Barcelona president Joan Laporta says his decision to dismiss Xavi came after doubts the Blaugrana head coach had lost faith in his squad.

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 fulfill his contract with the club.

Yet in another unexpected turn of events, Xavi was given his marching orders – and chief Laporta claims the Barcelona boss had expressed concerns over the capabilities of his current players.

"If Xavi can change his mind, so can we," Laporta said in an interview with Barca One, the Blaugrana's in-house television channel.

"Everything was a bit forced when we decided to keep him on. Xavi is a club legend and his enthusiasm led us to the decision to ratify his position.

"At the time of his U-turn, I asked him: 'Do you believe in the team?' He told me 'Yes.' He said he had faith in this team.

"However, there were then comments in which he changed his discourse after conversations with [sporting director] Deco with respect to necessary changes to the squad.

"That forced me to reconsider the situation and I felt the squad needed a new impetus to be more competitive and get the best out of what we have.

"I have had to make these tough decisions with Barca legends. My heart told me he should stay on, but not my head.

"I hope [our] relationship can continue. I have been through it with [Ronald] Koeman, [Lionel] Messi, [Gerard] Pique, [Sergio] Busquets, [Jordi] Alba and now Xavi. All decisions are made for the good of Barca -- the club comes first."

In stark contrast, Laporta assured new head coach Hansi Flick – formerly of Bayern Munich and Germany's national side – backs Barcelona to succeed, with or without further investment.

"Flick feels capable of competing with this squad," the Barca president continued. "That was decisive."

"Flick's task is to win and he's accepted the challenge. The players must be well-prepared physically. The youngsters, the substitutes, players like [Robert] Lewandowski ... everyone has to be in good shape physically.

"The physical preparation is essential because, with that, and having the ball, we can win everything. This season we saw the team dip after the 60th minute physically. We didn't finish games as we wanted –in the two Clasicos, for example.

"I am not saying the team was not well prepared, but there are always things to improve. We need more."

Although adding to the playing squad was a contentious issue leading to Xavi's exit, Laporta expressed an interest in renewing the loans of Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix.

"We want the two Joaos to continue," he said. "The idea is that they are here for another year. Deco is working on it. Flick rates them highly and when he was at Bayern he was interested in signing Felix.

"Just as we don't need a big transfer out, we don't believe we need big signings. Maybe a midfielder, a winger, but we also have an academy which can help fill these positions.

"We can compete in Europe with a squad based on the academy. That's what Flick has conveyed to us and what we think.

"We have a squad that can compete in Spain and Europe with the chance of success."

Kylian Mbappe has revealed that some people at Paris Saint-Germain made him "unhappy" in his first news conference since joining Real Madrid.

The Frenchman announced last month that he was leaving PSG after seven seasons at the club, and his long-awaited move to the Spanish capital was confirmed on Monday.

He has signed as a free transfer on a five-year contract with Madrid and will officially make the move in July when his PSG contract expires.

Speaking to the media ahead of France's friendly against Luxembourg, Mbappe addressed speculation over his situation at PSG prior to his move.

"Everyone knows the news, it's official, I'm going to be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons," he said.

"It's an immense pleasure, a dream come true. It's very exciting. I am very happy, liberated, relieved and extremely proud. This is the club I've always dreamed of being at, so I want to thank them.

"I wasn't unhappy at PSG, that would be a slap in the face of the people who defended me - I have always been happy.

"But certain things made me unhappy, but a player like me couldn't show that because I am a leader, so I tried to be as positive as possible. The coach, the players and the employees of the club supported me, and it would be bad form to come and moan and say that I was unhappy. But certain things and people made me unhappy."

Last season began in turmoil for Mbappe, who was left out of the PSG squad due to an argument with the club's president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, over his contract renewal.

The France captain has highlighted Luis Enrique as the main reason for the turnaround, as he finished the season with 44 goals, winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.

"[The club] made me understand that I wouldn't play, they told me to my face, they told me violently," he added.

"Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. I wouldn't have set foot on the pitch again without them.

"Just the fact I was playing was a great source of pride, but it's certain that next year I won't be satisfied with a year like that."

Manchester City are taking unprecedented legal action against the Premier League, The Times has exclusively revealed.

The legal challenge centres around the league's Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, regarding commercial and sponsorship deals with companies owned or associated with the club's owners.

