The Copa America is well under way, with the group stages already done and dusted.
Argentina made light work of progressing from Group A, even though Lionel Messi had to sit out their last fixture.
And key to their success has been the goalscoring form of Lautaro Martinez, who is making up for some bad misses at the 2022 World Cup.
Brazil also progressed, with Vinicius Junior their talisman as expected, while Darwin Nunez is the key attacker for Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing Uruguay.
Ahead of the knockouts, how is the Copa America Golden Boot race shaping up?
Lautaro Martinez (four goals)
We'll start with the leader in the race, and that is Martinez.
The forward had an outstanding season for Inter, who he led to the Scudetto while finishing as top scorer in Serie A, scoring 24 goals in 33 appearances, and comfortably outperforming his 17.6 xG.
However, he came into the build-up to this tournament in poor form for his country, having not netted for Argentina in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
But he scored a double in a 4-1 win over Guatemala in a pre-tournament friendly, and even though he has started just one of Argentina's matches so far, he has netted four times.
Martinez is also the Argentina player with the most shots (nine). In fact, since his debut in the Copa America in 2019, Martinez is the tournament's top scorer with nine goals (two in 2019, three in 2021, four in 2024), four more than Messi and Luis Diaz (five each).
It remains to be seen whether Martinez will have to settle for a super-sub role once Messi returns to the fold, but with Ecuador next up, and then a potential semi-final against either Canada or Venezuela, Argentina's path to the final is opening up nicely, and Martinez should fancy his chances.
Vinicius Junior (two goals)
Fresh from winning the Champions League with Real Madrid (and scoring in the final – again), Vinicius came into the Copa America as Brazil's talisman.
With Neymar absent through injury, the onus is on the winger to provide the creative spark and clinical edge to drag what looks like a more dogged, workmanlike squad through to the latter stages.
However, he will be absent for Brazil's clash with in-form Uruguay, who are arguably the favourites going into that tie, due to picking up two yellow cards in the group stages.
Vinicius' booking tally matches his goal tally at the tournament so far, with both of those having come in the first half of a 4-1 rout of Paraguay.
But with Brazil only having a maximum of two games left, will he have time to catch Martinez?
Darwin Nunez (two goals)
One player who could end Vinicius' hopes altogether is Uruguay forward Nunez.
The Liverpool striker is an erratic finisher, but he is an integral part of Marcelo Bielsa's free-flowing attack.
The 24-year-old may never be ultra-clinical, (he had a shot conversion rate of 10.2 per cent in the Premier League in the season just gone) but his pace, tenacity and work rate make him the ideal Bielsa folly up top.
Indeed, he has converted just one of his six Opta-defined big chances so far at this Copa America, but his two goals have come from an xG of 1.8, showing he's about on track.
If Uruguay can get past Brazil, they will face Colombia or Panama in the semi-finals. Nunez should be locking in on that Golden Boot.
Salomon Rondon (two goals)
An unlikely name on this list is Venezuela veteran Rondon, but his two goals – scored in wins over Mexico and Jamaica – helped his side top Group B with nine points.
Venezuela will face Canada in the quarters, and while Jesse Marsch's team are a surprise package in the last eight, they have proved they can be wide open defensively at times.
Only three players can better Rondon's 1.98 xG across the tournament so far, while the 34-year-old has had 13 shots, which matches Martinez's total.
He is getting into good positions and having plenty of attempts. If Venezuela indeed get the better of Canada, who's to say Rondon cannot claim this prize?
Daniel Munoz, Eduard Bello, Maximiliano Araujo (two goals)
There are three other players tied on two goals, though perhaps they are a tad more unlikely to challenge Martinez.
Munoz grabbed his second goal of the tournament in Colombia's 1-1 draw with Brazil, though as a right-back, he cannot be expected to keep up the scoring run.
Bello, meanwhile, has scored his two goals from just three shots, so that does not seem particularly sustainable.
Araujo, on the other hand, has netted twice from an xG of just 0.6, so he is overperforming.
What about Messi?
Not only did Messi finish as joint-top scorer at the 2021 Copa, he was also the leading assister and then, 18 months later, he went on to lead Argentina to World Cup glory, scoring seven goals in the process, from 6.6 expected goals – only Kylian Mbappe (eight) netted more times in Qatar.
Messi has scored 13 Copa America goals, which puts him joint-seventh on the all-time list, alongside fellow Argentina great Gabriel Batistuta.
However, he has been unable to add to that total so far.
He took on the role of creator in Argentina's opening win against Canada, and has had seven shots in total, but so far, no luck.
Netherlands 2-1 Turkiye: Oranje tee up England clash after Muldur's own goal
The Netherlands came from behind to battle into the Euro 2024 semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Turkiye as Mert Muldur's own goal proved the difference in Berlin.
