St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic registered a maiden win in their respective Concacaf World Cup Qualifying campaign, as they brought the curtains down on second round action, on Tuesday.

Five players scored twice for their respective teams, including Guyana’s Deon Moore, Dominican Republic’s Rafael Mata and Dorny Romero, and Puerto Rico’s Jeremy de Leon and Wilfredo Rivera.

St Lucia vs Aruba

St Lucia and Aruba were the only teams that failed to separate themselves, as they played out a 2-2 scoreline in Group C at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Aruba got the perfect start they desired, when Walter Bennett headed home from close range to gift them a 22nd-minute lead, before Isai Marselia added a second from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute.

However, Ridel Stanislas (45+2) cut the deficit for St Lucia with a tidy finish from deep inside the 18-yard box, to make it 2-1 at the break.

Peter Pearson then pulled St Lucia level in the 66th minute to secure a share of the spoils.

With this, their first point of the campaign, St Lucia and Aruba occupy third and fourth positions in the group behind Curaçao and Haiti, on six points each, heading into the break.

St Kitts and Nevis vs Bahamas

St Kitts and Nevis edged Bahamas, 1-0, in Group B at Warner Park in Basseterre.

Ethan Bristow found the all-important goal in the 12th minute when he pounced on a rebound.

With the win, The Sugar Boyz inched up to third in the group, behind Costa Rica (six points) and Trinidad and Tobago (four points).

Guyana vs Belize

Guyana proved too strong for Belize with a 3-1 victory in Group D action at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

After playing out a goalless first half, Deon Moore finished off an Omari Glasgow pass in the 66th minute to put Guyana ahead.

The Golden Jaguars doubled the lead a minute later courtesy of Liam Gordon’s dazzling solo effort which he finished off with a close range effort.

Moore completed his brace in the 71st with a flick of the ball inside the box to redirect Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s pass.

However, Carlos Bernardez pulled one back for Belize in the 88th, as he rose above defenders to head home Jahryl Smith’s weighted cross.

The win moved the Golden Jaguars up to third place in the group, behind Nicaragua and Panama, on six points each.

Puerto Rico players celebrate a goal.

Dominican Republic vs British Virgin Islands

Dominican Republic bounced back from their defeat to Jamaica, as the blanked British Virgin Islands 4-0 in Group E at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal.

In a frantic start to the contest, Rafael Mata finished with aplomb in the second minute to give the host a perfect start.

Dorny Romero converted a penalty in the 14th to make it 2-0, before Mata struck again in the 31st with a delightful shot from a distance to put the game beyond British Virgin Islands reach.

But, Dominican Republic were not done yet, and Romero also completed his brace with a tidy finish in the 90+3.

Despite the win, Dominican Republic remained third place in the group, behind Guatemala and Jamaica, on six points each.

Puerto Rico vs Anguilla

Puerto Rico registered the widest victory margin on the day, as they mauled Anguilla 8-0 in a lopsided Group F encounter, at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon.

Jeremy de Leon put the host in from with a 21st-minute penalty conversion, and Roberto Ydrach (31st) doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a shot from a distance.

Anguilla had an opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot but Joel Serrano, in goal for Puerto Rico, came up big to deny the 36th minute effort.

From there, it was all Puerto Rico, as Wilfredo Rivera rifled from the top of the 18-yard box in the 48th, before de Leon, with some nippy footwork, added his second with an easy finish in the 51st.

Leandro Antonetti added his name to the scoresheet in the 58th, while Rivera pounced on a loose ball and fired home in the 65th.

Dominican Republic’s seventh came courtesy of Darren Rios’s 71st –minute header, and Nicolas Cardona capped the win in the 90th.

With the win, Puerto Rico moved to second place on four points, behind leaders Suriname on six points.

England have never boasted stronger competition for places than at the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament, according to Three Lions winger Anthony Gordon.

The Newcastle United forward will feature at his first major tournament with Gareth Southgate's senior side, who start their campaign against Serbia on Sunday.

Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze are all other wide options as Southgate prepares to choose between a wealth of attacking riches on the wings.

Gordon believes England have rarely enjoyed such a depth of talent, heading into the tournament in Germany where they are seen as favourites alongside France.

"A few people have said it where the squad has never been so competitive in terms of everyone is in form and everyone has come here in a really good place," he said.

"There is definitely competition for places. Everyone is going to be at their best to try and play."

Manchester City defender John Stones offered cause for concern after an injury during Friday's surprise 1-0 defeat against Iceland, though was involved in training ahead of England's opener in Gelsenkirchen.

