Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first European player in history to make 50 appearances at major tournaments.

The Portugal captain hit the impressive landmark in their Group F encounter against Georgia at Euro 2024 on Wednesday.

Ronaldo made his major tournament debut at Euro 2004, helping hosts Portugal on their run to the final before the shock defeat to Greece, and has been an ever-present in Euros and World Cup action since.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner eventually got his hands on an elusive Euros trophy in 2016, winning his first major tournament honour with the national side.

Ronaldo is no stranger to making history and has already broken records at this tournament – playing in his sixth European Championship aged 39.

Despite not scoring at Euro 2024 heading into the final group matchday, Ronaldo's assist for Bruno Fernandes in Portugal's 3-0 victory over Turkiye was his seventh in the competition, the most by any player.

Ronaldo is already the record appearance-maker at the Euros, with his start against Georgia his 28th game in the competition.

Only two outings have been from the bench, with both coming at the start of Euro 2004 – he scored his debut goal in the competition as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Greece in Portugal's opener.

That was the first of his record 14 goals – scored from 146 shots – in the European Championships, five more than France great Michel Platini, whose nine goals all came at Euro 1984.

The delayed 2020 edition was an individual best as Ronaldo scored five goals to win the Golden Boot award for the first time, sharing it with Czechia's Patrik Schick.

Though Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer has always proved a threat to any goalkeeper, he has also created 46 chances (including assists), managing five of those in the opening two matches of this edition.

Though a European Championship trophy added to Ronaldo's impressive career haul, the veteran forward has still not managed to get his hands on the World Cup.

The closest the 39-year-old came to lifting the illustrious Jules Rimet trophy remains when he made the first of his 22 appearances in Germany in 2006, helping Portugal to fourth place.

Like at the Euros, only two of his appearances at the World Cup have been off the bench, but those came in the most recent edition as Portugal were knocked out of Qatar 2022 by Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Over the course of five World Cups, the former Real Madrid star has scored eight goals from 102 shots, but only in one edition has he found the back of the net more than once (2018 – four).

Yet FIFA's top prize will not be on his mind now as Ronaldo and Roberto Martinez's men eye European glory.

Belgium limped into the Euro 2024 knockout stages after Wednesday's goalless draw with Ukraine, setting up an enticing last-16 meeting with France. 

Domenico Tedesco's side had several golden opportunities but were unable to make them count as Ukraine were eliminated from the competition on goal difference, as all four Group E teams finished level on points.

Romania's 1-1 draw with third-placed Slovakia was enough to send them through as group winners on goals scored, while Belgium finished second due to a superior goal difference.

Romelu Lukaku threatened to open his tournament account early on after being picked out by Kevin De Bruyne but failed to trouble Anatolii Trubin with his effort. 

The Red Devils continued to dominate possession but failed to convert it into gilt-edged chances, with De Bruyne's inventive near-post free-kick the closest Tedesco's side came.

Ukraine posed a threat on the break, however, and almost took the lead when Roman Yaremchuk's cross narrowly evaded Artem Dovbyk in the six-yard box.

De Bruyne and Lukaku combined again in the second half, but the same result followed as the Red Devils' all-time top scorer saw his tame attempt easily gathered. 

The introduction of Yannick Carrasco sparked Belgium into life, with his stinging effort palmed away by Trubin as they looked to find a winner. 

Yet Ukraine went the closest late on as Ruslan Malinovskyi's audacious corner-kick almost caught Koen Casteels out at his near post. 

However, the winning goal for both sides ultimately eluded them, with Belgium now facing the difficult task of facing the two-time Euros champions on Monday in Dusseldorf.

Data Debrief: Lack of clinical edge punishes the Red Devils

Belgium can only have themselves to blame after failing to capitalise on several promising opportunities, registering just four shots on target from 10 attempts, underperforming their expected goals (xG) by 0.28. 

Lukaku's woes continued in front of goal and he is still yet to find the target at Euro 2024. The Belgium striker had the joint-most shots (two) and shots on target (two) but should have done much better with his opportunities. 

Romania progressed to the Euro 2024 knockout stages as unlikely Group E winners as Slovakia also made it through with Wednesday's 1-1 draw in Frankfurt.

Razvan Marin's first-half penalty cancelled out Ondrej Duda's early header before the two sides shared the spoils, as was the case in Belgium's goalless draw in the other group game with Ukraine.

Serhiy Rebrov's side were the unfortunate losers as all four teams remarkably finished on four points, with Domenico Tedesco's side sneaking through in second and Slovakia in third.

Romania topped the group on goals scored and will face the best third-place side from Group A, B, C or D in Munich on Tuesday, while Slovakia will meet either England or Spain in the next round.

Despite knowing a draw would be enough, Slovakia came flying out the blocks and wasted a flurry of chances before finally getting the breakthrough.

A backtracking Duda rose brilliantly to thump a header back across goal into the bottom-right corner after Juraj Kucka's angled cross from the right-hand side.

Ianis Hagi was brought down on the perimeter of the box shortly after, with the VAR overturning the onfield decision for a free-kick, and Marin emphatically buried the spot-kick to leave Martin Dubravka helpless.

