Denmark

Further matches have been postponed while others appear unable to go ahead due to increased travel restrictions between affected countries.

Governing bodies are also taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by cancelling planned meetings, while others are calling for further changes to the calendar.

Here are some of the latest events to be impacted.

Football's governing body has decided to cancel the next FIFA Congress in Addis Ababa on June 5. It has also pushed back the coming FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, due to be on March 20, until June or July. Attendees may be required to join via a video link.

In France, the Coupe de la Ligue final on April 4 between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been postponed. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said a new date would be announced in due course. It means the PSG-Metz and Lyon-Nimes Ligue 1 matches will be moved to the weekend of April 4-5 but be held behind closed doors. PSG will have Kylian Mbappe available against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, though: the striker is in the squad after overcoming illness, with L'Equipe among those to report he had tested negative for coronavirus.

Germany has seen the first confirmed instance of a footballer contracting coronavirus. Hannover defender Timo Hubers has tested positive but been praised by the club for his "absolutely exemplary" behaviour, as he immediately self-isolated before coming into contact with the rest of the squad.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will face Union Berlin on Saturday behind closed doors, and the latter's derby with Hertha Berlin on March 21 will take place under the same circumstances. Borussia Monchengladbach have urged fans not to gather outside the stadium ahead of Wednesday's match with Cologne.

FIFPro, the footballers' union, has urged governing bodies across the world "to respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures including suspending training or competitions". Steps are certainly being taken in Spain, where the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has recommended football at all levels beneath the top two professional leagues to be called off for two weeks. The RFEF will reportedly meet with league officials to discuss similar proposals for LaLiga and the Segunda Division.

Meanwhile, Roma's match with Sevilla in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday is off after the Italian club confirmed they had not been given permission by the government to fly to Andalusia. Getafe had already refused to travel for their game with Inter in Italy.

The big news in Englandwas that Manchester City versus Arsenal was called off as a precaution after the Gunners came into contact with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who announced on Tuesday that he had caught the disease. In general, though, the UKhas not been following the same stringent protocols as some other European nations and that is continuing for now. Arsenal's match with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday has not been called off, while England's planned friendlies at Wembley this month against Italy and Denmark are, at present, going ahead. Forest have also confirmed all players and staff have tested negative for coronavirus.

In Scotland, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard says the domestic season must be completed, even if behind closed doors, "because people have earned the opportunity to get to the stage where everyone is at". League chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed last week that completing the Premiership season could become "very difficult".

The England and Wales Cricket Board has told supporters "to maintain good levels of hygiene" during England's tour of Sri Lanka. As a precaution, players and staff have been told to avoid casual interaction with fans, such as selfies and autographs.

In Bangladesh, the World XI v Asia XI matches that would have marked the birthday celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been postponed, while the Indian Open has been called off following a consultation between the Indian Golf Union, the European Tour, the Asian Tour and tournament sponsors.

MotoGP has also announced that the ArgentinaGrand Prix has been moved to November. The opening race of the season in Qatar and the Grand Prix of the Americas have already been rescheduled.

On Wednesday, Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen announced all public activities should be restricted or shut down for two weeks, leading the DBU to cancel all domestic football commitments until March 29.

Denmark have a scheduled match against Faroe Islands in Herning on March 27 before the scheduled trip to Wembley four days later.

In a statement, the DBU said it was prepared for both of those fixtures to be called off.

DBU statutory director Kenneth Reeh added: "Denmark is in a sad and special situation, which of course also affects Danish football. Like everyone else in society, we take the situation very seriously and, of course, take the necessary precautions. That is why we are closing down as many football activities as possible over the next few weeks.

"We do not want to risk passing the infection on to the weakest in the community, nor risk anything for our national team players, our fans or others who work with our national team. We are in dialogue with UEFA regarding the practicalities of both the youth tournaments and the matches of the men's team and expect clarification as soon as possible."

England remain scheduled to face Italy at Wembley on March 27 at this stage, despite the latter reporting the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Europe and being placed on lockdown.

