Thiago Alcantara has retired from football after the end of his injury-affected spell with Liverpool. 

Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in a deal worth £20million in September 2020, having helped the Bavarian giants win the Champions League one month earlier.

The midfielder had previously been part of the Barcelona squad that won Europe's premier club competition in 2010-11, also winning 11 league titles throughout his time with the Blaugrana and Bayern.

However, he was hampered by injuries after arriving at Anfield, only managing 68 Premier League appearances in total.

Forty-nine of those came in his first two campaigns with the Reds, and he only managed a solitary outing in 2023-24 before the expiration of his contract.

Rather than find a new club, Thiago has opted to hang up his boots, though he suggested he will stay in the game in some capacity when announcing his decision on Monday.

"I will always be willing to give back what I have been given and I am grateful for the time I have enjoyed," he wrote in a post on X.

"Thank you, football, and to all who accompanied me and made me a better player and person along the way. See you soon."

Thiago also won 46 caps throughout a 10-year international career with Spain, scoring twice.

Pace bowler Gus Atkinson and wicket-keeper Jamie Smith will make their Test debuts for England against West Indies on Wednesday in what will be James Anderson's farewell at Lord's.

Anderson is preparing for his 188th and final Test this week as England start their three-match series against the Windies.

England's all-time leading wicket-taker will be joined by two new faces, however, as Surrey duo Atkinson and Smith have been named in Ben Stokes' confirmed XI.

Smith has got the nod ahead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, who were both left out of Brendon McCullum's red-ball squad, while Atkinson will join Anderson and Chris Woakes in the bowling attack.

Shoaib Bashir, selected in the England squad ahead of his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, will play his first home Test after the off-spinner won three caps on the India tour.

Stokes' team remains otherwise the same, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett opening ahead of Ollie Pope, with Joe Root, Harry Brook and the England captain making up the middle order.

England XI: 

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.

An emotional Elina Svitolina says she struggled to focus during her last-16 win at Wimbledon after Russian attacks killed at least 29 people and hit a children's hospital in her native Ukraine.

The 29-year-old overcame China's Wang Xinyu to reach the quarter-finals on Monday but was reduced to tears in her on-court interview after the ongoings in her homeland.

The strike was part of one of the heaviest attacks on Ukraine's capital Kyiv since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, with Svitolina sporting a black ribbon to pay tribute to her home country.

"It was a good performance from my side and it's a very difficult day today for Ukrainian people," said Svitolina, who has regularly addressed the impact of the war on Ukraine.

"It was not easy to focus on the match. Since the morning it was very difficult to read the news and just to go on the court... it's extremely tough.

"I'm happy I could play today and get a win."

Wimbledon organisers made a rare exception to relax the tournament's strict all-white rules for Svitolina's fourth-round match, allowing the 2023 semi-finalist to wear the black ribbon on the chest of her white outfit.

"I feel like it would be understandable after such a big attack on my country," she later added at a press conference.

Ukraine's largest children's hospital was among the buildings hit in the attack and world number 21 Svitolina will continue to raise awareness of the war.

"It's [an] incredibly sad day today for all Ukrainians. It was really difficult for me to really be here in a way and do anything," she continued after her 6-2 6-1 win.

"I just wanted to be in my room, just be there with my emotions, with everything.

"I have to put my head down and show up and do my best, my very best. Every Ukrainian is using their own way to raise awareness, to raise money, to help in every possible way they can."

Svitolina faces Russia-born Kazakh player Elena Rybakina in the next round of the grass-court major.

Taylor Fritz fought from behind to win a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev on Centre Court, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time.

Fritz, who previously made the last eight in 2022, was on the brink of defeat as a typical big-serving display from Zverev saw him take the first two sets.  

However, the match turned on a fourth-set tie-break dominated by the American, Zverev losing his way as he missed out on a first quarter-final appearance at SW19, losing 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

The Centre Court crowd had to remain patient for a break in the opening set with both players excellent with ball in hand, Zverev winning 83% of his first-serve points to Fritz's 81%. A powerful backhand ensured it was Zverev who got the breakthrough nine games in.

Neither player could force a break point in a slog of a second set, which Zverev took in a tie-break, roaring to the crowd as Fritz sliced a backhand wide on set point. 

But Fritz refused to go away, drawing Zverev to the net far more regularly and finally breaking the German's serve at the 15th attempt. 