Samet Akaydin headed home after 35 minutes at the Olympiastadion, while Arda Guler was denied by the woodwork as Turkiye threatened to cause an upset.
Yet Ronald Koeman's Oranje stood firm, levelling through a thumping Stefan de Vrij header before Muldur – under pressure from Cody Gakpo – turned into his own net after 76 minutes.
Despite a spirited effort, Vincenzo Montella's side were unable to respond at the death as the Netherlands booked a last-four meeting with England in Dortmund for Wednesday.
A tentative opening was devoid of gilt-edged opportunities, though still free flowing with half-chances at either end. Gakpo and Memphis Depay combined well before the latter blazed over with barely two minutes on the clock, while Salih Ozcan hammered adrift of the target from range shortly after.
Yet another Turkiye set-piece situation told 10 minutes before the interval, as was the case with Merih Demiral's double against Austria in the last 16.
Guler was afforded too much space to curl in after a Dutch clearance, delivering perfectly onto the head of Akaydin, who could not miss from the back post for his first Turkiye goal.
The Netherlands managed just four shots in a drab first half, their fewest in the opening 45 minutes of a Euros match since the 2004 semi-finals against Portugal (also four), and Koeman responded by sending on Wout Weghorst.
However, it was Turkiye who almost extended their lead on two occasions after the break. Guler was felled by the covering Nathan Ake and the Real Madrid teenager stepped up to the resulting free-kick, clipping Bart Verbruggen's right-hand post with a fizzing low effort.
Kenan Yildiz then launched another skimming attempt through a sea of Oranje shirts, with Verbruggen unconvincingly parrying away before Weghorst cleared in front of an incoming Kaay Ayhan.
The Netherlands took advantage of that escape five minutes later when Depay worked a short corner towards the centre, where De Vrij nodded downwards past the helpless Mert Gunok.
Dutch joy turned to further elation only six minutes later as Denzel Dumfries slotted an inviting cross towards the back post, where Muldur inadvertently scuffed past Gunok with Gakpo charging in from behind.
Substitute Zeki Celik had a late chance to level but saw his back-post drive cleared off the line, while Verbruggen delivered a remarkable stop to thwart Semih Kilicsoy. Amid another chaotic finale, Turkiye's unused substitute Bertug Yildirim was sent off for a furious reaction towards the referee as the Netherlands scraped into the semi-finals.
Rare own-goal joy for the Dutch
Muldur's error was the first own goal the Netherlands had benefitted from at the European Championships since Portugal's Jorge Andrade put through his own net in 2004.
That unlikely route to their winner snatched a sixth quarter-final progression at major tournaments (World Cup/Euros) in eight attempts for the Oranje.
Yet Koeman's initial savour was an unexpected one as De Vrij equalised with his first goal for Netherlands since March 2015, nine years and 97 days ago against Spain.
This victory also saw the Netherlands progress from just a fourth knockout-stage tie in their last 10 attempts at the European Championships, with England awaiting in the last four.
Semi-final wait goes on for set-piece kings
Turkiye have scored three goals from corners at Euro 2024, the joint-most on record for a team in a single edition – level with Spain in 2020, France in 2016 and Portugal in 2004 – since records began in 1980.
That success from set-piece situations has been integral to the efforts of Montella's side, yet it was not enough to secure their first semi-final appearance at a major tournament since Euro 2008.
Turkiye will still hold their heads high, having impressed as the surprise package of this tournament.
Southgate lauds England's battle as Euro 2024 not 'just about playing well'
Gareth Southgate insists Euro 2024 is not just about England "playing well" as the Three Lions manager lauded the character shown in their penalty shoot-out victory over Switzerland in the last eight.
England were once again unconvincing in Dusseldorf and fell behind to Breel Embolo's 75th-minute opener, only for Bukayo Saka to level shortly after on Saturday.
Penalties followed at Dusseldorf Arena as Jordan Pickford denied Switzerland's first spot-kick from Manuel Akanji, before Trent Alexander-Arnold coolly slotted in the winning effort to seal a last-four place.
Since Euro 1996, England have played 11 knockout matches at the European Championship and eight of those have gone to extra-time, including the last four in a row.
That may be apportioned to their battling nature, an aspect manager Southgate referenced after a nervy victory in his 100th national game in charge of the senior side.
"I thought the players were brilliant, it is the best we have played," Southgate said on BBC One. "To come from behind and show character and resilience we did... it isn't just about playing well.
"Huge performance, huge result and we are still in it. We had to be tactically spot on. We are in a third semi-final and it says a lot about the whole group. I thought we had good control."