Those rules currently dictate such transactions have to be independently assessed to be of fair market value and have been a topic of scrutiny for some time.

In February, clubs voted to approve tougher rules regarding how such deals are valued. 

Initially introduced in December 2021 in the wake of Newcastle United's sale to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, the rules are designed to prevent clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.

The Times reports City believe the rules are "unlawful" and they want to seek damages for revenue lost by preventions made by those rules.

Within a 165-page legal document, City argue they are victims of "discrimination" and say the Premier League's decision-making process of needing 14 out of 20 clubs to agree is a "tyranny of the majority".

The dispute will be settled during a two-week private arbitration hearing beginning on Monday.

The other 19 clubs have been invited to participate in the legal proceedings, with between 10 and 12 reportedly stepping forward, providing either witness statements or a letter detailing evidence in support of the Premier League's defence against the claim.

The result of this legal battle could affect the outcome of City's hearing into their 115 charges of alleged rule-breaking related to financial fair play, which is due to take place in November.

Kevin De Bruyne admitted he is "open to everything" when asked about the possibility of leaving Manchester City for the Saudi Pro League.

The decorated midfielder is heading towards the final year of his contract with City, who he joined from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2015.

Since then, the Citizens have won six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup, with De Bruyne playing a starring role in his side's success.

However, the 32-year-old had to make do with a more limited role during the 2023-24 season, in which City landed a record-breaking fourth successive league crown, playing just 26 times after missing five months of action through injury. 

And he may consider departing the Etihad Stadium, after revealing he could "earn an incredible amount of money" by spending two years in Saudi Arabia.

"I still have one year of my contract, so I have to think about what can happen," De Bruyne told Belgian broadcasters VTM.

"For Michele [his wife], an exotic adventure is OK. These are also conversations that we are increasingly having as a family.

"My eldest [child] is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play at City. Once the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.

"At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes, you have to think about that."

The Belgium captain is gearing up for Euro 2024, where Domenico Tedesco's side will play Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia in Group E.

The Red Devils will complete their preparations with friendlies against Montenergro and Luxembourg this week.

Andy Robertson says he is "excited" to work with new Liverpool manager Arne Slot and is hopeful the club can pick up where it left off under Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman officially took over at Liverpool on Saturday after making the switch from Feyenoord after three successful seasons.

He led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 2023 and won the KNVB Beker this season, while also being named Manager of the Year on two occasions.

Robertson, who was signed by Klopp in July 2017, said that while he has not spoken to Slot, he is looking forward to seeing what is in store for Liverpool this season.

"I haven't spoken to [Slot] yet," Robertson, who is preparing for Scotland's European Championship campaign, said to Sky Sports. "I think he's leaving us to focus on the Euros.

"It's an exciting new challenge. Obviously, the old era was pretty special, and I've got a lot to be thankful for for that manager, but excited now by the new manager coming in – new ideas, new voice – and I'm really excited for what can come with that.

"I've got no doubts we can keep that momentum going. From all the reports we've had, the manager's very good and I can't wait to see that up close."

Klopp ended Liverpool's 30-year wait for a top-flight title when they won the Premier League for the first time in 2020 and also won the Champions League, the FA Cup, two EFL Cups and the Club World Cup during his nine years in charge.

Robertson admitted Klopp's legacy might be tough to live up to, but he had faith the team would be able to get off to a good start under Slot.

"The last eight, nine years were pretty special. Maybe they're going a bit into the unknown, but it has to be exciting; the squad's in a good place, we had a good season last season," he added.

"Yes, it could have been more, but the aim at the start of the season was to get back in the Champions League, and we ended up with a trophy as well. You have to take that as a positive.

"[Klopp] has left the club in a really good place so now we have to carry it forward. The manager will come in, and he'll recruit a really good squad, and I'm sure he'll want to bring in some new faces as well.

"We have to go again. We showed for large parts of last season we could challenge for the league and that has to be the aim. The manager has won trophies before, and he'll want that feeling again. We’ve got to be at our best to try and achieve that."

Neymar says Vinicius Junior will "obviously" win the Ballon d'Or after he helped Real Madrid win their 15th Champions League title on Saturday.

Vinicius scored the second goal in Madrid's 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund and was their top scorer in the competition this campaign with six overall. He was also named the Champions League Player of the Season on Monday.

Indeed, the Brazilian became just the fifth player to score in both of their first two Champions League final appearances, after Samuel Eto'o, Sergio Ramos, Lionel Messi and Mario Mandzukic.