After missing Belgium's 3-0 win against Russia due to an acute nose bone fracture suffered in the Champions League final, De Bruyne made a goalscoring return to action in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Yussuf Poulsen scored in the second minute of the Euro 2020 clash to give Denmark the lead, but Thorgan Hazard levelled for Belgium nine minutes into the second half after being teed up by substitute De Bruyne.

De Bruyne then fired the winner with 20 minutes to go, lashing home a brilliant shot from the edge of the penalty area.

The introduction of De Bruyne for the start of that second half proved a key tactical switch, and Martinez said the change was as much about gaining his experience as his quality.

"You never doubt Kevin De Bruyne's talent," Martinez told reporters.

"Obviously it's a big ask to come on at half-time and be able to affect the game the way he did it.

"It's not just about talent, it's also about his know-how, and the way he played in the second half he didn't look like a player that has been through surgery, that has been away from the football pitch.

"Again, it shows you the way he has looked after himself, the way he has been focused in training. But I don't think anyone could doubt his talent.

"This was a very impressive way for a player who has been away for a long time to introduce himself and affect the game in that way."

Martinez said that the atmosphere inside Parken Stadium was a factor in Denmark making a strong start to the game.

Kasper Hjulmand's side were playing their first game since midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during their opening game, a 1-0 defeat to Finland.

Banners bearing messages to Eriksen were held aloft in the crowd and Martinez described the impact of the supporters, saying: "It's difficult to explain if you were watching on TV, it's easier if you were in the stadium.

"The fans created an incredible atmosphere and gave the home team a goal lead. At that point we were a little shell-shocked, it took us probably 20 minutes to start being ourselves.

"We couldn't get through that desire, that heart and that pressure that the Danish team put on.

"That's expected, in a way. They were playing at home, they needed to win to qualify and I felt that the first half was a lot of emotion involved that took away a lot of what we can do on a football pitch."

Southgate's preparations for the match were thrown into flux when Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood were banished from the squad for breaking coronavirus protocols in the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 win over Iceland.

Conor Coady and Kalvin Phillips made their debuts but a solitary blocked shot was all England had to show for their forgettable first-half efforts, with Kasper Dolberg almost giving Denmark a deserved lead.

Harry Kane had a stoppage-time effort hacked off the line by Mathias Jorgensen when Kasper Schmeichel erred, but that near-outcome would have flattered England.

Southgate's tactical switch saw his side control significant chunks of possession early on, although the front three of Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and captain Kane were frequently isolated. 

Denmark went closest to the breakthrough before half-time - Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite flashing a 31st-minute shot past the post from the edge of the area before Dolberg brought a fine save from Jordan Pickford, Christian Eriksen having left former Tottenham team-mate Eric Dier in his wake.

Eriksen clumping a 65th-minute free-kick high into the stand behind Pickford was a less astute contribution to a contest that continued to plod.

England belatedly crafted a clear opening with a little over 20 minutes remaining, with Kane unable to convert Kieran Trippier's left-wing cross at the far post.

Kasper Schmeichel then saved unconvincingly from Sterling, with Mason Mount's introduction in place of Sancho having belatedly injected some playmaking impetus for the visitors.

Eriksen hacked over from 10 yards under timely pressure from Joe Gomez before Kane almost made it two last-gasp wins from two.

What does it mean: Southgate must ditch imbalanced plan B

Fingers will be pointed at England's formation after this tepid affair, but Southgate's squad is full of players used to switching systems frequently under some of the most innovative coaches in the game. The problem here was a lack of balance, with right-footed players deployed in the left of the back three, on the left flank and on that side of the forward trident.

Mount's introduction paid obvious dividends and should have come sooner, although Southgate does have the inconvenience of planning around Foden and Greenwood's indiscretions as mitigation when assessing a bad night at the office.

Eriksen shows his class

The experienced playmaker has a point to prove at Inter this season but frequently posed eloquent questions that seemed beyond England's midfield. His three shots were more than any other Denmark player.

Rice turns in stodgy showing

Southgate is committed to giving Rice a run of games as his midfield anchorman and it is time for the West Ham man to start repaying some of that faith. His pass completion rate was only 76.7 per cent, with debutant Phillips looking far more adept in a game both players did not need to start.

What's next?