Marin almost doubled his tally just after the hour mark, with his curler sailing just over the crossbar, while Lukas Haraslin whipped his attempt to get a winner narrowly wide as neither side could find a decisive goal.

Data Debrief: Mind the gap

Marin's goal was his second at the Euros – he has now scored twice in his last three games for Romania across all competitions, as many as he managed in his previous 54 appearances combined.

Meanwhile, Kucka assisted Slovakia's opening goal in this match, his second at a major tournament, with his other coming 14 years and two days ago (against Italy at  the2010 World Cup). It is the biggest gap between assists at a major tournament for a European player.

Duda also became the first Slovakian player to score at two major tournaments after netting as well at Euro 2016.

Lautaro Martinez struck a dramatic late winner as Argentina beat Chile 1-0 to secure their place in the Copa America knockout stages with a game to spare.

The reigning champions looked like they would have to settle for a point on a frustrating night at the MetLife Stadium, having failed to turn their superiority into the game's opening goal.

But substitute Martinez, who also netted from the bench in his nation's opener against Canada, finally broke Chile's resolve when he lashed home two minutes from time.

It moved Lionel Scaloni's side onto six points at the Group A summit - three points ahead of Canada, who beat Peru 1-0 earlier in the day - meaning a draw against Peru in their final game will be enough to secure top spot.

Argentina dominated the first half with 13 unanswered shots, yet just three of those were on target. One of them saw Julian Alvarez fire straight at Claudio Bravo from close range in the 22nd minute.

Lionel Messi also went close to scoring in the 36th minute. La Albiceleste's skipper let fly with a fizzing 25-yard attempt that clipped the outside of Bravo's left post, while Erick Pulgar almost turned Nahuel Molina's cross beyond the Chile goalkeeper two minutes later.

La Roja had Bravo to thank for keeping Argentina at bay, as the reigning champions continued to carry the greater attacking threat after the break.

The veteran stopper beat away Molina's fierce strike within five minutes of the restart, and just after the hour mark, he produced a superb reflex save to tip Nicolas Gonzalez's drive onto the crossbar.

With the breakthrough still eluding the world champions, Scaloni bolstered his attack by introducing Angel Di Maria and Martinez for the final 17 minutes.

Chile had increased their own attacking threat by registering their first attempts on goal in the contest, with Rodrigo Echeverria calling Emiliano Martinez into action on both occasions.

Yet, there was to be a late twist in Argentina's favour when an 88th-minute corner broke kindly for Martinez, who reacted the quickest to fire into the roof of the net and send La Albiceleste through to the quarter-finals.

Persistence pays dividends for Argentina

The recent history books would suggest Argentina should fancy their chances against Chile.

This is epitomised by the fact they are now unbeaten after 90 minutes in the last 13 meetings, winning eight of those, but that does not tell the full story.

Seven of those eight victories have only been by a single-goal margin and, of course, they lost on penalties in the Copa America final showdowns of 2015 and 2016.

Though they dominated most of this contest and registered 22 shots to their opponents' three, just the one goal was enough once more - with both of Martinez's strikes from the bench in this competition coming in the 88th minute.

Argentina progress to the Copa America knockout stages for a 14th consecutive time, excluding when they withdrew from the 2001 tournament.

Toothless La Roja resistance finally broken

Chile looked set to frustrate Argentina once again at the Copa America, and hold out for a second successive clean sheet.

Their defensive resolve - along with an inspired performance by Bravo between the sticks - looked like it would remain firm and keep the reigning champions at bay, until Martinez's late intervention.

What will be more concerning for La Roja is the fact they have now gone four successive Copa America matches without scoring, while having to wait until the 72nd minute for their first attempt on goal today.

That is something they need to address quickly ahead of their crucial final Group A clash with Canada, in which a victory could still see them snatch second place and a quarter-final spot.

Brazil began their Copa America campaign with a frustrating goalless draw against Costa Rica at the SoFi Stadium.

The Selecao dominated large periods of the Group D clash. Marquinhos saw a goal ruled out following a VAR review, while Lucas Paqueta rattled the woodwork from distance.

Yet despite enjoying just under three-quarters of the possession and registering 19 shots to their opponents' two, they could not find the breakthrough and failed to win their opening match in the competition for the first time since 2016.

Dorival Junior's side subsequently lost early ground on Group D leaders Colombia, who beat Paraguay 2-1 earlier in the day.

Brazil quickly asserted their authority on proceedings in California as they sought the game's opening goal.

Rodrygo steered a shot wide following a jinking run into the penalty area, while Raphinha was denied by Patrick Sequeira after latching onto a diagonal ball over the top of the Costa Rica defence.

The Selecao thought they had broken the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Marquinhos applied the finishing touch after Rodrygo glanced Raphinha's free-kick towards the far post, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside following a VAR review. 

Rodrygo fired narrowly over in first-half stoppage time and, then on 63 minutes, Lucas Paqueta saw his ferocious 25-yard drive crash against Sequeira's left upright.

Dorival withdrew the quiet Vinicius Junior in favour of Endrick and Savinho for the final 20 minutes, and both looked dangerous upon their introductions.