Luke Shaw also featured in the pre-tournament session but the Manchester United full-back will be managed closely as his recovery from a hamstring issue continues.

"I was a bit worried when [Stones] went down [against Iceland] because he's such a big player for us but he's fine," Gordon added. "He's got an elite mentality, so I've had faith in him.

"[Shaw] is back in training now and doing really well. I did a bit of my rehab with him and he was way far ahead of schedule. He was doing great, which is good."

Southgate hit the headlines on Monday after suggesting the European Championship marked his "last chance" as England manager.

Yet Gordon hopes the England boss continues his tenure past when his current contract is due to end in December.

"From a selfish point I would want him to stay," he continued. "I love working with him and his staff.

"From my youth journey with England, the way they have transitioned the whole set-up from youth to senior level has been absolutely amazing and I don't think they get the credit he deserves."

Barcelona dismissing Xavi after the head coach initially reversed his decision and seemed set to stay came as a shock to some, no more so than Blaugrana winger Lamine Yamal.

The LaLiga giants were expected to part ways with former midfielder Xavi at the end of the season, only for the Spaniard to change his mind and opt to fulfil his contract with the club.

Yet in another unexpected turn of events, Xavi was given his marching orders as Barca president Joan Laporta acted swiftly to bring in former Germany and Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick.

As Yamal prepares for the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament with Spain in Germany, the Barca forward admitted Xavi's sacking raised a few eyebrows.

"It was a very strange moment," the teenager told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. "At first he left, then he stayed...

"It was strange, because we saw the same thing that you saw too.

"[It was] very sad because for me he was the first coach in the elite that I've had, but these are things that happen in football."

Though Yamal remains surprised by the decision, the Spain attacker is "excited" to link-up with new boss Flick when the 2024-25 season comes around.

"The last thing I saw was when he was at Bayern, and also in the German national team," he added.

"They have a fairly offensive game, quite direct. I'm very excited."

Barcelona fell short in their LaLiga title defence as Real Madrid roared to the Spanish crown, as well as Champions League glory for the dominant Los Blancos.

Yet Yamal believes the Blaugrana can compete with any side on their day.

"We struggled this season, scoring a goal and adding another before going into the second half and suddenly having two goals scored against us," he continued.

"That's the only thing we have to improve, because I think we can compete with any team in the world."

Erik ten Hag is set to stay at Manchester United after surviving a review over his future, according to widespread reports.

United stunned neighbours Manchester City in the FA Cup final, winning 2-1 last month at Wembley, but a second trophy in two seasons was not expected to be enough for Ten Hag to keep his job.

The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League this season, with that being their lowest-ever finish in the competition.

An underwhelming league campaign saw speculation grow over the former Ajax head coach's future, though reports on Tuesday claim Ten Hag is set to remain in charge at Old Trafford.

United are said to have concluded their review of the 2023-24 season and started negotiations on a contract extension with Ten Hag, whose current deal ends at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Gareth Southgate were all linked with the United job before the club committed to their future with Ten Hag.

Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners was expected to star for his country at Euro 2024, but instead is left rueing a "nightmare" injury that has ruled him out of the tournament.

Koopmeiners was an integral figure as Atalanta secured their first-ever European trophy this term, beating Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa Conference League final last month.

With Ronald Koeman already missing Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong for the upcoming tournament in Germany, the Netherlands boss was dealt another blow on Tuesday.

Koopmeiners took to Instagram to confirm his absence for UEFA's 17th edition of their flagship competition after his injury in Monday's warm-up victory over Iceland.

"What should have been a wonderful month has unfortunately turned into a nightmare," wrote Koopmeiners.

"With great disappointment and sadness, I heard the results of the tests. Unfortunately, they found I have no possibility of participating in the European Championship 2024.

"Playing for the Dutch team at a finals tournament and with such a great squad would have been a great honour.

"From now on, like the rest of the Oranje fans, I will encourage and support the team on their way to a great tournament!"

Koopmeiners, a reported target of Juventus and Liverpool, has appeared 21 times for his country as Oranje supporters grew hopes of a fearsome partnership with De Jong in midfield.

Atalanta team-mate Marten de Roon has already been ruled out through injury, leaving Koeman short on options in the middle of the pitch.

In response to the absence of the two players, Koeman has called up Borussia Dortmund loanee Ian Maatsen, who returns after initially failing to make the Netherlands' final Euro squad.

The Netherlands open their campaign against Poland on Sunday before facing France and Austria in Germany.