It was a similar story in the fourth as both players served well, but Fritz stepped up in the tie-break, Zverev looking dejected as he fell 6-1 down before slicing a backhand long on set point.  

The momentum was with Fritz from there as he secured a huge break four games into the decider, holding his nerve from there to tee up a meeting with first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.

Earlier on Monday, Alex de Minaur sealed his place in the last eight – where he will face Holger Rune or Novak Djokovic – with a 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over Arthur Fils.

Ninth seed De Minaur squandered a 4-2 lead in the third set but recovered to take the match in four, his flat groundstrokes proving too much for spirited 20-year-old Fils.

The Australian suffered a scare as he appeared to hurt his ankle on match point, but he played down fears over his condition after the match. 

"I will be alright, I will find a way," he said. "I made it a lot harder than I should have but I'm happy to get through."

Data Debrief: Rare upset for Fritz 

Fritz showed great character to hold firm in the face of Zverev's big-serving display before launching a rousing comeback in front of a delighted Centre Court crowd.

He previously held a 1-13 record against top-10 opponents at grand slams, but he has now become the first American to reach the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in a single year since Andy Roddick in 2009.

France midfielder Adrien Rabiot admits everyone connected with the team has been "surprised" by Antoine Griezmann's struggles at Euro 2024.

France will face Spain in a huge semi-final clash in Munich on Tuesday, as they bid to reach their fourth major tournament final under Didier Deschamps.

However, Les Bleus have been strongly criticised for their failings in front of goal at the tournament, netting just three times from chances worth 8.07 expected goals (xG).

Their three goals have been two own goals and a Kylian Mbappe penalty, and they are the only team in European Championship history to attempt 50 or more non-penalty shots at a single edition without scoring with any (86).

Griezmann, one of France's star performers in their run to the 2022 World Cup final and the joint-third highest scorer in Euros history with seven goals at the competition, is among the Bleus forwards to have struggled.

He has failed to score from 11 shots worth 1.94 xG, missing all three of the big chances – as defined by Opta – to fall his way, leaving Rabiot lost for an explanation.

"We are all surprised when we know Antoine's qualities and what he did at the World Cup, where he was undoubtedly one of the best players," Rabiot said on Monday.

"I don't know how to explain it, maybe he's not as well physically. We expect a lot more from Antoine because he is capable of doing much more. 

"We can win without Antoine, we have a high-level team, but obviously it would be easier if he was at the top of his game."

Mbappe has also struggled thus far, his one goal coming from 20 shots amounting to 2.74 xG, and he recently suggested Paul Pogba's absence from the France midfield had forced him to change his game.

Rabiot sees no reason why he or his fellow midfielders should feel insulted by those comments, saying: "Why would I feel targeted? 

"Paul has these characteristics, you have to adapt. As a midfielder, we also adapt to different strikers. It's a question of adaptation."

England have staggered and stuttered their way through Euro 2024, but they are nevertheless in another semi-final.

For the third time at a major tournament under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions are in the last four – the only competition in which they have failed to reach that stage since the start of the 2018 World Cup was in Qatar in 2022.

Standing between them and successive European Championship finals are the Netherlands.

Ronald Koeman's team were unconvincing in the group stage but, unlike their opponents in Dortmund on Wednesday, have clicked into gear in the knockouts.

Whereas England required extra time – and a Jude Bellingham stunner – to break Slovakian hearts, and then stayed perfect from the spot and relied on a save from Jordan Pickford to beat Switzerland on penalties, the Oranje overcame Romania 3-0 and Turkiye 2-1, both inside 90 minutes.

But what does the data suggest ahead of the second Euros semi-final, with a place in the Berlin showpiece, against either France or Spain, on the line?

What's expected?

England have been clear favourites, according to the Opta supercomputer, for every match they have played at Euro 2024 so far. But that is not the case for this tie.

The model gives England a 37.8% chance of victory, just marginally more than the Netherlands' 31.6%; the draw threat (so, the likelihood of extra time and a penalty shoot-out) is coming in at a relatively large 30.6%.

That's not particularly surprising considering England have gone to extra time in both of their knockout ties so far.

Only Portugal at Euro 2016, Spain at Euro 2020, and Italy at Euro 2020 have ever gone to extra time three times in a single edition of the finals.