The latter's cross almost saw Costa Rica defender Haxzel Quiros head into his own net with his blushes spared by Sequeira, who then beat away Guilherme Arana's fierce volley.

Savinho was involved again in stoppage time as he teed up one final opportunity for Bruno Guimaraes, who bent his first-time shot narrowly wide to compound a frustrating start to the tournament for the nine-time winners.

Selecao stutter on return to States

It is fair to say Brazil do not boost particularly fond recent memories of playing in the United States in recent years.

After all, the Selecao crashed out in the group stages when the Copa America was last held in this nation eight years ago.

Neymar, who was part of that side, watched on from the stands having been ruled out of this tournament through injury.

Try as they may, his team-mates just could not break down their opponents and turn their dominance into the elusive goal, with just three of their 19 attempts on target.

Fresh from playing a starring role in Real Madrid’s LaLiga and Champions League double, Vinicius Junior was unable to inspire his nation – his tallies of 45 touches and 23 passes were the lowest recorded by any of Brazil’s outfield starters.

On a brighter note, Marquinhos made his 16th Copa America appearance – with only Dani Alves (19) and Thiago Silva (18) playing more times for the Selecao in the competition since 2000 – though a VAR review prevented him from marking the occasion with a goal.

Another clean sheet for repellent Costa Rica

Costa Rica were heavy underdogs on their return to the Copa America for the first time in eight years.

Not since 2004 have Los Ticos progressed from the group stages of this competition, but they certainly know what it takes to claim a scalp on the big stage.

Exactly 10 years ago, they beat Uruguay and Italy to top Group D, which also featured England, on the way to reaching the World Cup quarter-finals.

Fast forward a decade and Joel Campbell, who was part of that side, came off the bench for his 140th cap as his nation halted a run of nine successive defeats by Brazil. 

More impressively, Costa Rica have kept clean sheets in each of their last four competitive games.

Their failure to record a single shot on target for the first time in a Copa America match since 2011 will be a slight concern, but that defensive stubbornness will stand them in good stead as they look to progress in this tournament.

France's progression to the Euro 2024 knockout stages was confirmed on Monday, without Didier Deschamps' side kicking a ball.

Les Bleus sit second in Group B - behind the Netherlands having scored a goal less - with four points from their opening two matches, ahead of facing Poland in Dortmund on Tuesday.

However, the two-time European champions will approach the game safe in the knowledge they are assured of a place in the last 16.

With Hungary and Croatia finishing third in Group A and Group B with three and two points respectively, even a defeat against Poland would see France advance as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Deschamps' side are the only European nation to qualify from the group stage of all seven major international tournaments (World Cup and European Championship) since 2012.

Christian Pulisic stole the show with an eye-catching strike and another assist as the United States opened their Copa America campaign with a 2-0 triumph over Bolivia on Sunday.

Gregg Berhalter's side never appeared troubled in a routine victory at AT&T Stadium in Texas, thanks to the solo endeavours of captain Pulisic in their Group C opener.

The Milan forward needed just three minutes to curl in a sublime opener before teeing up Folarin Balogun – who another strike ruled out after the interval – just moments before the break in a one-sided first half.

Bolivia rarely seemed likely to forge a comeback as the USA managed a winning start to a Copa campaign for the first time since the 1995 edition when they defeated Chile 2-1 in Uruguay.

Antonio Carlos Zago's side did not heed an early warning when goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra was forced to rush out and clear in front of Balogun.

Bolivia were caught napping just minutes later as Timothy Weah worked a short corner with Pulisic, who coasted inside before curling into the top-right corner from an acute angle on the left-hand side of the area.

Weah – son of legendary forward George – was denied from point-blank range as the USA almost doubled their lead immediately.

Yet Berhalter's host nation would soon add to their advantage in Arlington.

Pulisic was afforded the freedom of midfield yet again, dropping into space before offloading for Balogun to cannon a left-footed drive into the bottom-right corner.

That smart 44th-minute finish marked Balogun's first-ever goal at this tournament and the Monaco striker found the back of the net for a second time after the interval, only for his celebrations to be cut short.

His routine tap-in from inside the six-yard area was ruled out for offside as Weah had rushed forward to capitalise on Weston McKennie's pass before sliding across for his attacking partner.

Viscarra was equal to Pulisic's effort before the hour as the forward attempt to recreate his early heroics, while substitute Ricardo Pepi prodded wide from Antonee Robinson's pinpoint left-wing delivery.

Pepi was denied by fine Viscarra reflexes late on as the USA coasted to an opening victory before their next meeting with Panama on Thursday, a day before Bolivia face Uruguay.

Pulisic stars in rare USA win

Pulisic was tipped by many as the USA player to keep an eye on at the Copa America, and the Milan man delivered in emphatic fashion in this opener.

Fresh off the back of scoring 15 goals across all competitions for the Serie A giants, Pulisic's opening strike had an expected goals (xG) tally of just 0.037 – yet that was no problem for the USA captain.