Ukraine completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a commanding 4-0 victory over Moldova in Chisinau on Tuesday.

Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk were on target for Serhiy Rebrov's side, who begin their Group E campaign against Romania next Monday.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Andrii Lunin returned between the sticks for Ukraine, who were seeking a response to Friday's 2-1 loss against Poland.

Just two minutes were on the clock when Yaremchuk broke the deadlock on his 50th cap and, though Vitalii Mykolenko limped off in the 30th minute, Viktor Tsyhankov doubled the lead before half-time.

Girona striker Dovbyk – LaLiga's top scorer for 2023-24 with 24 goals – got in on the act four minutes after the restart, before Heorhii Sudakov's strike in the 54th minute completed a comfortable win.

Data Debrief: Yaremchuk moves level with Rebrov

Ukraine will head to Euro 2024 in a confident mood, having lost just two of their 13 matches since Rebrov took charge last June.

Yaremchuk got the ball rolling with his 15th international goal, moving him level with his head coach and joint-fourth on the Blue and Yellow's all-time list behind Andriy Shevchenko (48), Andriy Yarmolenko (46) and Yevhen Konoplyanka (21).

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on his international return as Portugal completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a 3-0 victory over Republic of Ireland in Aveiro.

Roberto Martinez's side were 2-1 losers against fellow European Championship hopefuls Croatia on Saturday but responded three days later with a convincing victory at Aveiro Municipal Stadium.

Joao Felix opened the scoring after just 18 minutes, while Ronaldo was denied by the woodwork in a one-sided first half against John O'Shea's visitors on Tuesday.

Ronaldo would not be stopped after the interval, though, curling in a fine 50th-minute strike before adding a second soon after in a dominant win, just a week before Portugal's Euro 2024 opener against Czechia.

Data Debrief: Ronaldo stars again

Ronaldo stole the headlines with his 129th and 130th goals for his country, having already broken the Saudi Pro League's single-season scoring record in the campaign just gone.

The Portugal talisman was at his brilliant best here, scoring twice from just 0.49 expected goals (xG) – his personal tally marginally higher than the 0.48 xG for O'Shea's lacklustre side.

Steve Clarke hopes to take Scotland into the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time at Euro 2024, with their target simply four points to progress.

Scotland have failed in their previous 11 attempts across the World Cup and European Championship to make it past the group stages.

Hosts Germany await in the Group A opener for Clarke's side on Friday before clashes with Switzerland and Hungary.

With the top two sides progressing, as well as four of the best third-placed finishers, Clarke made his ambitions clear for the upcoming UEFA tournament.

"The bottom line is we need four points to come out the group, that guarantees that you'll come out of the group almost forever," Clarke told BBC Sport.

"That always happens. Three points and a zero goal difference would probably get out of the group so that's what we have to look at – every game in isolation, make sure that we're competitive in every game and realistically you go into the last game with a chance to qualify.

"Hopefully, we've done it before that with the points tally from the first two games but if we get to the last game like we did in the last tournament, we had to go to Wembley, we had to get at least a point against England, we gave ourselves a chance going into the Croatia game.

"Okay, we didn't quite get over the line but at one each in the Croatia game you've got a chance, you've always got that hope, that expectation that you might do it."

Scotland will appear at their fourth European Championship, after 1992, 1996 and 2020, having failed to reach the knockout stages in each of those tournaments.

Clarke's side have just two wins in the finals of the tournament's history, against CIS in 1992 and Switzerland in 1996, and have not found the net in six of their nine matches.

The Scotland manager will become just the third to lead his nation to consecutive international tournaments, along with Andy Roxburgh (1990 World Cup, Euro 92) and Craig Brown (Euro 96, 1998 World Cup).

His message to the players is clear: take it to the last game.

Clarke added: "We play against Hungary in the last game, that's where we want to be – in a similar situation where we know we can get a result and we can qualify."

As for Scotland's starting line-up in Munich, captain Andy Robertson and Lawrence Shankland returned to training in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Tuesday. 

"I've probably got two in my mind that I'm still mulling over and we'll work on that in the next couple of days," Clarke concluded.

Ukraine completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a commanding 4-0 victory over Moldova in Chisinau.

Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk were on target for Serhiy Rebrov's side, who begin their Group E campaign against Romania next Monday.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Andrii Lunin returned between the sticks for Ukraine, were seeking a response to Friday's 2-1 loss against Poland - and only their second defeat under Rebrov.