Matchday three in Group A2 sees England host Belgium, with Denmark travelling to Iceland. Roberto Martinez's men have six points after dismantling Iceland 5-1.

Denmark entered Saturday's Group A2 opener unbeaten in 15 matches since September 2018 but were undone at the Parken Stadium by goals in either half.

Denayer profited from some slack defending to convert Mertens' corner inside nine minutes and the hosts, who will face Belgium in next year's rescheduled Euro 2020, never truly recovered.

Mertens made certain of the win 14 minutes from time as Belgium - now beaten in just two of their last 43 matches - moved level on points with England after the first round of fixtures.

Mikel Oyarzabal and Ayoze Perez were on the scoresheet as the unbeaten Roja made it four wins and a draw to pull six points clear of the second-placed Danes. 

Luis de la Fuente's side capitalised on a poor pass from Denmark centre-back Jannik Vestergaard to open the scoring as Oyarzabal latched on to a ball from Perez and finished past Kasper Schmeichel in the 15th minute. 

Villarreal forward Perez then doubled the visitors' lead in the 58th minute after Dani Olmo turned provider with a defence-splitting pass. 

The hosts reduced the deficit with six minutes of regulation time left, as Fabian Ruiz's back pass to goalkeeper David Raya was intercepted by Gustav Isaksen, who had been denied by the woodwork moments earlier, and he slotted into an open goal to set up a tense ending. 

But the Spaniards held on for the win and will now face Switzerland in their final group game on Monday, before taking part in the quarter-finals, scheduled for March. 

Riemer served in a variety of coaching roles with Copenhagen before joining Brentford as an assistant to Thomas Frank in 2018, leaving to take the top job at Anderlecht four years later.

He oversaw a third-place finish in the Belgian Pro League last season before being relieved of his duties, but he will now take over from interim Denmark coach Lars Knudsen, who oversaw a return of seven points from their first four matches in Nations League Group A4.

"With Brian Riemer, we get a coach with the energy, passion and great commitment that we have been looking for," DBU football director Peter Moller said in a statement. 

"He shares our view of football about trying to dominate matches and playing attacking and technical football."

Denmark, who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, suffered a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup before being eliminated by Germany in the last 16 at Euro 2024.

"Becoming the national coach for Denmark is a big dream that is coming true, and I am enormously proud and honoured. At the same time, I feel completely ready for the task and am extremely motivated," Riemer said.

"I will give everything for this fantastic team and country, and together with the players, the staff and all the Danish fans, we will fight to achieve something great together."

Denmark scraped through Group C in Germany with three draws, before losing 2-0 to hosts Germany in a round-of-16 tie featuring several controversial VAR interventions.

It was Denmark's second underwhelming tournament in a row, after they crashed out in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Hjulmand took the reins in 2020 after Age Hareide's departure, with his first tournament his most successful as Denmark reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals, losing to England in extra time.

"It has been an incredible honour and privilege to be allowed to coach our national team for four years," Hjulmand said in a statement released on Friday. 

"I have given everything I had to achieve success and to get the people to rally around the team. 

"Representing your country is the absolute greatest thing I can imagine, and I will look back on a fantastic time with great support for our dream. 

"When I look two years ahead to the World Cup, I can feel that it will be best for the team that there is a new face and new ideas who can write a new big chapter for this fantastic team, and therefore it is best that someone else leads the team forward. 

"It's not about me. It's about what's best for the team."

Denmark, the Euro 92 winners, gave hope to generations of teams that would follow them onto the big stage.

How could a nation with a population of a little over five million in 1992 sweep away the competition, when that competition looked so formidable?

Michel Platini's France squad boasted Papin, Cantona, Deschamps, Blanc and Boli; Germany had Klinsmann, Hassler, Moller and World Cup final match-winner Brehme; the Netherlands fielded Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard and a young Bergkamp.

Nobody was tipping Denmark, who were called into the tournament 10 days before it began after the expulsion of Yugoslavia, a decision taken by UEFA amid war in the Balkans.

Denmark have given hope to teams who logically should have none. This hope has often been outrageously misplaced. The notion that 'if Denmark can do it, so can we' is a fallacy. The Danes opened the door and fantasists walked through.

