Euro 2024

THE most iconic international football partnerships have been revealed.Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday, with fans across the continent hope their country has a deadly duo in front of goal or two tough-tackling centre-backs in defence.Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane were voted as the most iconic duoCredit: AFPAndres Iniesta and Xavi were in the top fiveCredit: AFPSteven Gerrard and Frank Lampard came sixthCredit: Getty Images – GettyBut will any partnerships form a duo as good as France pair Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane?The Arsenal hero and his legendary Real Madrid team-mate fired Les Bleus to World Cup glory in 1998 and Euros success two years later.Zidane’s technical skill on the ball saw him named in the team of the tournament for both events as Henry netted six goals.Two thousand football fans voted for that iconic duo as the best of all-time in a poll ran by Domino’s in partnership with BrewDog as they launched The Perfect Match IPA beer.READ MORE ENGLAND NEWSHenry and Zidane pipped two Brazil pairings in Ronaldo and Rivaldo, as well as Pele and Garrincha to top spot.Spain’s sensational midfield of Andres Iniesta and Xavi came fourth, with the Dutch’s Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit in fifth.England failed to bring football home with their Golden Generation in 2006 – but the duo of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are still loved by supporters as they came sixth.Three Lions fans also loved the big and little combination of Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe, who came 12th.Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSTOP 20 INTERNATIONAL DUOS OF ALL-TIME:
1. Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry – France2. Ronaldo and Rivaldo – Brazil3. Pele and Garrincha – Brazil4. Xavi and Andres Iniesta – Spain5. Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit – The Netherlands6. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard – England7. Gary Lineker and Peter Beardsley – England8. Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes – Portugal9. Diego Maradona and Jorge Valdano – Argentina10. Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp – Netherlands11. Roberto Baggio and Gianfranco Zola – Italy12. Peter Crouch & Jermaine Defoe – England13. Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice – England14. Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe – France15. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini – Italy16. Kevin De Bruyne & Romelu Lukaku – Belgium17. Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey – Wales18. Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro – Italy19. Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol – Spain20. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic – Croatia

PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
The ex-Portsmouth and Tottenham pair surprisingly came above Italy stalwarts Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro.And they were higher than Wales heroes Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey after they carried their nation to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.Inside England’s stunning five-star Euro 2024 base with robot waiters that will cost £800,000Domino’s and BrewDog have launched a new beer for the Euros More

ALEKSANDAR PAVLOVIC is out of Euro 2024 after coming down with tonsillitis.The Bayern Munich midfielder, 20, was initially selected as part of Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad.Aleksandar Pavlovic has pulled out of Germany’s Euro 2024 squadCredit: GettyPavlovic earned his way into international reckoning with an impressive breakthrough season at club level.After making 22 appearances for Bayern this term, including a start against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, Pavlovic was called up by Nagelsmann.The 6ft 2in midfielder made his international debut last week, appearing off the bench in a 0-0 draw with Ukraine.Earlier this week it was confirmed that Pavlovic would miss Friday’s Euro 2024 curtain raiser against Scotland due to tonsillitis.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd the illness has now forced the unfortunate starlet out of the tournament altogether.Nagelsmann, 36, has called on Emre Can to replace Pavlovic in the squad.Can, 30, will be well known to English football fans, having played for Liverpool between 2014 and 2018.He left Anfield for Juventus, and has plied his trade for Borussia Dortmund since 2020.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSEmre Can is set to return to the international foldCredit: GettyThe midfielder captained Dortmund in the Champions League final earlier this month.He is experienced at international level, having already earned 43 caps.Inside England’s stunning five-star Euro 2024 base with robot waiters that will cost £800,000PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.

Can has played in two tournaments in previous years; Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.He’ll go straight into the squad for Friday’s clash with Scotland in Munich.After their battle with the Tartan Army, the hosts will head to Stuttgart to play Hungary the following Wednesday.Nagelsmann’s side conclude their group stage campaign with a match against Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23.Germany Euro 2024 guideGERMANY’S reputation as tournament football’s greatest nation has taken a battering in recent years.
The hosts haven’t won a knockout game in eight years and the pressure is on for them to get it right in front of their home crowd.
MANAGER: Julian Nagelsmann
Bright, young and a bit of a maverick. The ex-Bayern Munich boss is known for his flashy outfits and arriving for training on a skateboard. 
STAR MAN: Jamal Musiala
The 21-year-old former Chelsea star could have been playing for England and can make things happen out of nothing.
How Germany attack
Toni Kroos will typically drop deep to take the ball off the defence with the Germans then overloading the side of the pitch the ball is on.
That gives them the option of either passing through the congested area or attacking the other side with a crossfield ball to the man in space.
How Germany defend
Germany’s striker and the team’s five midfielders will form a diamond shape in the hope of preventing the opposition playing through the middle.
Should opponents then play the ball wide, the German full-backs will be expected to press high up the pitch in an attempt to win possession.
Read the full Germany Euro 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups, odds and Wags More