Just two minutes were on the clock when Yaremchuk broke the deadlock on his 50th cap and, though Vitalii Mykolenko limped off in the 30th minute, Viktor Tsyhankov doubled the lead before half-time.

Girona striker Dovbyk - LaLiga's top scorer for 2023-24 with 24 goals - got in on the act four minutes after the restart, before Heorhii Sudakov's strike in the 54th minute completed a comfortable win.

Nicolo Barella has ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new deal with Inter.

The Italy midfielder, whose existing contract was due to expire in June 2026, has put pen to paper on fresh terms, keeping him with the Nerazzurri until 2029.

Barella had been linked with a move away from San Siro, with Premier League sides Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United reportedly interested in securing his services.

The 27-year-old has made 235 appearances for Inter since arriving from Cagliari on an initial loan deal in July 2019, helping the club win two Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, and the 2019-20 Europa League and 2022-23 Champions League finals. 

"Today, I am extremely happy and moved to extend my contract with Inter for a number of years," he told the club's official website.

"I have never had any doubts. I believe in this project and, most of all, I wanted to sign before the European tournament. I am truly proud to be able to keep fighting for the colours of this great club for years to come.

"My wish is to continue on the successful journey that the squad and coach have experienced in recent years. We want to keep growing and bring more joy to our fans.

"We have had unforgettable moments with them, and I am sure there will be many more. I cannot wait to go again in front of the wonderful Nerazzurri fans, all of us together for Inter."

Barella is currently on international duty with Italy, and is in a race to be fit for the reigning champions' Euro 2024 opener against Albania in Group B on Saturday.

The midfielder, who missed the Azzurri's final warm-up matches against Turkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina with a muscle injury, trained separately from the rest of his team-mates on Tuesday.

However, head coach Luciano Spalletti expects him to be fit for Italy's European Championship bow in Dortmund.

Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris says he is considering legal action against the Premier League over its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Sawiris, Egypt's richest man, claims the rules, which place a limit on the amount clubs are able to lose across a three-year period, "do not make sense".

At the Premier League's annual general meeting last Thursday, Villa had a proposal to raise the maximum permitted losses from £105million to £135million rejected.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Sawiris claimed he was seeking advice over the prospect of taking legal action against them.

He said: "Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport.

"The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.

"Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs.

"It's more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game."

Premier League clubs did, however, agree to trial new financial systems next season at the meeting, including a cap on spending which would replace PSR from the 2025-26 campaign.

Both Everton and Nottingham Forest received point deductions for breaching the PSR limit in the 2023-24 season. In March, Villa reported a loss of £119.6million up to May 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, a hearing began on Monday after Manchester City took legal action against the Premier League's Associated Party Transaction rules (APT), which are designed to regulate clubs signing sponsorship deals with companies linked to their owners.

Toni Kroos urged Germany to embrace the "special" pressure of hosting Euro 2024, as Julian Nagelsmann's side prepare to launch the tournament on Friday.

DFB will host their first major international tournament since the 2006 World Cup, where they finished third after losing to eventual champions Italy in the semi-finals. 

Germany launch their campaign against Scotland at Munich Football Arena on Friday, while also facing Hungary and Switzerland in Group A.

And Kroos, who will retire from football after the tournament, wants his team-mates to enjoy the "great honour" of playing in their home event.

"At every tournament on home soil [there is pressure]. It is even more special," the midfielder told reporters during a press conference.

"We know the pressure is there, we don't want to brush it aside, but we have to enjoy this pressure. We want to influence the atmosphere positively, and we have to make amends for past tournaments.

"We know what this is about, but it is also a great honour and joy to play this tournament. How many players do get to play a home tournament?"

Germany are hoping for an upturn in fortunes in major tournaments after suffering back-to-back World Cup group-stage exits, while they were beaten by England in the round of 16 at Euro 2020.

Nagelsmann's side have also endured mixed form in the lead-up to this tournament. Their final warm-up matches brought a goalless draw with Ukraine, and a narrow 2-1 victory over Greece.

Kroos knows the hosts need to up their game, but feels they have the perfect stage on which to address their form.

"You know what is possible when you see the squad quality we have," he added. "But we also see that during some phases in matches, there is room for improvement.

"There is no better opportunity to show in a tournament that we can play well. That is the task.

"If we want to play a good role then it is inevitable that we must minimise these phases when we don't play well as a team. There are teams coming [in the tournament] that will punish us and then the tournament is over."

Robert Lewandowski has been ruled out of Poland's opening match of Euro 2024 against the Netherlands with a hamstring injury.