His headline-worthy effort halted a woeful run for the USA against CONMEBOL sides at this tournament as well given Berhalter's side had previously lost eight of 10 such games.

Victory also marked the USA's first Copa triumph over Bolivia in just their second attempt, avenging for a 1-0 defeat way back in 1995 when Marco Etcheverry scored the winner.

Bolivia wait goes on

Bolivia were seeking a win against a CONCACAF opponent in Copa action for the first time since the 1997 edition.

They defeated Mexico 3-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament they hosted 27 years ago, though a wait for another such victory must continue after a drab showing in Texas.

Carlos Zago won this competition as a player with Brazil in 1999 but his side have a long way to go if they are to even escape their group in the USA.

Bolivia have now lost their last four international outings by a concerning margin of 9-1, having suffered defeats against Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and the USA.

Sunday's action at Euro 2024 saw the conclusion of Group A, with late drama ensuring a last-gasp shake up to the standings.

Germany looked sure to be on the end of a shock defeat to Switzerland until substitute Niclas Fullkrug stepped up to make it 1-1 in stoppage time and send the hosts through as group winners.

Meanwhile, Scotland crashed out of the tournament without a win after conceding the latest goal ever scored at the Euros, with Hungary keeping their hopes of knockout football alive with their 1-0 victory.

Here, we run through all the best Opta stats to emerge from the day's matches.

Switzerland 1-1 Germany: Neuer makes history, but Fullkrug grabs headlines

Having already qualified for the last 16, the hosts left it late to seal top spot in the group, needing Fullkrug to make a much-needed impact off the bench in Frankfurt.

Dan Ndoye had given Switzerland a first-half lead with his maiden international goal to become the nation's second-youngest goalscorer at the Euros (aged 23 years 242 days), but Switzerland could not hold on.

Manuel Neuer was left helpless against the forward's first-time finish on his 18th appearance at the European Championships, the most among goalkeepers at the tournament (overtaking Gianluigi Buffon – 17). At major tournaments, only Cristiano Ronaldo (45) has played in more games than the Bayern Munich stopper (37).

Julian Nagelsmann named the same starting XI for three consecutive games, the first time Germany have done so in the competition's history, though it looked like tiredness was starting to take its toll as they struggled to break down their opponents.

Toni Kroos finished the game with a passing accuracy of 92.5%, only averaging lower than that in one game for Real Madrid in 2023-24), but also equalled a record in the late drama.

Having completed 323 passes so far at Euro 2024, Kroos has made the joint-most on record (since 1980) by a player in the group stage since himself at Euro 2016 (also 323).

Germany eventually had 18 shots, with Fullkrug picking out the top corner with the final one; the striker has scored 13 goals in just 19 international appearances, while his four as a substitute at major tournaments are more than any other European player.

Despite ultimately losing out on top spot, Switzerland have now gone unbeaten in their last four games against Die Mannschaft (W1 D3), with no nation currently enjoying a longer unbeaten streak against Germany (England and Spain both have ongoing runs of four).

Scotland 0-1 Hungary: Csoboth breaks Tartan Army's hearts

Meanwhile in Stuttgart, it was Hungary celebrating a late strike to seal a 1-0 victory that ensured an early exit for Scotland as they chased what would have been a landmark win.

Kevin Csoboth cemented his place in European Championship history with his counter-attacking finish as he netted the latest goal ever scored in the tournament's history (excluding extra time), timed at 99 minutes and 32 seconds.

Despite needing a win to finish third, Scotland failed to have a single shot on target in the game. In total, the Tartan Army had just 17 shots at Euro 2024 – since the group stage was introduced in 1980, it is the joint-fewest by a national team, along with Northern Ireland at Euro 2016.

Indeed, only twice at Euro 2024 has a team failed to manage a shot on target in the first half of a match and both have been Scotland (also on MD 1 against Germany).

Scotland pushed numbers forward for their last-minute corner with the hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the Euros for the first time, but instead will leave a major tournament group stage without a win for the sixth time (1954, 1958, 1986 and 1998 World Cups and Euro 2020 and 2024).

While looking down and out after failing to win either of their opening games, Hungary finally ended a run of eight games in the competition without a win, registering their first victory since beating Austria 2-0 at Euro 2016 – this was also their first clean sheet since that win.

Niclas Fullkrug proved the last-gasp hero as Germany avoided a shock upset to top Group A at Euro 2024 after snatching a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday.

Dan Ndoye's first international goal seemed set to seal a famous win for Switzerland and ensure them top spot in Group A, but Germany's towering substitute stepped up in the dying seconds in Frankfurt.

Ruben Vargas thought he had doubled Switzerland's advantage late on, only to be denied by the offside flag, and that decision proved pivotal when Fullkrug headed in his 92nd-minute leveller.

That late intervention ensured Germany finished top of the group and will face second place in Group D in the last 16, while Switzerland's top-two finish sets up a meeting with the runners-up of Group B.

The host nation started brightly once again and thought they had taken another early lead when Florian Wirtz teed up Robert Andrich, who squeezed his shot past Yann Sommer into the near post.

However, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder was denied his first international goal after a VAR check as Jamal Musiala was deemed to have fouled Michel Aebischer in the box during the build-up.