The 1992 Denmark team were a band of brothers who seized their unexpected opportunity, facing on-field and off-field challenges along the way. Thirty years since the June 26 final, we celebrate them.

HOW ON EARTH DID THEY DO IT?

There was little indication of what was to come when Denmark followed a 0-0 draw against England by losing 1-0 to hosts Sweden; however, a 2-1 victory over France in Malmo snapped the watching continent to attention.

Peter Schmeichel. John Jensen. Brian Laudrup. Kim Vilfort. Torben Piechnik. The football world knew about goalkeeper Schmeichel, a year into his Manchester United career, and Laudrup was Denmark's star outfielder. But many in their side were barely known outside Denmark. Twelve of their 20 still played in the Danish league.

Michael Laudrup was in international exile, after he and Brian quit the national team in late 1990, unimpressed with new coach Richard Moller Nielsen. Brian came back shortly before the Euros, but Barcelona forward Michael continued to give international football a swerve. Denmark got by without him.

"We were very fortunate that we were one group of people who felt like pioneers in Danish football," Schmeichel told UEFA.com. "We felt we had responsibility to break the waves and go against the tide and prove to everyone that we can compete."

He said it was a "myth" that the Danes had been summoned from the beach, not least because the Danish season was still in full swing.

It was "like a funeral" in the Denmark dressing room after the England stalemate, according to Schmeichel.

"But from that moment on we felt we were definitely in a position where we can compete in this tournament," he said.

SLAYING THE GIANTS

In an eight-team tournament, scraping through in second place from Group 1 meant the Danes went straight into a semi-final.

Getting the better of the Netherlands looked beyond Denmark, given the defending champions were so strong.

Both teams knew Germany were waiting in the final, having got the better of Sweden 3-2 in the first semi-final. The Netherlands had beaten Germany in the group stage, but their hopes of a second clash with Berti Vogts' side were to be shattered in Gothenburg.

Henrik Larsen's double either side of a Bergkamp strike almost gave the Danes victory in 90 minutes, but Frank Rijkaard grabbed a late leveller. When it came to penalties, Schmeichel's save from Marco van Basten made all the difference, every other player scoring from the spot as Kim Christofte sealed the shoot-out success.

In an interview at the FIFA Best awards in 2022, Schmeichel recalled how he had found inspiration in the national team from a young age.

"I have to go back to even 1984 when Denmark lost to Spain in the semi-finals of the Euros," Schmeichel said.

"I was in the generation that came after that and [took] the inspiration from that, and the understanding that even though we are from a small country with a limited number of people playing football, if you work hard and look for your luck, and we always produce skilful players, then there is an opportunity to create very, very good results."

Denmark were winning their battles on the pitch, but the most important struggle was being fought away from the spotlight, with Vilfort's young daughter Line battling leukaemia.

He missed the France game to be with his family in Copenhagen but returned to Sweden before the semi-final. A movie dramatisation of Denmark's great triumph that summer portrayed Line telling her father he should go back and join his team-mates.

Come the June 26 final against Germany, the Danes were not alone in thinking the improbable might just be possible.

At the Ullevi stadium, Germany began strongly but were caught out in the 18th minute when Jensen sent a sizzling strike past Bodo Illgner.

Schmeichel and his defence defied Germany, and in the 78th minute came a magical moment for Vilfort when he found space between Brehme and Thomas Helmer before sending a low left-footed shot in off the right post, sealing a 2-0 win.

Schmeichel said Denmark's achievement came "from not accepting we're a small country".

"If we get the right circumstances, we can go and do whatever job we want to do, so it's more a mentality thing," he said. "I think that, more than anything, was why we won the European Championship. It was magical and unexpected."

Coach Moller Nielsen later reflected on his sudden change of plans for June 1992.

Moller Nielsen, who died in 2014, was quoted by UEFA as saying: "I was supposed to fit a new kitchen [in my house] but then we were called away to play in Sweden. The kitchen is finished now. I got a professional decorator to do it."

From a hospital bed, Line Vilfort got to see her father lead Denmark to the country's greatest footballing success.