The skipper limped off in the 32nd minute of the Poles' final warm-up game against Turkiye on Monday, and was later seen receiving treatment on his right thigh.

Head coach Michal Probierz had hoped Lewandowski's injury was nothing too serious, but the Polish FA confirmed the Barcelona striker is not fit to face the Dutch in Hamburg on Sunday.

Karol Swiderski and Pawel Dawidowicz were also injured for the Eagles, who have already seen Arkadiusz Milik ruled out of the tournament with a knee problem, but both should be fit for their first Group D encounter.

"We examined three players who suffered injuries in the match against Turkiye," a statement from the Polish FA read.

"Dawidowicz suffered a pulled quadriceps thigh muscle. In the case of Swiderski, an examination showed an ankle sprain without significant damage. Both players should return to full training within three to four days after the treatment.

"Lewandowski suffered a rupture of the biceps femoris muscle, which will exclude him from the first match of the tournament."

Lewandowski - who has made more appearances (150) and scored more goals (82) for Poland than any other player - will hope to feature in his country's remaining Group D fixtures against Austria on June 21, and France four days later.

England are "incredibly strong" and "definitely good enough to go all the way" at Euro 2024, insists former Three Lions goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Gareth Southgate's side, who were runners-up to Italy at the delayed Euro 2020, are among the favourites to go one better and lift the Henri Delaunay trophy in Germany this year, and there is envious quality within their ranks.

Jude Bellingham played a starring role during his debut season with Real Madrid, with Harry Kane following suit at Bayern Munich, while Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones are fresh from winning a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title with Manchester City.

Hart, who recently announced his retirement from professional football, represented England at two European Championships in 2012 and 2016, playing alongside the likes of Kane, Walker and Stones at the latter.

The ex-Man City and Celtic stopper briefly featured for the Three Lions during the early stages of Southgate's tenure, which began in September 2016, and he talked up the nation's chances to BBC Sport.

"I know a lot of our players well from my time with the squad," said Hart, whose tally of 75 caps is only bettered by Peter Shilton (125) among England goalkeepers. "They are top-class players who will have a huge say in how we do this time.

"I feel like [Southgate's] confidence has increased a lot since my time with the squad. He's had success at the past two tournaments... and it also seems like everyone loves playing under him, which is so important.

"For everything that is talked about by people outside the squad, it is what happens in the camp that really matters, and Gareth has built an environment where they will feel safe and will be very focused.

"It looks like the manager and players understand each other and what it takes to go the distance, so they will be able to put themselves in the best position to execute all the planning and hard work that they have already put in.

"England are definitely good enough to go all the way in Germany. If you look at all the squads, then along with France, we are incredibly strong.

"But I know what goes into winning a tournament, and it is not quite as simple as just having the best players, so we will have to see how it plays out."

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Portugal have all the right ingredients to succeed at Euro 2024, but believes the current squad will be judged on the trophies they win as a group.

The 39-year-old will make history in Germany as he becomes the first player to feature in six editions of the competition, already holding the records of having the most games (25), most goals (14) and joint-most assists on record (6). 

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was part of the Selecao das Quinas side that lifted the trophy back in 2016, and is hoping to add another international accolade to his collection. 

"I'm proud to be the first player to play in six EURO tournaments. I'm thrilled about it as it shows the longevity of my career. However, it's merely a chapter in what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in football.

"I'm happy and I feel privileged to be here to help the national team achieve its goals and, of course, try to go on and win it, which is our primary goal."

Portugal won all 10 of their qualifiers, but their preparations for the tournament have not gone as planned, suffering defeats to Croatia and Slovenia in recent friendlies.

Roberto Martinez's side face the Republic of Ireland in their final game before they travel to Germany ahead of their Group F opener against the Czech Republic on June 18. 

Despite recent results, Ronaldo believes that the current Portugal squad is full of talented individuals, but insisted that the success of the team will be measured by winning international honours. 

"I firmly believe that this team will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese fans, beginning with this EURO," said Ronaldo. 

"However, in my opinion, the best generation of players are always those who win (trophies). I hope this national team will win because it's an incredibly talented squad.

"As we all know, though, talent alone is not enough to win. There are many things that go into winning a major tournament like this one. We have all the ingredients to win it, but we'll take it one step at a time, game by game, all the while believing that we can win it.

"What we achieved in 2016 was historic, both in Portuguese football and world football. Now we have our feet firmly on the ground but our mind up in the sky to look up and see that it is possible to win the EURO."

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