Nagelsmann's team instead found themselves behind for the first time in the tournament just before the half-hour mark after Ndoye crashed Remo Freuler's whipped cross past the helpless Manuel Neuer.

Just moments later, Ndoye offered Germany another scare, racing past Antonio Rudiger before fizzing an angled shot just wide of the far post. 

Nagelsmann's half-time message was clear as Musiala looked to make it three goals in three games with a powerful hit from the edge of the box, but Sommer was equal to the attempt.

Toni Kroos drilled a low shot wide under pressure before Kai Havertz glanced a header over the bar as Germany failed to find their clinical edge.

Joshua Kimmich had the best chance to equalise from close range in the 71st minute, but an incredible last-ditch block by Manuel Akanji denied him.

Vargas was left one-on-one with Neuer shortly after and slotted into the far corner, but the assistant referee was quick to flag for offside as Switzerland celebrations were short-lived.

Havertz's looping header bounced off the crossbar as Germany sought a response, which arrived when Fullkrug made his impact off the bench, thumping a header home from David Raum's left-sided delivery.

Neuer's record-breaking day salvaged by Fullkrug

Neuer had already made history in their opening game at Euro 2024 as he became Germany's outright top appearance maker at major tournaments, surpassing Philipp Lahm.

Now, on his 37th start for his country, only Cristiano Ronaldo (45) has played more games across the Euros and World Cup than him, while he has also made the most appearances among goalkeepers in the history of the competition (18, moving ahead of Gianluigi Buffon).

The 38-year-old could not mark a special day with a win, though, as Germany's long wait for a comeback victory when trailing at half-time stretched to 11 matches in the competition (D2 L9).

Their last such win came at Euro 1976 against Yugoslavia (2-0 down at half-time, won 4-2), but Neuer and Co. can at least celebrate top spot after late drama in Frankfurt.

Ndoye steps into the spotlight

Xherdan Shaqiri grabbed the headlines in Switzerland's 1-1 draw with Scotland last time out after scoring in a sixth consecutive major tournament, but with him on the bench on Sunday, the Red Crosses needed others to step up.

In his 14th start for the national side, Ndoye netted for the first time, becoming Switzerland's second-youngest goalscorer in the history of the Euros at 23 years and 242 days, after Johan Vonlanthen against France in 2004 (18y 141d).

Despite going off in the 65th minute, Ndoye had the most shots for Switzerland (two of their three), creating an expected goals tally of 0.52 as he proved their biggest threat.

Though Switzerland will rue their late concession, they are now unbeaten in their last four meetings with Germany – a promising sign as the last-16 awaits.

France manager Didier Deschamps says he is "not concerned" with his side's recent struggles in front of goal ahead of their final Euro 2024 group game against Poland on Tuesday.

Les Bleus are all but through to the knockout stages of the European Championships, sitting joint-top of Group D with four points, but need to avoid defeat to ensure progression.

Yet France's only goal at the tournament so far has come courtesy of Maximilian Wober turning into his own net in the opening 1-0 victory over Austria, before a goalless draw with the Netherlands on Friday.

France failed to score with any of their 15 shots in a wasteful display against the Oranje as Deschamps went without Kylian Mbappe, who was only fit enough for the bench due to his broken nose.

Asked about Les Bleus' profligate showings, Deschamps responded: "I am not concerned. It is just the name of the game.

"Sometimes you have countless chances and don't hit the back of the net, and sometimes it is the other way round.

"I would be worried if there were not any chances. Efficiency at high-level football is important, and it is something we can work on.

On Mbappe's fitness, Deschamps added: "Everything is going in the right direction; he is recovering from the shock, there is the haematoma part which will diminish each day, he will get used to his mask, which modifies the vision a little. But he is fine."

Poland became the first side to be eliminated from the tournament following France's draw, after they lost their opening matches to the Netherlands (2-1) and Austria (3-1).

They have faced their own problems without Robert Lewandowski, who missed the start of the tournament due to a hamstring injury before appearing from the bench against Austria.

"We are depressed by this result, but we still have one more game in our group, and we need to put our best foot forward and try to win three points," Lewandowski said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

France – N'Golo Kante

N'Golo Kante was a surprise inclusion in Deschamps' squad for the tournament after a two-year absence from the national side, but his performances so far have earned him the Player of the Match award in their opening two games.

The midfielder has made more major tournament appearances without losing than any other European player, with France unbeaten in all 17 games he has played across the Euros and World Cup (W12 D5).

Poland – Piotr Zielinski

Poland may be out of the tournament but will be desperate to go down fighting, with Piotr Zielinski again expected to be key here.

Zielinski has been directly involved in more shots than any other Poland player at Euro 2024 (11 – seven shots, four chances created), as well as completing the most passes for his side (68) across the first two rounds.

MATCH PREDICTION: FRANCE WIN

This will only be the third meeting between France and Poland in a major tournament, and the first at the Euros. Poland won a third-place play-off match 3-2 at the 1982 World Cup, while France triumphed 3-1 in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.