Vinicius was an integral part of Los Blancos' title charge too, with only Jude Bellingham (19) scoring more goals than him (15) as they won LaLiga for the 36th time.

His name regularly features in conversations over this season's Ballon d’Or winner, and he has been backed by Brazil team-mate Neymar to get his hands on the prize.

"As for Vini, obviously I think the Ballon d'Or is his today," Neymar said.

"I sent [him] messages before and after the [Champions League final] game. He's a boy I love with passion, a great friend that football gave me. He will certainly be crowned with the Ballon d'Or.

"He's incredible. Carrying our country's flag around the world, and we're really rooting for him."

The last Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or was Kaka in 2007, while Neymar has been a contender for the award, but finished third in his closest finish.

Vinicius will now be looking to add the Copa America to his list of accolades, with Selecao's campaign beginning on June 24 against Costa Rica in Group D. 

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Those famous words by American author Napoleon Hill, now serve as motivation for Trinidad and Tobago’s Head coach Angus Eve and his charges as they prepare to kick off their much-anticipated Concacaf World Cup qualifying campaign on Wednesday.

The Soca Warriors will go into their opening contest against Grenada with limited preparation as a collective unit, as the overseas-based members of Eve’s final 25-member squad had to fulfil club obligations upon until Sunday and only joined the camp on Monday. That somewhat hindered Eve’s plans where ironing out technical and tactical plans are concerned, but the tactician remains upbeat about the possibility of registering a win against the ‘Spice Isle’ at Hasely Crawford Stadium.

“We had some challenges with players playing up to June 2, the day the (FIFA) window actually started, and then travel. But we have dealt with these adversities before, and I think we’re going into the campaign, all things equal, with a good squad of players, with a good mindset and trying to make the country proud again,” Eve declared.

“This is the beginning of something very big for us. In the last couple of World Cup campaigns, we didn’t do as well as we think we should have done. We’re looking to right some of those wrongs and the guys are well motivated to play,” he added.

Along with some of the usual suspects – Levi Garcia, captain Aubrey David, Andre Rampersad, Reon Moore, Malcolm Shaw and Ryan Telfer –Eve’s final squad also includes veteran Morvant Caledonia FC striker Kevon ‘Showtime’ Woodley, Netherlands-based midfielder Dantaye Gilbert and Canadian-based Steffen Yeates.

Woodley, 37, received his first senior team call-up for two recent friendly internationals against Guyana, and scored in both matches which Trinidad and Tobago won 2-1 and 2-0.

Meanwhile, midfielder Gilbert, 19, who plies his trade with Jong PSV, is expected to bring a different but welcome dynamic to the setup, while Yeates, 24, represented Canada at previous youth tournaments but has committed his senior career to the Soca Warriors.

“Age (Woodley) is not a factor. Sometimes we move players and they get upset and say different things. But I’ve always said age is not a factor. Kevon, in the last two seasons, came second behind Nathaniel James in goal-scoring. In this season, he’s the top scorer in the league. He deserved an opportunity, we gave him that chance and he scored two in both matches we had, and was one of the best performers in the two games against a decent Guyana team. It warranted his selection to the group,” Eve shared.

That said, Eve explained the absence of Toronto FC’s Tyrese Spicer, Mount Pleasant Academy’s (Jamaica) Kaile Auvray, and seasoned Belgian-based defender Sheldon Bateau, from the final cast.

“Kaile hardly played in his league and his confidence is not where it ought to be. We had several conversations and we’re hoping things will change for him so that we can use him in future games. He understands,” Eve revealed.

“Tyrese’s club said they’ve been dealing with some injury issues with him and they will prefer at this point in time that he stays back with them. They have a bit of a mid-season break where they think they could do some more work on his foot and we are in support of him. The young man being the best that he can be and if at this point in this time, the club feels that this is best for him we have to support him,” he ended.