She died a few weeks later, at the age of seven. Dad was a national hero, but this would be the cruellest of final chapters in the story of these great Danes, a personal tragedy amid a summer-long national celebration.

Winger Doku, 18, has established himself as a first-team fixture at Anderlecht over the past year, where Dimata, 22, has returned after missing the entirety of last season with knee damage by scoring two in the opening three Pro League games of 2020-21.

"Doku is an exceptional talent," Martinez said. "He brings something very important in modern football and that is his qualities in one-on-one situations.

"Dimata has a special profile. A number nine is a very important profile for us.

"Just that he has already played three matches can be important for us. We have always rated him highly and think this is a good time to include him in the group. "

Benteke has been a mainstay in Martinez's squads up until this point despite a dwindling goals return – he managed six over the course of the previous three Premier League seasons at Crystal Palace – while Batshuayi has struggled for opportunities at Chelsea, where the arrival of Timo Werner does little for his prospects.

"On Batshuayi and Benteke we have had direct contact with their clubs and it turned out that it was better that they did not travel and did not leave the training camp," Martinez said. 

"It is not a football decision. Benteke is in our plans. Batshuayi had a difficult season, but has a lot of credit because of what he did before for the national team. "

Explaining his selections, Martinez suggested players competing in Belgium's domestic competition, such as three-times capped Anderlecht midfielder Yari Verschaeren, had been granted an advantage due to their season already being up and running.

"September will be a strange period," he said. "Some players are coming out of a rest period, so it is a good time to use players who have already gained rhythm.

"Especially for players with a great future. It will be a good experience for players like Doku and Verschaeren."

Thomas Vermaelen was not named in the 29-man group, but Martinez explained the Vissel Kobe defender would be added if his travel from Japan could be cleared.

Belgium travel to face Denmark on September 5 before hosting Iceland three days later in Group A2, which also features England.

Belgium squad:

Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Hendrik van Crombrugge (Anderlecht); Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Hertha Berlin), Elias Cobbaut (Anderlecht), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica), Timothy Castagne (Atalanta), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund); Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Nacer Chadli (Monaco), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Dennis Praet (Leicester City), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Borussia Dortmund), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht); Dries Mertens (Napoli), Divock Origi (Liverpool), Jeremy Doku (Anderlecht), Landry Dimata (Anderlecht), Romelu Lukaku (Inter), Leandro Trossard (Brighton and Hove Albion).

OneLove, which promotes 'inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind', has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.

England, along with other European nations like Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, formed an alliance with all stating their captains would wear the armband in a show of solidarity and support with the LGBTQ community.

However, FIFA attempted to wrestle back control of the narrative on Saturday by launching their own collection of armbands across a range of social issues with a different subject for each stage, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves'.

It also emerged they were also considering ordering referees to issue yellow cards to captains wearing the OneLove armbands as soon as matches kicked off.

It has left the Football Association (FA) in an uncomfortable position just hours before Gareth Southgate's men open their campaign at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham told Radio 4's Today programme: "We've had meetings with FIFA this morning and there are discussions that are carrying on.

"We're very keen to wear the armband, we want to do it, but we would need to consider the implications.

"Normally in these situations there'd be a fine that would get paid and we've always said we are very happy to do that – well, happy might be the wrong word but we'd be prepared to pay the fine because we think it's important to show our support for inclusion.

"If the sporting sanction threat is real, though, we'd need to look at that, take a step back and work our if there's another way to show our values."

In concerning scenes, Eriksen collapsed during Denmark's tournament opener against Finland in June and was given CPR before subsequently undergoing successful heart surgery.

The 29-year-old was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), meaning he is unable to play in Serie A due to not meeting the "requirements of achieving sporting fitness" in Italy.

Eriksen would be allowed to play in other domestic leagues across Europe and, according to reports from BT in Denmark, the midfielder has been using his former club OB's training facilities to improve his fitness.

The former Tottenham man has been working with a personal trainer at OB's Adalen training ground and reportedly took part in numerous drills on Wednesday.

"We are really happy that Christian Eriksen is keeping in shape right now on our courts," OB's sports director Michael Hemmingsen told BT.