Including all competitions, France are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Poland (W4 D4), since losing a friendly match 4-0 in August 1982.

Les Bleus simply need to avoid defeat to qualify for the knockout stages, and they are unbeaten in their eight games in the group stage at the Euros under Deschamps (W4 D4), with their last such defeat coming on MD 3 versus Sweden at Euro 2012 (2-0), under Laurent Blanc.

Meanwhile, Poland have lost both of their games at Euro 2024 so far but have never previously suffered three defeats in a single group stage at a major tournament.

Poland have lost their final group stage match in three of their four previous appearances at the European Championships, with the exception being a 1-0 win against Ukraine in 2016 – the only time they have reached the knockout rounds of the competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

France – 73.9%

Draw – 14.8%

Poland – 11.2%

England know a win, but more importantly, a performance is needed when they face Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday. 

The Three Lions squandered the opportunity to secure qualification to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 after a lacklustre display against Denmark last time out.

Harry Kane's 18th-minute opener had given Gareth Southgate's side an early advantage but, much like in their opening 1-0 win against Serbia, England then failed to capitalise on an early lead.

This time they were punished on Thursday when Morten Hjulmand's effort from distance levelled proceedings, with Denmark perhaps unfortunate to not claim all three points. 

Many involved with England have already acknowledged they must improve and alterations are expected in an attempt to build momentum heading into the last 16, should they get there. 

Here, we use Opta data to preview the Three Lions' final Group C clash.

What's expected?

England are expected to win and top Group C, with the Opta supercomputer handing them a dominant 75.5% chance of getting the job done in Cologne.

Slovenia are predicted a meagre 10.4% likelihood of claiming a maiden triumph against their opponents in the same data-led simulations, with a draw forecast slightly higher at 14.1%. 

This will be only England and Slovenia’s second encounter at a major tournament, with the Three Lions winning 1-0 in the group stages of the 2010 World Cup, but Southgate's men have a fine record in this meeting.

Slovenia have failed to win any of their six matches against England across all competitions (D1 L5). Greece and fellow Group C side Denmark are the only opponents they have faced on more occasions (seven) without ever winning a single match.

Yet Matjaz Kek may fancy an upset here as the normally resolute England defence has come under fire at Euro 2024. The Three Lions have faced five more shots than they have attempted in Germany (17 shots, 22 faced).

They have failed to have more attempts than their opponents in five of their last seven Euros group stages (1992, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2020), something that hasn't happened in any of their last seven World Cup group stage appearances between 1998 and 2022.

England are also averaging just 8.9 shots per game at the Euros under Southgate (80 in nine games). Going into Matchday 3, that is the lowest shots per game any nation has had under a manager to take charge of them in more than five matches at the European Championship on record (since 1980).

Southgate will be desperate for his side to rediscover the creative spark that some of their star players have found so easy to muster with their clubs. 

Changes expected for England, but who will Southgate turn to?

With a plethora of attacking talent, the right blend of experience and youth, along with players picked to travel to Germany based on current form, England arrived at Euro 2024 among the favourites to win the tournament. 

However, any form of cohesion and fluidity is yet to transpire for Southgate's side as jeers echoed around the Frankfurt Arena from the travelling contingent after their underwhelming display against Denmark. 

Kane, who scored 44 goals in all competitions in his debut 2023-24 season for Bayern Munich, had the least touches (22) of any England player who started the game on Thursday, while also managing just one touch in the Danes' penalty area. 

England's attacking quartet of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Kane managed 114 goals between them in all competitions last season, yet Southgate's men managed just two shots on target, forcing the Three Lions boss into a triple change with 20 minutes to go.

Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, and Ollie Watkins were introduced but created just one opportunity of note. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer are still yet to make an appearance in the tournament, despite combining for 33 Premier League goals for Newcastle United and Chelsea respectively last term.

Despite creating more chances (three) and playing more line-breaking passes in the final third (five) against Denmark, it looks likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold's time in midfield could be up, but it remains to be seen who will replace him. 

Chelsea's Conor Gallagher has replaced him in England's last two games, but only completed 82.4% of his 17 passes against Denmark, also collecting a yellow card for his troubles. 

Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton are possible replacements and have shown in the Premier League they are more than capable of stepping up, yet an appearance alongside Declan Rice in midfield would mark both's first feature at a major tournament.

All or nothing for Slovenia

Slovenia know they must achieve the unlikely to keep their Euro 2024 journey alive, with their confidence taking a hit after coming inches away from securing a maiden success at the European Championships. 

Luka Jovic's leveller in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Serbia marked the latest result-altering goal in a Euros match of all-time (excluding extra-time), with his equaliser timed at exactly 95 minutes.

That late heartbreak leaves Slovenia winless across five matches at UEFA's flagship international tournament (D4 L1).

It had started well for Kek's side when Zan Karnicnik netted his second international goal, but Slovenia succumbed to a familiar fate.

Their opener was only the second time they'd gone ahead in a game at the finals, with the other instance coming against Yugoslavia at Euro 2000 when Slovenia led 3-0 before collapsing to a 3-3 draw.

