off the pace so early into their title defense.
Their form on the continent has matched their topsy-turvy season overall. They have gone win, loss, win, draw in their first four games, and face a tricky trip to Iraq to face a desperate Al-Shorta in midweek.
Star man Fabio Lima should be absolutely primed after his four-goal haul for the national team in their 5-0 rout of Qatar in World Cup qualifying last week. Can he maintain that form and help Al-Wasl take another step toward the knockout rounds?
Can Korean champions survive the cut?
The other major storyline of Matchday Six comes from the East Zone, where back-to-back Korean champions and two-time ACL winners Ulsan HD are currently the worst-performing team in the competition, with four losses from as many games.
Not only that, they are yet to score a single goal. It is a staggeringly poor return for a club with the pedigree and resources of Ulsan, who have made it out of the group in all but one of their last six campaigns and won the title in 2020.
They face off this week with Chinese champions Shanghai Port, needing to win at least three of their final four to give themselves a chance of progressing. Can they do it?
Workshops mark opening of International Camel Racing Federation general assembly
- Day opened with workshop on Olympic values — “Excellence, Friendship, Respect”
OLYMPIA, Greece: The fourth General Assembly of the International Camel Racing Federation began on Sunday in Olympia, Greece, with a series of workshops and meetings dedicated to advancing the global development of camel racing.
The day opened with a workshop on Olympic values — “Excellence, Friendship, Respect” — highlighting their role in promoting sportsmanship and international collaboration.
Participants discussed integrating these principles into the federation’s future strategies to enhance the sport's growth.
A second workshop focused on the federation’s global strategy, addressing sustainability and strengthening cooperation among member countries. Delegates examined current challenges and outlined plans to achieve the federation’s goals.
Alongside these workshops, representatives from continental federations in Asia, Africa, and Europe held meetings to address regional issues and improve coordination between member nations.
The assembly, running until Tuesday, will aim to establish strategies that promote camel racing as a cultural and sporting heritage worldwide.
Al-Ittihad win to pull away at top of SPL table
- Second half goals from Fabinho and Houssem Aouar means that Al-Ittihad have 30 points from 11 games
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad beat Al-Fateh 2-0 on Sunday to move two points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League, completing a perfect weekend for the Jeddah giants with title rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr both losing.
Second half goals from Fabinho and Houssem Aouar means Al-Ittihad have 30 points from 11 games, two clear of Al-Hilal in second and eight ahead of Al-Nassr in third.
It was a hard-fought game against the bottom team. The Tigers thought they had taken the lead after 16 minutes, Saleh Al-Shehri firing home when a corner found its way to the far post, but the ball was judged to have bounced off Fabinho’s hand.
There were few other clear chances. Al-Fateh may have started the day at the very foot of the table, but they knew a victory would take them out of the bottom three and even a point would be welcome.
Al-Ittihad redoubled their efforts after the break but with so many white shirts in and around the penalty area it was three minutes before the hour until Fabinho showed his class. Mario Mitaj passed from the left of the area and the former Liverpool midfielder reacted quickly, wrong-footing the goalkeeper as he steered the ball inside the near post.
Steven Bergwijn almost sealed the win with 17 minutes remaining, but Peter Szappanos got a hand to the shot to keep Al-Fateh in the game.
There was nothing he could do as Aouar struck in the last minute, however, sweeping home a fine cross from Abdulrahman Al-Oboud.
Earlier in the day, Ettifaq drew 0-0 at Al-Riyadh, a result that did nothing to relieve the pressure on coach Steven Gerrard who has now seen his team go eight games without a win.