England had lost more shoot-outs than any other nation across the World Cup and Euros (seven), but responded emphatically by converting all five attempts at this edition of UEFA's top tournament.
Saka knows all too well about spot-kick heartbreak, having missed in the Euro 2020 final against Italy, and Southgate lauded his response after firing past Yann Sommer in the shoot-out.
"It was so brave from Bukayo, he is one of our best and we were never in question he would take one. But we all knew what he went through," Southgate continued.
England scored every single one of their penalties in the shoot-out (5/5), also doing so against Spain at Euro 1996 (4/4), for just the second time in their 10th penalty shoot-out at major tournaments.
"We have done a lot of work on it. We've won three out of four shootouts now," Southgate added, in quotes published by UEFA's official website.
"In the end the players have to do it and deliver. For players to come into the game and do what they did, for someone like Bukayo having been what he's been through to go through that pressure [is great]."
Harry Kane endured another quiet outing, failing to register a shot on target before being removed in extra time, though the England captain has faith in whoever Southgate selects.
"Another tough game and first of all great resilience from the lads to turn it up again," Kane told BBC One.
"To get the goal, a fantastic finish from Bukayo Saka. Penalties are penalties, but I felt prepared – I was on the side, but I felt comfortable in the lads. Five out of five and a save from Picks!
"We trust in whoever is on the pitch and the difference this year compared to past years is we have proven penalty takers – we have a lot more experience and we showed it out there."
Raising Awareness: Reggae Girl Tiffany Cameron fights back against cyberattack after Instagram hack
Reggae Girl and Real Betis striker Tiffany Cameron is known for facing daunting challenges on the football field. However, it is off the field that the Canada-born player recently faced a challenge of a different kind – a cyberattack that compromised her Instagram account.
Now, Cameron is turning her ordeal into a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of cyberattacks and the importance of online security.
Cameron, discovered her Instagram account had been hacked when she began receiving messages from friends and followers about suspicious activity, as the culprits posted fraudulent content in an attempt to scam her followers.
As such, she quickly took steps to regain control of her account, but the experience left her shaken and determined to prevent others from falling victim to similar attacks.
Cameron in action with Liga F outfit Real Betis.
“My Instagram is not just a social media account; it's a platform where I connect with fans, share my journey, and inspire others. To see it used for malicious purposes was devastating,” Cameron said.
“This experience has been inconvenient because Instagram and Meta haven’t done anything yet to investigate. Some of my followers who know me well, realized my Instagram page got hacked, so they have been reporting it. However, a lot of my followers are fans who don’t have a personal relationship with me so they could easily get fooled if they see that a public figure like me ‘messaging them,’ and posting about trading and making money,” she told SportsMax.TV.
As the hackers used Cameron’s account to send direct messages to her followers, promising monetary rewards, while also requesting personal information or financial contributions, the experience is a stark reminder of the vulnerability that comes with a digital presence.
With the increasing reliance on social media for personal and professional engagement, Cameron believes securing these platforms has never been more crucial, as cyberattacks can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and a breach of personal privacy.
“I want to create awareness and protect all of my followers on my previous page from potentially getting scammed. I was told that the hacker was posting on my Instagram profile and story about trading and the money they gained from it, direct messaging my followers to try and persuade them to join their trade, asking my followers for their WhatsApp numbers, and using my likeness for their personal gain,” Cameron shared.
Cameron in action at last year's FIFA Women's World Cup against Brazil.
She continued: “Stealing a person’s identity and also using it for financial gain is a crime. It’s not something anyone should take lightly. I am a public figure and I have accomplished a lot of things to be proud of throughout my career. I don’t want people to be misled by those hackers thinking that they are talking to me.
“That page I worked so hard to build up was hacked on June 17th, 2024 so if anyone has messaged that account since then, they could have potentially been scammed. If anyone has given out any financial information or personal contact information, they need to change their passwords and also go to the police to report what happened.”
To help raise awareness, Cameron posted a video on her new Instagram account, where she explained the situation and discussed topics such as creating strong passwords, recognizing phishing attempts.
Cameron’s message is clear that vigilance, education, and community support are essential in combating cyber threats, as she not only wants to protect her followers, but also contribute to a safer online environment for all.
“I believe in strength in numbers. If more people are aware of this cyberattack, the more people can report the page and eventually it will get shut down. It’s unfortunate because all of my memories are on that page, but the beautiful thing is that everyone knows what I’ve been able to accomplish so starting fresh on my new page could also be a good thing,” Cameron noted.
“Education is also key, so I’ve uploaded a video on my new page @tiffanydcameron_ informing the public what happened. It’s important that they report, block and unfollow my former page tiffany_cameron11. The person who hacked me needs to be stopped. What they are doing is illegal, unacceptable and a scam,” she ended.
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