T&T’s final squad -Goalkeepers: Denzil Smith (Club Sando), Aaron Enill (Prison FC), Christopher Biggette (Defence Force)

Defenders: Aubrey David (CS Cartagines—Costa Rica), Alvin Jones (Miscellaneous Police FC), Justin Garcia (Defence Force), Josiah Trimmingham (Montego Bay Utd—Jamaica), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC—USA), Andre Raymond (unattached), Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic—USA)

Midfielders: Michel Poon-Angeron, Duane Muckette (both AC Port of Spain), Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers—Canada), Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm—USA), Dantaye Gilbert (Jong PSV—Netherlands), Steffen Yeates (Pacific FC—Canada), Daniel Phillips (St Johnstone FC—Scotland), Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United—USA)

Attackers: Nathaniel James (Mount Pleasant FC—Jamaica), Real Gill (Northern Colorado Hailstorm—USA), Reon Moore (Pacific FC—Canada), Malcolm Shaw (Cavalry FC—Canada), Levi Garcia (AEK Athens—Greece), Kevon Woodley (Morvant Caledonia Utd), Ryan Telfer (HFX Wanderers—Canada)

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea's players "deserve great credit" in his first public statement since leaving Stamford Bridge.

The Argentine departed the Blues last month after just one season in charge, despite a strong end to the Premier League campaign helping secure a sixth-place finish and return to Europe.

Pochettino's youthful squad had a slow start to the season to reach the EFL Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals, while winning each of their last five league games.

However, a trophyless campaign led the 52-year-old to part company with the club by mutual contest, with former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca named his successor earlier this week.

Nevertheless, Pochettino paid tribute to the squad in his first social media post since exiting the five-time Premier League champions.

"We know there have been ups and downs, but we always believed in this team and that we would arrive at a consistent level," he wrote on Instagram.

"They deserve great credit and I hope you felt that too in how they performed on the pitch. I believe the experiences of this season and big improvement we saw, I hope will only make the players stronger for the future."

Pochettino will be back at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, when he leads the World XI against England in the annual Soccer Aid charity match.

Though slighted disappointed with the outcome of their opening loss to Brazil, Jamaica’s Head coach Hubert Busby took heart from aspects of his senior Reggae Girlz performance, which he is hoping they can build on to prove even more competitive in the second contest on Tuesday.

Out for the first time together in almost nine months, the core group of players that held Brazil to a goalless stalemate at last year's FIFA Women's World Cup, expectedly lacked cohesiveness and were simply outclassed by the South Americans, who romped to a 4-0 win in Saturday’s first encounter at the Arena de Pernambuco in Recife.

The iconic Marta led her team with a brace in the 64th and 90th minutes, while Adriana (26th), and a 38th-minute own-goal by Chantelle Swaby, propelled Brazil to a comfortable win.

However, with the proverbial rust now shaken, Busby, who didn’t have experienced defender Allyson Swaby and winger Jody Brown available for the first game, is anticipating a more fluid showing in the second encounter, with or without the duo as uncertainty surrounds their fitness for the decisive contest at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador.

Kickoff is 5:00pm Jamaica time.

Among the positives from the first contest was the fact that the Girlz did manage to show glimpses of their attacking prowess and even got the ball in the net from a corner early on, but it was ruled out for a foul, as Kayla McKenna nudged Brazil's custodian in an aerial challenge for possession. Besides that, only stand-in captain Deneisha Blackwood and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer really showed any real fight in Jamaica's backline.

“Heading into the game, we’re looking to improve on all aspects of the game, and more importantly not just the result, which is the most important thing, but really look to improve our overall team performance,” Busby said in a pre-game interview.

“Allyson and Jody will be a little bit of game time decisions. Obviously, both players trained (on Monday), which is a positive sign, so we'll check in on them and decide where we go from there. It's important that we're not risking them because some of these players are getting ready to go into preseason, so their health and safety and overall well-being is important. So while we would love to have them as we seek to build on the positives of the first game, we won’t risk it if they are not ready,” he added.

As he reflected on, and assessed Saturday’s defeat, Busby again stressed the importance of ball possession, particularly when absorbing pressure defensively, and pointed to that as one element of their game in which he is expecting mark improvements.

“Football is a game of rhythm and moments, and we were never quite able to get into our rhythm or moments because we're always defending, and so one of the things we really need to work on going forward is our ability to hold up the ball up front and allow for us to get out as a group,” Busby reasoned.

“Once we do that, then we can then obviously look to attack a little bit more in numbers, which is something that is a part of our playing model and some of the principles that we try to implement. So we just need to rekindle the team’s understanding and chemistry and just build on that going forward,” he ended.

Julian Nagelsmann challenged Germany to demonstrate "more aggression" following their goalless draw with Ukraine in Nuremberg.