This is the fourth meeting between England and the Netherlands at a major tournament; the Oranje won 3-1 at Euro 1988 (thanks to a Marco van Basten hat-trick), followed by a goalless draw at the 1990 World Cup, and a 4-1 England win at Euro 1996.

Of all the nations England have faced 20+ times in their history, only against Brazil (15%) do they have a lower win rate than they do against the Netherlands (27% – six wins, nine draws, seven defeats).

In fact, England have won just one of their last nine meetings with the Netherlands in all competitions (four draws, four losses), winning a friendly 1-0 in Amsterdam in March 2018.

Back-to-back?

While Southgate has come under criticism for the level of performances in Germany, his major tournament record is hard to argue with.

England went 22 years between 1996 and 2018 without reaching a semi-final. Since the start of that tournament in Russia, England have reached the stage three times.

Indeed, having gone 65 years without reaching a final, England are now on the brink of back-to-back appearances in a major tournament's biggest event.

This is England's fourth appearance in the semi-final of the European Championships; having been eliminated in the first two in 1968 (vs Yugoslavia) and 1996 (vs Germany), the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020 after beating Denmark 2-1, only to lose on penalties to Italy at Wembley.

Bukayo Saka cast aside the demons of that final shoot-out with his composed effort from 12 yards against the Swiss, and it was his superb strike that forced extra time in the first place.

There have been five occasions of a team reaching the final of consecutive editions of the Euros; USSR (1960/1964), Germany (three times, 1972/1976, 1976/1980, 1992/1996) and Spain (2008/2012).

Change the record

For the Dutch, it will be a sixth semi-final at the Euros. They have lost their last four, with the one they won coming in 1988 – they went on to win that tournament, with Van Basten scoring one of the most famous goals in the competition's history in the final, which took place in Munich.

This is the Netherlands' first Euros semi-final since 2004. On that occasion, they lost 2-1 to host nation Portugal.

The Netherlands have won two different matches having conceded the first goal at Euro 2024, beating Poland 2-1 in the group stage and Turkiye by the same scoreline in the quarter-final.

Only Czechia, at Euro 2004, have ever won three games having conceded first at a single edition of the tournament, but it does show England – who have proved comeback specialists themselves in the knockouts – must be wary.

The Netherlands have scored nine goals across their five games at Euro 2024, while their 8.12 expected goals (xG) ranks them fourth in the competition.

England, on the other hand, have mustered just 4.36 xG, scoring five times. The Oranje also average more touches in the opposition box than the Three Lions (29.8 per game compared to 25.6).

Defensively, both of these teams have been tight, conceding just seven goals between them, but if the Dutch are to change the record when it comes to their Euros runs in the modern era, this is as good a chance as any.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Netherlands – Memphis Depay

In Depay (17 shots, 10 chances created) and Cody Gakpo (13 shots, 11 chances created), the Netherlands are the only side with more than one player to have both 10+ shots and 10+ chances created at Euro 2024.

Indeed, one or both of Depay and/or Gakpo have been directly involved in 47 of the Netherlands' 74 shots at these Euros (63.5%), and six of their nine goals (66.7%).

While Gakpo has been their primary goalscorer, and has a shot at the Golden Boot, Depay has that magical touch when he's on his best form, and displayed his quality with an excellent delivery for Stefan de Vrij's equaliser against Turkiye.

England – Harry Kane 

Coming into the semi-finals, no player has scored more knockout stage goals in the competition’s history than Harry Kane (five, level with Antoine Griezmann).

Kane scored in the semi-final of Euro 2020 against Denmark; only two players have ever scored at this stage of consecutive European Championships – Viktor Ponedelnik and Valentin Ivanov, both for USSR in 1960/1964.

That being said, despite scoring twice in Germany so far, Kane has largely cut a frustrated figure, and has managed just 23 touches in the opponent's box throughout the tournament.

Didier Deschamps is unperturbed by criticism of France's style of play at Euro 2024, telling the team's critics not to bother watching Les Bleus if they are bored.

France are preparing for their fourth semi-final in six tournaments under Deschamps, with Spain standing between them and a place in Sunday's final in Berlin.

Despite Les Bleus finding themselves in contention at the business end of yet another tournament, they have been fiercely criticised after failing to hit top form in attack.

