Gareth Bale is relishing the prospect of his home city Cardiff kicking off the Euro 2028 party.
The former Wales forward, 34, was part of the delegation in Nyon as the UK and Ireland’s bid to host the tournament was formally approved by UEFA.
Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney confirmed Cardiff’s Principality Stadium had been proposed by the bid team as the host venue for the tournament’s opening match – subject to UEFA approval – and Bale believes his country can set the tone for the rest of the event.
“I would love to see that (Cardiff hosting the opening game). We’ve hosted the Champions League final, we did an incredible job,” the former Real Madrid star said.
“Our fans are very passionate and our country is a very passionate country. So if we were to able to get that first game, I think it would be incredible for the country.”
Bale believed the run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 “changed the face of football” in rugby-mad Wales and believes co-hosting 2028 can attract even more young people to the sport.
Bale, whose brother-in-law is Wales rugby star Taulupe Faletau, said: “It’s not just about having the tournament, it’s what it will do for kids growing up.
“I can remember when I was younger, we used to watch the tournament in different countries.
“So to have it on your doorstep, that atmosphere, those kids are going to be watching their idols and their heroes playing and I think that will inspire the next generation even more, and leading into the future that will only create more players hopefully to be available for the national team.”
Mooney highlighted how, in his experience, the Euros had demonstrated its power to change perceptions towards football in both Wales and his native Ireland.
“I grew up in the west of Ireland and 1988 was our first European Championships. We played England and Ray Houghton scored with a header.
“That goal changed not just football but the country. It boosted the confidence of the whole nation,” Mooney recalled.
“There are papers written about the Celtic Tiger and different things, and it really did (provide a confidence boost).
“I grew up in an area where football was banned in my school. It was a British sport and we couldn’t play it.
“So when Ray scored that goal it suddenly became acceptable and admired to play football, and we saw hundreds and hundreds of football clubs, goalposts in farmers’ fields, spring up all over the country.
“Football took off. You may know the story of Liam Brady, who was kicked out of school for playing with the national team.
“I grew up in that background. So 1988 was for us the changing of a country in a very positive sense.
“I’ve been in Wales for two years and what I’ve been struck by is what 2016 has done for the country, people’s confidence, the country’s place in the world.
“Wales on the world stage is something we talk about quite a bit and what Gareth and the boys did back then changed the country.
“Rugby is the national sport but 2016 transformed Wales into a country that loves football.
“Even now as I walk down the streets in Cardiff, I’m convinced that people in Wales are thinking more about football because of what that tournament did for the country.
“For some kid out there, they could play in an Under-19 championship in Wales (in 2026) and then a senior tournament in Wales. It’s great. We don’t know their name yet but they could write their name all over Welsh sporting history.”
Varane to leave Man Utd at end of season
Raphael Varane will depart Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of this season.
The France defender, who is currently sidelined through injury, is set to leave the Red Devils after three years at Old Trafford.
Varane has made 93 appearances for the club since arriving from Real Madrid in August 2021, scoring two goals, and was part of the side that won the Carabao Cup in 2023.
United occupy eighth place in the Premier League table with two games remaining in what has been a torrid 2023-24 campaign, and are in danger of missing out on European qualification.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old is confident brighter times lie ahead for the club.
"It's been an amazing few years to play for this special club and wear that shirt," he said in a video posted on his X account.
"The first time I went to Old Trafford as a Man United player, it was insane. The atmosphere was amazing. I fell in love with the club, with the fans. You have to play for Manchester United to understand what it represents.
"It's going to be a special place for me for life. Despite the fact we had a difficult season, I'm very positive for the future. The new owners are coming in with a clear plan and a great strategy."
Kurzawa to follow Mbappe through PSG exit door
Defender Layvin Kurzawa will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season after nine years with the Ligue 1 giants, he announced on Monday.
Left-back Kurzawa joined PSG from Monaco in 2015 for €23million and has made 154 appearances for the Parisiens.
However, the 31-year-old has fallen out of favour in recent years and has played just eight minutes in one match throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Kurzawa was loaned out to Premier League club Fulham in the 2022-23 season after not playing for the French side for more than 11 months, but he made just six appearances for the English outfit.
"I've had some great times, as well as some tough ones," he wrote in a post on X. "But I want you to know that my love for Paris Saint-Germain is sincere.
"I know that our relationship has sometimes been complicated, but I want you to know that I can only take back the positive and that I have been privileged to have called the Parc des Princes my home for all these years."
Kurzawa's announcement comes after Kylian Mbappe played his final home game for PSG on Sunday, a 3-1 defeat to Toulouse.
Mbappe is widely expected to join Champions League finalists Real Madrid after opting not to activate a one-year extension clause in the big-money deal he signed with PSG in 2022.
Manchester City's success is "not boring" or purely determined by financial reasons, head coach Pep Guardiola insists.
The Citizens are on the hunt for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title, and could become the first team to win back-to-back doubles should they also prevail in the FA Cup final later this month.
Once again, City appear to be hitting form at just the right time, winning each of their last four matches by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.
Guardiola's side are a point behind leaders Arsenal heading into the final week of the campaign, and will leapfrog the Gunners should they win their game in hand against Tottenham.
But the Spaniard rejected the claim City's success is becoming too predictable - or that it is down to the money they have spent - believing other teams would have lifted more silverware than his side had that been the case.
"It's not boring," he said. "It's difficult. Before, it was the money. For that reason, Manchester United should have won all the titles, Chelsea - all the titles, Arsenal - all the titles.
"They spent as much money in the last five years as us. They should be there. They are not there.
"For that reason, Girona shouldn’t be in the Champions League [next season] and Leicester should win the Premier League."
City will take a giant step towards that fourth straight Premier League crown with victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.
While Guardiola admits the achievement was not at the forefront of his squad's intentions at the beginning of the campaign, he is well aware of it's significance.
"In the beginning of the season, we didn't think about it," he added. "But then we were in February, March and April, we were still there [in the title race]. After that, it ignites something in all our heads.
"No team has done it. That shows how hard it is. Liverpool in the 1980s, Alex Ferguson's [Manchester] United in the 1990s. Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich and Jose [Mourinho], Arsenal with [Arsene] Wenger didn't do it."
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