The Euro 2024 hosts were held in their penultimate warm-up match before the tournament, which begins on June 14, despite registering 27 shots on goal at Max-Morlock-Stadion.

Nagelsmann knows Germany must improve ahead of facing Scotland in the opening match of the European Championship, but observed the positives of their performances. 

"Obviously, we would have preferred a 2-0 or 3-0 win, but we played very well for long stretches of the game," he told Germany's official website. "To me, we looked like a team who really wanted to win.

"We were very good in the first 20 minutes, and we should have taken the lead. We also had six or seven chances just after the break. We need to show more aggression from crosses and put more pressure on the opposition defence."

"It's difficult to score goals against opponents who sit so deep," Joshua Kimmich added. "It's a shame we weren't able to get the goal.

"You could tell we were going for the win. We have to continue in the same vein and then, hopefully, get a win in our final friendly [against Greece on Friday]."

The introduction of debutant Maximilian Beier in the 59th minute breathed new life into the hosts, with the Hoffenheim striker rattling the crossbar within moments of his introduction and also drawing a smart save from Ukraine goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin soon after.

Nagelsmann, who named seven strikers in his provisional 27-man party, must cut one player before submitting his final squad later this week, but the Germany boss said the 21-year-old did his chances of remaining no harm.

"Maxi got stuck in well and played a good game," the head coach added "He handled everything well and worked hard defensively. He had three good chances.

"As it stands now, no one deserves to go home. He has made it more likely [that he will remain]."

Nagelsmann is set to lead Germany into his first major international tournament.

The 36-year-old has sought advice from former bosses including Rudi Voller, Jurgen Klinsmann and Joachim Low, and revealed there was a recurring theme in their words of wisdom.

"There is no blueprint," he said. "The answers were very similar; you have to listen to your gut feeling. You have to react to the here and now,"

Kylian Mbappe revelled in a "dream come true" after completing his long-awaited blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

The France captain signed a five-year deal with the newly crowned Champions League winners, who he will join as a free agent in July when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

Mbappe, who was heavily linked with a move away, officially announced his departure from the Ligue 1 champions in early May, bowing out after Luis Enrique's side completed the double with victory in the Coupe de France.

The forward was expected to join Madrid in the 2021-22 season, but rejected the opportunity in favour of signing a two-year contract extension with PSG.

However, two years later, Los Blancos have finally got their man, who took to Instagram to share his delight at joining "the club of my dreams".

"Nobody can understand how excited I am right now!" Mbappe told his 116 millions followers. "A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams."

Mbappe departs PSG as the club's all-time leading scorer with 256 goals, with 44 of those coming in 48 appearances last season.

He now turns his attention to Euro 2024, where Didier Deschamps' France will be targeting their third European crown and looking to go one better than their run to the 2022 World Cup final.

Les Bleus, who complete their preparations with friendlies against Luxembourg and Canada this week, begin their campaign against Austria on June 17, while also facing the Netherlands and Poland in Group D.

Harry Kane was delighted for Cole Palmer after the Chelsea forward marked his full England debut with a first goal for the Three Lions.

Palmer, who was making his first international start at senior level, opened the scoring from the penalty spot as Gareth Southgate's side overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 at St James' Park.

Kane was also on target later on, coming off the bench to round off a commanding win with the third goal in England's penultimate warm-up game ahead of Euro 2024.

Palmer, who made his senior debut against Malta in November, continues to thrive following a superb 2023-24 with Chelsea, with his 33 goal involvements (22 goals, 11 assists) in the Premier League earning him the Young Player of the Season award.

Saluting the former Manchester City forward, Kane said: "He's had an unbelievable season. It's never easy moving clubs as well and what he [Palmer] has done for Chelsea is a credit to him and the team he was in.

"We're very happy to have him. I am delighted he got his goal because we are going to need all our players chipping in with important goals in the tournament in a couple of weeks. The more people feeling good, the better."

Kane also addressed his own fitness, with the Bayern Munich striker having missed the final few weeks of the Bundesliga season with a slight niggle.

Although, the England skipper believes the unscheduled break may benefit him as he looks to lead the Three Lions to European Championship in Germany.

"I'm feeling good, and a lot of the end of the season was precaution," he added. "There's a big summer coming up, so we didn't want to take any risks with it.

"In the end, it was a good chance to get a good break after a tough season, and we have been in camp now for nearly a week.