Benjamin Sesko showed the greatest promise for Slovenia, having the joint-most shots (two) and shots on target (one) for his side, but was loose in possession, ending the game with a pass accuracy of 55.8% – the second-lowest in the team. 

Yet there is still hope for Kek as Slovenia are unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions (W4 D4), only enjoying a longer such run once in history (nine games between September 2020 and March 2021).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

England – Harry Kane

While much was made of Kane's performance against Denmark, there is no denying the quality he offers the Three Lions in and around the penalty area.

The Bayern Munich striker has only managed two touches in the opposition box at Euro 2024 so far, the same total as both Kyle Walker and Alexander-Arnold.

Yet Kane still scored his fifth goal in his last six appearances at the tournament, with only Wayne Rooney (six) and Alan Shearer (seven) managing more Euros goals for England.

Slovenia – Petar Stojanovic

With England expected to dominate possession on Tuesday, Slovenia's defence will have to be at their best to give them any chance of getting something from the game. 

Right-back Petar Stojanovic won possession 11 times against Serbia, with only Ales Ceh at Euro 2000 against Spain (14) managing to win the ball back more often for Slovenia in a major tournament game.

Harry Kane insists he is fully fit and firing at Euro 2024 as the England captain reminded pundits of their responsibility, suggesting players "do hear" their scrutiny.

The Bayern Munich talisman was withdrawn in the second half as England were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw with Denmark on Tuesday.

Kane opened the scoring after just 18 minutes in that frustrating showing but has struggled to make a decisive impact in Germany, after also failing to deliver in England's opening 1-0 win over Serbia.

The former Tottenham striker has only managed two touches in the opposition box at Euro 2024, the same total as both Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

That led to some scrutiny from some former players-turned-pundits, with Gary Lineker criticising Kane's tendency to drop deep and seemingly negative impact on Gareth Southgate's attempted press.

Kane acknowledged the comments but suggested the likes of Lineker, an 80-cap England international, must remember their profile when encouraging scrutiny of the national side.

"I'd never want to be disrespectful to any player, especially a player who's worn the shirt and knows what it's like to play for England," Kane said at Sunday's press conference before Tuesday's clash with Slovenia. 

"I think what maybe ex-players or ex-players who are pundits now have got to realise is that it's very hard not to listen to it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment. 

"I always feel like they have a responsibility, I know they've got to be honest and give their opinion but also their responsibility of being an ex-player, an ex-England player that a lot of players looked up to.

"People do care about what they say and people do listen to them. So like I touched on, everyone's got their opinion but the bottom line is we haven't won anything as a nation for a long, long time.

"A lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is. It's not digging anyone out but it's just the reality that they do know that it's tough to play in these major tournaments and tough to play for England.

"All I'd say is just remember what it was like to wear the shirt and that their words are listened to, you do hear it. We all want to win a major tournament.

"I'm sure they want us to win a major tournament, and being as helpful as they can and building the lads up with confidence would be a much better way of going about it."

Kane has scored five goals in his last six Euros appearances, with only Wayne Rooney (six) and Alan Shearer (seven) scoring more European Championship goals for England.

The England skipper is also only the third player to score in four separate major tournaments for his country (2018 and 2022 World Cup, Euro 2020 and this edition), after Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.

Yet still his influence off the ball remains a question that many have posed to Southgate's tactics, but Kane insists he is fit and capable of leading from the front.

"I'll give everything I have for however long I play," Kane responded when asked about his early withdrawal against Denmark. "If it's 70 minutes, if it's 90 minutes, if it's extra time, I physically feel more than capable of doing any of that.

"I've done that my whole career and I've done that for pretty much the whole season as well. I'm feeling fresh and I'm feeling fit.

"I know sometimes when I've had bad games or games not up to the standard, there's always something to look for and find a reason why. But sometimes it's just that's the game, or it's one or two games.

"If this was in a league season, no one's really talking about it because it's in a small heightened environment.

"Of course, there's more chatter. So the important thing is that from me personally, I feel fit, I feel ready and I'll play as long as the manager wants me to play."

Los Angeles FC moved to the Western Conference summit with a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes.at BMO Stadium.

Mateusz Bogusz struck twice, while Denis Bouanga, Kei Kamara, Ryan Hollingshead and Tomas Angel were also on target as LAFC returned to winning ways in MLS.

Steve Cherundolo's side saw their eight-match winning streak end at Austin in midweek, but they took the lead through Bogusz after a quarter of an hour.

Bouanga doubled the lead with his 13th goal of the season, while Kamara headed in a Bogusz cross before Hollingshead's deflected strike made it 4-0 before half-time.

Rodrigues replied for bottom side San Jose in first-half stoppage time, before Benjamin Kikanovic reduced the arrears in the 57th minute.

However, LAFC had the final word with Angel striking three minutes from time to send them top of the Western Conference - ahead of Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy by virtue of winning one more game.

Data Debrief: Kamara passes Donovan

Kamara's header gave him his 146th regular-season goal in MLS, moving him past Landon Donovan and into second place on the all-time list.

The 39-year-old is now 25 goals behind Chris Wondolowski's record, while LAFC extended their franchise-record unbeaten streak to 10 matches.