"We have kept in touch with Christian since he switched from OB, and therefore we are happy that he asked us if he could retrain in Adalen."

Eriksen played youth football for the Danish Superliga side before joining Ajax in 2008, later going on to represent Tottenham and current employers Inter.

Barring one visit to Inter's training ground in early August and a trip to visit his international team-mates, Eriksen has rarely been seen in public since the worrying event against Finland, with his future remaining unclear for the moment.

June 12 marked the third anniversary of Eriksen collapsing on the pitch in Denmark's opening match of Euro 2020, with the midfielder having suffered a cardiac arrest.

Thanks to the heroic work of the medical staff in Copenhagen that day, Eriksen survived, and ultimately returned to professional football within seven months, as he signed for Brentford.

And rather fittingly, the 32-year-old scored Denmark's opener against Slovenia in Stuttgart on Sunday, netting his first goal at the Euros in the process.

Eriksen became his nation's oldest player to score at a major tournament, albeit Denmark could not hold on, as they were pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Erik Janza's deflected strike.

Asked if the events of 2021 were on his mind when he prodded home against Slovenia, Eriksen said: "I was very pleased.

"I did have in mind that I hadn't scored at a Euros, so obviously that was on my mind - but nothing else but football was on my mind.

"This time at the Euros, my story is very different to last time. Luckily there's been a lot of games since it happened. I felt confident going into this game and I was just happy to be playing."

Eriksen was hugely influential for Denmark against Slovenia, creating seven chances and attempting 14 crosses.

Next up for the Danes is a clash with England on Thursday.

The OneLove campaign which promotes "inclusion and sends a message against discrimination of any kind" has grown in significance in the build-up to the tournament in Qatar, a country in which homosexuality is illegal.

FIFA attempted to shift the narrative on Saturday - a day before the opening game between the hosts and Ecuador - by launching a collection of armbands across a range of social issues with a different subject for each stage, including 'Save the Planet' and 'Bring the Moves'.

However, the football director of the Danish Football Union Peter Moller said Denmark skipper Simon Kjaer will continue to support OneLove and claimed to have the backing of several UEFA teams.

He said: "The plan is to go on the pitch with the rainbow captain's armband.  

"The intention has always been to play with the armband that we did against Croatia and France in the Nations League. We want to play with that armband."

Moller accepted that could result in the DBU being sanctioned by FIFA, but was happy to stand by the decision, adding: "Will we get a penalty for it? I have no idea.

"We may be wiser when some of the other countries have played before us.

"Through dialogue with other federations - including England, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands - we have chosen to go in this direction."

Team manager Oliver Bierhoff says Germany have "expressed a clear position on these issues". 

He added: "We will certainly co-ordinate with the other nations again, because it is also important that there is not only one voice from Germany, but also the voices of several countries from Europe.

"And we assume that we can continue to wear the armband."

Asked why FIFA insisted on introducing their own set of armbands, president Gianni Infantino said: "We have clear regulations on armbands.

"We have engaged in campaigns on different topics, campaigns which are universal. We need to find topics that everyone can adhere to. This is an important element for us."

While Robert Lewandowski and Alexia Putellas, who won the women's Ballon d'Or last year, took home the prizes for Best Men's and Women's player respectively, the Blues had winners in the form of Thomas Tuchel, Emma Hayes and Edouard Mendy.

Tuchel, who guided Chelsea to Champions League success last season, scooped the Best Men's Coach award, while Hayes was named Best Women's Coach.

Hayes' team won the Women's FA Cup and Premier League in 2020-21, while also finishing as runners-up in the Women's Champions League to Barcelona, who Putellas plays for.

Mendy, meanwhile, won the Best Men's Goalkeeper award. However, he did not make the Men's XI, with Italy and Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma preferred.

Tuchel's triumph also means that a German coach has won the Men's award for the last three years, after Jurgen Klopp in 2020 and 2019.

The Denmark national team won the Fair Play Award for their actions in helping to save Christian Eriksen's life after the midfielder collapsed on the pitch in Copenhagen at Euro 2020.

Erik Lamela won the Puskas Award for his incredible rabona finish in the north London derby.

Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, was given a Special Award for his career achievements.