"I've had a good week training, some minutes here, and I'm sure I will get some minutes on Friday [against Iceland] and I will be ready to go for the group stage.

"It's almost worked in my favour missing the back end of the season. It gave me a chance to get maybe more rest than I was going to get."

Gareth Southgate admitted he may have future selection headaches after England's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

Cole Palmer netted on his first England start from the penalty spot before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane made sure of the victory late on.

With key players out injured, Southgate used the opportunity to give some of the less experienced squad members some valuable minutes ahead of Euro 2024.

The England manager still has to narrow his 33-man preliminary squad down to 26, with the announcement due later this week.

Southgate confessed the first-half performance was not what he wanted, but overall, he was pleased with how his side responded after half-time.

"We had a lot of fresh players to bring in," Southgate told Channel 4. "Once you break that resistance then it starts to come. A lot of players didn't have many caps that started so it was going to be a sticky start.

"I thought [Palmer and Eberechi Eze] both played with the freedom. Ebere has got lovely movement to go past players, he's got power. A couple of times, Cole was being too precise and if he got his shots away earlier maybe he could've got a couple.

"The great thing is we've got through the last few days with no new problems. That's really important. We needed to get through these first matches to get a clearer picture and the guys rehabbing have done well.

"A little bit [of a selection headache] but that's a good thing. I would rather have good performances than poor performances.

"Winning and clean sheets are good habits to have."                    

England's final friendly before their Euro 2024 campaign begins is against Iceland on June 7, with Southgate due to announce his 26-man squad following that game.

Cole Palmer scores on his first England start to set the hosts on their way to a 3-0 friendly victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina at St. James' Park on Monday.

The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool from the spot to put England ahead in the 60th minute after a frustrating goalless first half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made sure of the victory in the 85th minute, striking a superb low volley around Nikola Vasilj and into the bottom corner.

Harry Kane, off the bench, added a third from close range, pouncing on the loose ball after Ezri Konsa had inadvertently blocked Jarrod Bowen's shot on the line. 

Data Debrief: England find shooting boots in second half

Palmer is just the fifth player to see his first-ever England goal come from the penalty spot, after Tommy Lawton (1938), Alf Ramsey (1951), Allan Clarke (1970) and Ivan Toney (2024).

Not only did Alexander-Arnold score his third goal for the Three Lions in this game, but he also created five chances, at least three more than any other player on the pitch.

Kane may not have started, but his late strike is the 12th goal he has scored in his last 12 matches for the national side across all competitions. 

Mount Pleasant Football Club, the 2023 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions, has announced that the contracts of head coach Theodore Whitmore and his technical staff will not be renewed. The club is set to embark on a new direction that aligns Mount Pleasant Academy with the Football Club.

Mount Pleasant announced that the contracts of Whitmore and his staff will expire on July 31, 2024. In a statement, the club cited the need for a new direction as the reason for the change.

"The club is embarking on a new direction which synchronizes Mount Pleasant Academy and Mount Pleasant Football Club," the statement read. "Mount Pleasant will shortly announce a new technical team to chart the course of the club. The club is committed to achieving all the sporting goals and objectives entering this new phase and new direction."

Whitmore, who joined Mount Pleasant in July 2022, led the team to its first JPL title last year, triumphing over Cavalier 2-1 in the finals. His tenure followed his departure from the national senior men's football team in December 2021.

Mount Pleasant relinquished their title when they lost to Cavalier 3-4 on penalties in the 2024 final.

Following the success in 2023, an elated owner Peter Goule told Sportsmax.TV highlighted the club's long-term vision. "We are pretty excited, we have put a lot of work into the academy and the platform is well and truly set to accomplish all that we want to. It will take a few years to build a complete institution, but we have people willing to come along and help us to move to another level, so we firmly believe we will be able to get there and put Jamaica’s football on the map the real way," he said then.

It has now become apparent that Coach Whitmore will not be part of that vision.

"The club wishes to express profound gratitude to Coach Whitmore and his technical team for their leadership over the past two seasons which brought glory and success to the club. Their invaluable contribution has seen Mount Pleasant Football Academy make an indelible mark in the Jamaica Premier League and in the parish of St Ann. We wish them all the best in their endeavours going forward."

Whitmore's departure marks a significant change for Mount Pleasant as they look to build on their recent success and continue their development both on and off the pitch.