Harry Kane called for some perspective following England's 1-1 Euro 2024 draw against Denmark but accepts his side were not good enough.

England failed to build on a 1-0 win over Serbia in their Group C opener as they saw Kane's opener cancelled out by Morten Hjulmand in Thursday's match in Frankfurt.

Gareth Southgate's side once again failed to push on after taking the lead in a game and supporters made their frustrations known.

The draw means England have still yet to ever win their first two matches at a European Championship, with their place in the last 16 not yet certain.

And Kane - the third man to score at four different major tournaments for England along with Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney - admits an improvement is needed.

"We're struggling with and without the ball," he told BBC Sport. "The pressing in both games hasn't been quite right, and with the ball we haven't been good enough – that's from top to bottom, from me to Picks (Jordan Pickford). 

"It was tough out there with the heat and the pitch. It wasn't our greatest game but we got away with a draw.

"There's no easy games at major tournaments and I think that's being shown. There are levels we can reach, with and without the ball, but it’s a sign of a good team that you can get results when you’re not playing well."

England sit top of Group C with four points from two matches and will guarantee a place in the knockouts with a draw against Slovenia on Tuesday, while a win sees them through in top spot.

"We're top of the group and we've all but qualified," added Kane, who was substituted with 20 minutes to go. "I know there’ll be loads of noise and a bit of disappointment at home, but we experienced this when we drew with Scotland in the last Euros. 

"It's a time to stay calm, reflect and try to improve. Step by step, we'll get there."

Kane's opener was his fifth goal at the Euros, making him the first England player and the eighth from any country to score five or more in both this competition and the World Cup.

However, Hjulmand levelled 16 minutes later with a shot from 30 yards - his first goal for Denmark in all competitions on what was his ninth appearance - and England could not find a response of their own.

Southgate's side dropped deep after going in front, as they did against Serbia and have done in recent tournaments, and Kane believes that is an area that needs working on.

"It’s not just when we score that [we drop deep]," he said. "It's something we need to get better at. When the teams drop a few players deeper, we're not sure how who's supposed to be pressing. 

"In the second half we tried to change it a bit with me and Jude [Bellingham] playing in front of their two midfielders and then trying to get up. But it was difficult. Credit to Denmark, they’re a really good side and they carried a threat."

England have now won just two of their past eight competition meetings with Denmark, and this most recent result means they are unable to rest up against Slovenia.

Reflecting on the disappointing performance, Southgate told BBC Sport: "The performance was not what we would have hoped. At the moment we're not using the ball well enough, and if you do that you'll suffer as we have at times tonight. There's another level we have to find.

"There's a huge amount of work to do - that's evident. We have to stay tight. We understand people will be disappointed with the performances, and rightly so. We've got make them better."

St. Louis City will be desperate to snap a record six-game winless run in MLS when they host Colorado Rapids at CityPark Stadium on Thursday.

The Missouri-based side have just three wins from their 17 league matches this term, falling down to 11th in the Western Conference standings.

Bradley Carnell's men have not triumphed in MLS action since a 3-1 win over Chicago Fire in the middle of May, and were defeated 2-0 by FC Dallas last time out.

St. Louis coach Carnell referenced injury struggles, however, as his side continue to battle through a troubling period.

"Obviously, it doesn’t take a genius to look at the roster and see where we are. We're not the first team to struggle with this.

"Now we get challenged and now get to prove what we are as a group, team, organisation and unit – sticking together.

"We have a plethora of young players who are performing [for our academy] and we will keep some of those guys with us through the week."

The Rapids have enjoyed a better season, sitting sixth in the West table after returning to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

That ended a four-game winless streak for Colorado, who secured a much-needed victory after a rocketed finish from Cole Bassett before Rafael Navarro netted his 10th goal of the season.

The next challenge for the Rapids is to secure back-to-back victories for the first time since April, though they have lost three straight on the road.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Louis City – Jared Stroud

Jared Stroud was involved in a goal in both matches (one goal, one assist) against the Rapids last season.

The St. Louis man has eight assists to his name in MLS this season, too, and will hope to deliver once more when Colorado come to town.

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

Djordje Mihailovic has scored in each of the Rapids' last three away matches.

He is the first Rapids player to score in three straight away from home in a single regular season since Shkelzen Gashi scored in five straight on the road from June-October 2016.

MATCH PREDICTION – ST. LOUIS CITY WIN

St. Louis are the heavy favourites for victory in this encounter, considering their record against the Rapids.

Carnell's side collected four points from their two matches against Colorado last season, including a 2-0 win at home last July.

Colorado have lost their last three road matches, conceding 10 goals in those games, and that run of form comes as no surprise.

Indeed, the Rapids have lost 15 of their last 21 away from home in all competitions (W3 D3), dating back to last May.

Yet a home win is by no means a foregone conclusion.

St. Louis are winless in six straight matches (D2 L4) for the first time in club history. They have just three wins so far, tied for the fewest in MLS this season, though all three have come at home.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

St. Louis City win – 48.8%

Colorado Rapids win – 25.5%

Draw – 25.7%