Four goals have been scored in their five matches at the tournament (three for, one against), with all of them either being own goals (two) or penalties (two).

France are the only team on record at a European Championship (since 1980) to have 50 or more non-penalty shots and fail to score any of them (86), with Kylian Mbappe's spot-kick versus Poland in the group stage the only goal scored by a Bleus player thus far.

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting with a Spain team regarded as the most enterprising at the tournament, Deschamps was asked by a Swedish reporter what he made of the criticism France have faced.

"If you're bored, watch something else! You don't have to watch us," Deschamps replied. 

"It's a special Euros, where it has been very difficult for everyone. The number of goals is much lower than it has been in the past. 

"We have the ability to share emotions, to make the French people happy with the results we have been able to achieve, in a complicated period in France. 

"If the Swedes are bored, it doesn't matter too much to me."

Euro 2024 has seen an average of 2.25 goals per game ahead of the semi-finals (108 in 48 matches), the sixth-lowest figure in history after the 1968 (1.4), 1980 (1.93), 1996 (2.06), 2016 (2.18) and 1992 (2.13) editions.

France's struggles in attack can be at least partly attributed to Mbappe's disrupted tournament. He missed Les Bleus' second group game after suffering a broken nose in their opener and has struggled for form since returning to the team.

At Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 combined, he has scored just one goal from 34 attempts with a 3% conversion rate. At the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he netted 12 times from 39 shots (31%).

Deschamps feels Mbappe is getting stronger as the tournament progresses, though.

"We did everything we could to make sure he recovered, I'm convinced that he's been at his best level possible since the start," he said of the Real Madrid forward. 

"It's not just related to the last game, everything he had before, with the end of the season, a back problem, the trauma he had. The tournament could have ended for him. 

"He has a new situation, wearing a mask leads to having modified vision. It was a big shock, we had to digest it. He will do everything to be at the maximum."

Luke Shaw does not understand criticism of England manager Gareth Southgate, who is looking to lead the Three Lions to successive European Championship finals.

Having lost the final of the delayed 2020 edition on penalties to Italy, England are just one game away from the Euro 2024 showpiece game after beating Switzerland on spot-kicks on Saturday.

They face the Netherlands in the last four on Wednesday, with Southgate looking to become the first Three Lions manager to lead the team to a tournament final on foreign soil.

Saturday's quarter-final was Southgate's 100th game in charge of England. He has led the team to three semi-finals in four tournaments at the helm, after they reached two semi-finals in their previous 17 competitions before his appointment.

His 13 major tournament (World Cup/Euros) wins are the most of any Three Lions boss, while only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals as manager (210).

Despite his record, Southgate has continued to be criticised over a perceived negative approach in Germany, with some fans throwing cups at him after a goalless group-stage draw with Slovenia.

"I don't understand the criticism," Shaw said on Monday. "What he's done for the country and us players, he's taken us to the next level. 

"No manager has been as successful as he has recently. Us players love him, he's exactly what we need. 

"He allows us to go out on the pitch and be our best. He's shown a lot of faith and trust in picking me."

Shaw made his first appearance of the tournament off the bench against Switzerland, having seen his 2023-24 season ended in February by a hamstring injury.

While the Manchester United man has not enjoyed watching on from the sidelines, he was always convinced England would progress despite falling behind in both of their knockout ties thus far, against Slovakia and Switzerland.

"It was tough. I felt more nervous watching than playing, it is quite tough," he said. "I never once thought that we were going to go out, we have to believe right to the end.

"Good moments like Jude Bellingham's [overhead kick versus Slovakia] can happen, but it's down to us to deliver that on the pitch. Game by game we are getting better, there's things we can still improve on but we're looking good."

Elena Rybakina has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for a third straight year, with her progress to the last eight accelerated after opponent Anna Kalinskaya was forced to retire with an injury in the second set.

Fourth seed Rybakina was in complete control of the fourth-round match on Centre Court, leading 6-3 3-0 before Kalinskaya had to call time on the contest after 53 minutes of play, halting what had been her best career run at the tournament.

"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," said Rybakina after her win.

"Anna is a great player. I know she was suffering with a couple of injuries and, if it is the wrist, it is of course very difficult to continue playing. I just wish her a speedy recovery."

Rybakina had also won the last contest between the two players – in Rome last year – due to a retirement from Kalinskaya.

