Wales captain Gareth Bale insists he is not distracted by uncertainty over his future and expects to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season as planned.
The 31-year-old rejoined Tottenham on a season-long loan from Madrid last September after falling out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane.
Bale has had a mixed time of things since returning to north London, the forward having scored 10 goals and assisted three more in 25 appearances.
There had recently been talk of Bale staying on at Spurs after hitting form, but he was criticised by Jose Mourinho last week and played no part in Sunday's win at Aston Villa.
And with a year still to run on his Madrid contract, the forward believes he will be back in the Spanish capital after representing Wales at the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.
"It's no distraction," he said at a news conference on Tuesday previewing Wales' opening World Cup 2022 qualifier against Belgium.
"The main reason I obviously came to Spurs was I wanted to play football, I wanted to be match fit. The original plan was only to do a season.
"After the Euros, I have a year left at Real Madrid. My plan is to go back."
Wales' preparations for Wednesday's clash with Belgium, the world's number one ranked nation, have been disrupted by a number of injury withdrawals.
Having already lost Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey from their initial 31-man squad, Tottenham's Ben Davies and fellow defender Tom Lockyer pulled out on Tuesday.
It is a big blow for Rob Page as he once again takes caretaker charge of Wales in the absence of Ryan Giggs, who remains under investigation due to an allegation of assault, which he denies.
"It's not great news for us, two defenders getting injured prior to camp," Page said. "We've assessed them and they're no good. It's not ideal preparation. We’ve got to react to that and pick a team that we think will win us the game.
"I think they're quite significant injuries. It's a shame. But we have to deal with it."
Page also took charge of Wales' three fixtures in November – a friendly draw against the United States, followed by Nations League wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
Skipper Bale has been impressed by Page's work in the last two camps but is eager for the situation regarding Giggs to be resolved before the Euro 2020 finals.
"Pagey has done an incredible job. He's addressed the situation amazingly well and kept the consistency," Bale said. "There are no excuses. We've had another good couple of days and we're fully focused. We're ready to go.
"I think my influence has been the same. We're just trying to keep it the same. Nothing has changed. Going into the Euros, ideally things are sorted, but we understand the situation. The FAW [Football Association of Wales] will be in charge of that, not the players."
Asked about his fitness, having been benched against Dinamo Zagreb and not used at all versus Villa three days later, Bale said: "I didn't play Sunday but I've had a couple of days' training.
"It's been a quick turnaround. Same for every country. Everyone is in the same boat – we're ready to go.
"It's probably the most match fitness I've had. I'm feeling fresh and ready to go."
Wales have won their opening group match in just five of their 18 World Cup qualifying campaigns, although they have done so in two of the previous three.
The Dragons are unbeaten in four games against Belgium, famously beating their next opponents 3-1 in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
But Belgium enter the match in Leuven in great form, winning 23 of their past 24 qualifying matches since going down 1-0 to Wales in June 2015, and Bale is predicting a tough opening Group E test.
"We know Belgium is a great team and we know we're going to be the underdogs," he said. "But you don't need to be the best team to win a game.
"This is why football is so great. What we showed that night [at Euro 2016] was more heart, desire, belief. When we pull on the Welsh shirt, we believe we have more passion than anyone.
"I think beating a big nation in a qualifier gives us confidence to grow. When you enjoy winning, it breeds more."
Gauff gathering momentum after reaching fourth round at Roland-Garros
Coco Gauff booked her place in the French Open fourth round after seeing off Dayana Yastremska in straight sets at Roland-Garros.
The third seed is still yet to drop a set in her opening three matches, as she battled past her Ukrainian opponent 32 6-2 6-4 in 94 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Gauff's return game proved crucial against the 30th seed, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals as a qualifier back in January.
Indeed, the 2022 finalist won five of Yastremska's nine service games - taking her tally to 15-25 for the tournament - including two during a dominant opening set.
Another three followed in the second to put her on the brink of victory at 5-2 up, though she failed to convert match point as her opponent clung on to break back.
However, it proved a false dawn for the world number 30 - appearing in round three at Roland-Garros for the first time - as Gauff saved break points on her next service game to eventually hold and progress.
Her reward is a showdown with Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who will make her maiden fourth-round appearance at a major after defeating 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.
Data Debrief: Gauff matches Capriati at Roland-Garros
Gauff is only the second American in the Open Era to reach the last 16 at the French Open in four successive years before turning 21, after Jennifer Capriati (1990 to 1993).
That was also her 18th match win at Roland-Garros. Since 2000, only Iga Swiatek (21) and Ana Ivanovic (19) have registered more before the age of 21.