FIFA Best Awards 2021 winners:

Robert Lewandowski (Best Men's Player)
Thomas Tuchel (Best Men's Coach)
Edouard Mendy (Best Men's Goalkeeper)
Alexia Putellas (Best Women's Player)
Emma Hayes (Best Women's Coach)
Christiane Endler (Best Women's Goalkeeper)
Denmark men's national team (FIFA Fair Play Award)
Erik Lamela (Puskas Award)
Denmark and Finland fans (FIFA Fan Award)
Cristiano Ronaldo (FIFA Special Award)
Christine Sinclair (FIFA Special Award)

Greenwood, 19, and Phil Foden, 20, were removed from the Three Lions' squad prior to the game in Denmark last month after it emerged they had ignored coronavirus-prevention protocols in Iceland following England's 1-0 Nations League win, a game in which both players made their senior debuts.

An Icelandic website had published a story where Foden and Greenwood appeared to be shown in a Snapchat video posted by one of two women they were said to be socialising with – the country's self-isolation rules prohibited such a meeting.

As such, they have been left out by Southgate for the upcoming friendly with Wales and subsequent Nations League games against Belgium and Denmark, though the England manager did stress that from now on their call-up chances will be judged on form rather than past indiscretions.

But Manchester United's Maguire is back in the picture. The centre-back was dropped in August after initially being found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts at bribery at a misdemeanours court in Greece.

However, Maguire's legal representatives lodged an appeal, meaning the court's initial verdict was nullified and a full retrial will now take place at a more senior court. The defender has since been back in action domestically for the Red Devils.

Greenwood's absence has provided an opportunity for in-form Everton striker Calvert-Lewin, who is enjoying a scintillating start to the 2020-21 season, scoring eight goals in five matches.

Included in that record is a pair of hat-tricks, scored in the 5-2 Premier League win over West Brom and Wednesday's 4-1 EFL Cup dismantling of West Ham.

There are also maiden call-ups for Arsenal talent Bukayo Saka and Leicester City's Harvey Barnes, while Jack Grealish is also named - the Aston Villa star was only included last month as a late replacement for Marcus Rashford.

England squad in full:

Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City); Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham); Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Harvey Barnes (Leicester City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Danny Ings (Southampton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

Since completing a €100million move to Real Madrid in June 2019, Hazard has been beset by injury problems and limited to just 25 appearances in all competitions.

He has scored two goals and supplied four assists for Los Blancos, after a final campaign at Chelsea in which he registered 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League alone.

A muscle injury meant his first outing of 2020-21 did not come until October 27 and three games into his return he tested positive for coronavirus.  

Hazard was again positive for COVID-19 at the weekend and will consequently miss Belgium's crunch Nations League Group A2 clash with Denmark.

However, Martinez is confident the 29-year-old will soon return to his previous heights and play an important role for Madrid and Belgium.

"Eden really wanted to join us and play the last three games in 2020," said Martinez on Tuesday.

"He has had a really complicated year. I am convinced that 2021 will be a fabulous year for Eden Hazard, and also the national team."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois added: "It's a shame he'll miss this match, but we have enough quality to win without him.

"The group has more experience, we know what we have to improve. We have one of the best teams in the world."

Martinez will also be without the suspended duo Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier for the meeting in Heverlee, where a point will be enough for Belgium to qualify for the Nations League Finals.

"We are not going to focus on the absentees. I am looking at the players that will have the chance to put themselves forward, to seize an opportunity," said Martinez.

"I have many solutions to compensate for the absences of Wistel and Meunier. There is Thomas Foket, Thorgan Hazard and Nacer Chadli among others.

"Denmark are a very strong team but we want to participate in the Finals so we will do everything to win. We are not going to aim for a draw. We have to win for the fans and to end the year on a good note."

Belgium missed out on a place in the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019 after losing their final group game against Switzerland 5-2.

Courtois insists they have learned from that performance and know they cannot take Denmark lightly.

"We know their strengths and weaknesses. If they win, they will quality. We have to show intensity from the first minute to the last, be careful and focused. We will not easily win this game 4-0," said Courtois.

"We had relaxed a bit that day [against Switzerland], it's true. We learned from that match. We are ready for Wednesday."