With a strong grass-court record and as one of only two players seeded in the top 10 left in the women's singles tournament, Rybakina is seen as the favourite and player to beat in the second week. She will face either Elina Svitolina next.

Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company

With a remarkable 18-2 match record at Wimbledon, Rybakina is now one of just three players in the Open Era to hold a win percentage of 90% or higher in the women’s singles.

The other two players are, like Rybakina, former Wimbledon champions: Ann Jones (12-1) and Steffi Graf (74-7).

While Rybakina thrives on grass, she has also impressed on other surfaces and she has now reached the quarter-final or better in 11 of her 12 tournaments played this season.

Aside from Rybakina, Iga Swiatek is the only other player over the past three seasons to hold a match win percentage of over 70% on all three surfaces at WTA level.

Spain's tactical flexibility under Luis de la Fuente has been the key to their emergence as the outstanding team at Euro 2024, believes Rodri.

Some felt Spain could struggle after being drawn with Italy, Croatia and Albania in Group B, but they won all three group games and have continued to impress since then.

They thrashed Georgia 4-1 in the last 16 before overcoming hosts Germany 2-1 in extra time in the quarter-finals, teeing up Tuesday's semi-final meeting with France.

The Opta supercomputer makes France (30%) and Spain (30%) favourites to lift the trophy on Sunday, ahead of England (23%) and the Netherlands (16%) on the other side of the draw.

Many believe Spain have played the best football at the tournament, and they lead all teams in Germany for expected goals (10.3 xG), shots (76) and shots on target (36).

However, La Roja only rank third for their average possession share (57%), behind Portugal (66%) and Germany (62%), with England joining those two teams in completing more passes than De la Fuente's men.

Rodri believes being prepared to sacrifice the country's traditional 'Tika-Taka' ideals against better opponents has been a key factor in their success this year.

"You have to know what you're facing, what you can and can't do. That's what we have done best so far, we've played different teams and understood," he told The Guardian.

"We've played a lot of teams that are good collectively: Italy, Croatia, Germany, teams that like to have the ball like we do, where we have had to understand and interpret, to accept that there are moments we won't have it. 

"In fact, we had less possession than some opponents. There were moments when we had to suffer, resist, be together.

"It's important to see those moments, to understand them. Knocking out the hosts, Germany, is one of the hardest things there could be. In the end, we did it."

The Manchester City star believes being prepared to suffer without the ball will also be key against pre-tournament favourites France, saying: "We have to approach this with the same mentality: play like a big team with the ball and a small team without it. 

"They're very strong physically, hard to overcome, great individuals. They play the way they want to play."

Spain suffered a surprise defeat to Scotland early in their qualification campaign, but Rodri always had faith former under-21 boss De la Fuente would get things right.

"I always had a lot of confidence in this group. I knew the coach and I was convinced that with work and effort we would get it right," he said. 

"He understood that the team needed time to assimilate the ideas, two or three key concepts. Spain and City are similar philosophies but you adapt to the coach. 

"Here we try to be a bit more vertical, without so much possession, but with enough possession to do damage to the opponents."

James Anderson has accepted England's decision to move on from him ahead of his final Test appearance, despite believing he is bowling as well as he ever has.

Anderson will play his 188th and final Test this week as England take on West Indies at Lord's, after Brendon McCullum's set-up opted to evolve their bowling attack.

The 41-year-old is the leading wicket-taker among pacemen in Test history, with 700 dismissals in 187 red-ball matches, and has been a fixture in the England attack since his 2003 debut.

Though he says it was not his decision to end his international career, he understands why England are moving on. 

"I haven't really got a choice! It's been a pretty strange couple of months but I feel pretty happy with where things are," Anderson said on Monday.

"I can completely understand the way the management and the team want to go. I have made peace with that and we will see what the future holds."

Anderson took seven wickets for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship last week, and he feels he is still capable of contributing despite his age.

"Coming off a seven-for last week I still feel I am bowling as well as I ever have but I knew it had to end at some point," he added. 

"Whether it's now, a year or two years... the fact that it is now is just something I have to deal with and accept.

"I don't have any regrets. I have played hundreds of games for England, in both white ball and red ball. I have played longer than a lot of people get the opportunity to do.

"I have played with a lot of people more talented than me who didn't get the chance to play due to injury or whatever, so I feel blessed to take the amount of wickets I have."