Her fourth-round opponent has made history, with 23-year-old Cocciaretto the youngest Italian to reach the fourth round here since Francesca Schiavone in 2001.
Jamaica to upgrade National Stadium lights ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifier
In a decisive move to address longstanding issues with the lighting at the National Stadium, Sports Minister Olivia Grange announced that new lighting equipment costing JMD$15 million will arrive over the weekend and be installed promptly ahead of Jamaica's crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic on June 6, 2024.
Minister Grange's statement underscores the urgency of the upgrade, as the current lighting conditions have been deemed inadequate by CONCACAF. The new lights, which will be installed on Tower Four and supplemented by additional lamps on the stadium canopy, are expected to significantly enhance the lighting, exceeding the minimum requirement of 1,000 lumens for international matches.
"The National Stadium lights over time have been less than optimal," Minister Grange stated. "Independence Park Limited has installed LED lights on Tower Four and some additional lamps on the canopy, pending further upgrades. This latest shipment of equipment, once installed, will improve the lighting substantially."
The minister also acknowledged the aging infrastructure of the National Stadium, which opened in 1962, and highlighted the lack of significant improvements over the years. The upcoming lighting upgrade is part of broader plans to revamp the stadium's infrastructure to meet modern standards.
Opposition Spokesman on Labour and Sports, Wavell Hinds, has been vocal about the inadequate lighting at the stadium, particularly highlighting the issue during the recent ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships. Hinds noted that only 14 of the 144 bulbs on the light tower by the finish line were functioning, leaving much of the stadium in darkness.
Despite Minister Grange's assurance that the lighting was adequate, Hinds has renewed his call for immediate action, especially with the impending World Cup qualifier. He emphasized the potential inconvenience to fans if the match is rescheduled to an earlier time due to inadequate lighting.
"This situation is regrettable and will undoubtedly inconvenience supporters from Western Jamaica and others who planned to watch the match at the scheduled 6:30 p.m. start time," Hinds said. "Adjusting the game to an earlier time due to inadequate lighting would be unfair to these fans and disrupt their plans."
CONCACAF's concerns over the lighting at the National Stadium have necessitated urgent upgrades to avoid rescheduling the match to an earlier time, which would be detrimental to fan attendance and overall match experience. The upgrades are expected to be completed in time for the qualifier, ensuring the match proceeds as planned in the evening.
The lighting upgrade is just one step in the broader redevelopment plans for the National Stadium, with a complete overhaul of the lighting system being one of the top priorities. This initiative is part of the government's commitment to improving sports infrastructure and ensuring that Jamaica remains a viable host for regional and international events.
'No-one deserves Ballon d'Or more than Vinicius' - Endrick
Endrick believes "no-one deserves the Ballon d'Or more" than future Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, as his compatriot gears up for Saturday's Champions League final.
Vinicius, who scored the winning goal against Liverpool in the 2022 showpiece, is eyeing his second European triumph with Los Blancos, who take on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
The 23-year-old has had the most direct goal involvements in the Champions League since the start of the 2021-22 season (31 - 16 goals, 15 assists), while his tally of 17 in the knockout stages is also the most during that span.
Vinicius and Endrick will soon become team-mates at club level, with the teenage sensation set to join Madrid from Palmeiras on his 18th birthday in July.
Before that, the pair will be focused on leading Brazil's charge at the Copa America, where Endrick believes Selecao success will only aid Vinicius' chances of landing football's most coveted individual accolade.
"Vini is a reference. A star," the 17-year-old said. "No one deserves the Ballon D'Or more than him this year. I think our group at the Copa America will be looking not only at winning the title, but also helping him to win this award."
Endrick was speaking ahead of his final game for Palmeiras, whose supporters' reception moved him to tears during the Copa Libertadores clash with San Lorenzo.
Brazil's youngest international since Pele in 1957 - and their youngest scorer following his strike against England in March - the forward will watch Madrid for the final time "as a fan" on Saturday.
And he has been keeping close tabs on his new team-mates, while absorbing as much information as possible before linking up with them after the Copa America.
"Real have to win on Saturday. I have been so focused on my farewell game [with Palmeiras] that I didn't even realise it [was Madrid's last game without me]," he added.
"I watch a lot of games, but not always live, because it's not possible due to our schedule. I end up studying the team more than cheering. I often already know the result when I'm watching.
"Watching a game is different for us players who train and travel all the time. We look at other things; pay more attention to some elements than others. That's why I like to watch without any fuss."
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