Spain won five of their six games in Group A4, and will face the Dutch for the first time in a competitive match since their 5-1 defeat at the World Cup in 2014. 

France, who emerged victorious in the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League, will take on Croatia in a repeat of their World Cup final meeting six years ago. 

Germany will face Italy while Portugal, who were the inaugural winners of the tournament, were drawn against Denmark, with the two-legged fixtures taking place in March. 

The semi-finals are single legs which will get underway in June, with the third-place play-off and final to be played three days later.

European champions Spain, Portugal and Germany topped their groups without losing a game to go into the seeded teams' pot along with France.

The winner of Spain's enticing tie with the Netherlands will play either France or Croatia, while Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to inspire Portugal to a second title. 

Only Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres (nine), Norway's Erling Haaland (seven) and Romania's Razvan Marin (six) have scored more goals in this year's edition than Ronaldo (five). 

Scotland, who finished third in Group A1 behind Portugal and Croatia, will face Greece in a Nations League play-off to remain in the top tier of the competition.

The other play-off games will see Turkey face Hungary, Ukraine take on Belgium, and Austria square off against Serbia in March. 

La Roja beat Denmark 1-0 in the Nations League on Saturday, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions.

The European champions last lost in March, when they went down 1-0 to Colombia, who subsequently went on to reach the Copa America final this year.

Spain attempted 25 shots against Denmark, equalling their highest tally in a Nations League game (25 against Ukraine in September 2020), and De la Fuente was quick to hail the quality of his players.

"We're happy, first of all, with the win," he told UEFA's media channels.

"Given how the match developed, we knew it was going to be a very tough game.

"It fit perfectly in the game plan we had. It's a joy to watch these players, regardless of whether they’ve had more or fewer opportunities [to play] before.

"We have an exceptional group of footballers who, when they get their chance, show their full potential.

"It's great for Spanish football. Today, with what we saw, this win becomes even more significant. Playing against Denmark, a fantastic team, and being able to dominate, especially in the second half, control the situation, and dictate the tempo of the game, I think that's something to be very happy about – I certainly am."

Martin Zubimendi, who started in midfield in the absence of injured Rodri, netted the winner against the Danes.

That was the Real Sociedad midfielder's first international goal, but also the first time he has scored from outside of the box in his senior career.

In concerning scenes in Copenhagen against Finland in June, Eriksen received CPR on the pitch with his team-mates forming a protective screen around him.

The Denmark midfielder has subsequently been fitted with a pacemaker and encouragingly returned to Inter's training ground in August – Eriksen's health being "the only thing that matters" to Kjaer.

Kjaer was one of the first to the scene and prevented Eriksen from swallowing his own tongue as he placed his team-mate into the recovery position.

The centre-back was hailed as a saviour but he told Corriere della Sera: "I'm not a hero, I just did what I had to do, without thinking, like anyone else would.

"Then what happened, happened. I was ready to remain lucid, like all my team-mates. It was a team effort, obviously we would have done the same if he had been an opponent.

"Instinct guided me, and I did what I had to, automatically. It was the first time this happened to me, I hope it’s the last, too.

"That’s all. The only thing that matters is that Christian is fine now. That's the only important thing. I did it without thinking."

It remains unclear if Eriksen will be able to play in Italy again due to the national restrictions on people playing with ICDs – a device connected to the heart to regulate abnormal rhythms.

However, Eriksen could feature in other European countries, as seen by the example of Daley Blind, who still features for Ajax despite an ICD fitting in 2019.

Kjaer's focus remains firmly on Serie A with Milan and, after Stefano Pioli credited the Denmark international as a leader, the Rossoneri fans want the defender to take the armband.

"We already have a captain and his name is [Alessandro] Romagnoli," the 32-year-old responded to questions over the captaincy.

"There is great harmony and sportiness between us. I don't care about the armband. I do my best always and in any case.

"There is harmony, unity [at Milan]. But above all there is a desire to work. Because without work, there is no improvement.

"A team like Milan has the duty to aim for the maximum. This is the only way to grow. I've never won a championship and I'd like to do it with Milan. [It] would be a dream."