WAYNE ROONEY would not have Trent Alexander-Arnold anywhere near England’s midfield because the Liverpool star “can’t defend”.Three Lions legend Rooney also wants to see Phil Foden played at No10 and Jude Bellingham pushed deeper into midfield.Wayne Rooney has claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘can’t defend’Credit: GettyThe Liverpool star has been listed as a midfielder for Euro 2024Credit: GettyRooney has named who he thinks needs to start for the Three LionsCredit: GettyBut the 38-year-old, who took the Euros by storm as a teenager 20 years ago, is worried the lack of experience in Gareth Southgate’s squad could cost them at this summer’s tournament.Southgate’s men kick off their Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen – where Rooney expects Alexander-Arnold to start in the middle of the park.But the Manchester United record-scorer, who was recently appointed boss of Championship side Plymouth, would not make the same choice if he called the shots.Rooney told Gary Neville’s Overlap podcast: “I think (Gareth) will go with Trent. He’s probably the most gifted player with the ball at his feet we’ve got. READ MORE ON EURO 2024“Defensively, he’s all over the place. He can’t defend. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch.”Conor Gallagher looks to be Alexander-Arnold’s biggest competition for a starting berth this weekend, ahead of youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton.But Rooney would not have any of them and instead would drop superstar Bellingham back further to accommodate Manchester City star Foden in at No10.Bellingham will end up playing there anyway next season at his club Real Madrid, following the arrivals of forwards Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, according to ex-Derby chief Rooney.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe Three Lions icon, who scored 53 goals in 120 caps for his country, added: “You have to build the team around Phil Foden. “He has to be as a No10 and Jude play a little bit deeper. SunSport’s Charlie Wyett runs the rule over England’s first training session in Germany ahead of Euro 2024“(Foden) is completely different to me (as a player), he’s more mature than I was with the ball at that age. I was a bit more raw. “I think (the expectation) is more on Jude now. For Phil, this season has really been a big step-up for him. “You’re lacking a midfielder next to Declan Rice and I think Jude is going to play there at Madrid given the players they’ve brought in. “He’s more than capable of doing that. For me, that’s his best position.”Rooney reckons England are going to face stubborn, deep defences at times in Germany this summer – similar to the Iceland one that earned a shock 1-0 win at Wembley on Friday.In those scenarios, Rooney would like Southgate to bring Ivan Toney off the bench to partner Harry Kane in a bid to break resistances.Rooney believes Foden should be starting in the No10 positionCredit: GettyHe also thinks Bellingham should drop deeperCredit: GettyHe also would have taken Jack Grealish over Jarrod Bowen for the Manchester City star’s ability to “bring something a bit different” and offer more balance on the left.Jarrad Branthwaite would have been selected by Rooney too for his size, ball-playing ability and fine season with Everton.Grealish has become a serial winner during his time at City, even if he was a bit-part player in the club’s fourth league title on the trot this term.The lack of silverware tasted by many in Southgate’s squad is a worry for Rooney – as is the inexperienced backline.He added: “There’s no substitute for players who win trophies. It’s so important. “There’s not many in the England squad that have done that. “I just think there’s a real lack of experience in the squad, that’s my worry. “On the backline, there’s not many caps between the players. When you get to the later stages… “I had it when I first signed for Manchester United, you get to finals and ends of tournaments, semi-final etc, we’re looking at the lads that have been there and won trophies. They keep you calm and get you through it. That’s my worry for England.“I think they’ll breeze through the group stages but when they come up against good teams that are going to be a real threat to them, I think that lack of experience might harm us.“In 2004, I was probably the only one (inexperienced player). There are so many players now. “I could go to any player in the squad and get advice off them or guidance on certain things.“Where now you’ve got (Marc) Guehi, you’ve got (Ezri) Konsa, Mainoo, Wharton… the amount of players that have barely played, Cole Palmer, (Eberechi) Eze. “So many players and what will happen naturally is they will probably stick together and then when it starts getting tough, they’ll be talking, going, ‘What do we do?’ Because they’re in a group. “I was on my own, I wasn’t in a group, so I could go to anyone and say, ‘I’m a bit worried here’. “That’s my issue. It’s not that they’re not good enough or that they don’t deserve to be there, but there’s so many players with a lack of caps and a lack of tournament football that you need that Harry Maguire, Grealish, for me, to bring that experience into the squad.”Maguire, who has scored seven goals in 63 appearance for his country, was left out of the touring party due to a calf problem.READ MORE SUN STORIESIt has left Southgate with a raft of centre-backs with fewer than ten caps, barring John Stones who missed training on Wednesday through illness.Rooney added: “The attacking players are unbelievable, probably the best we’ve had as a country. But the backline is a big worry for me.”How England should line up against Serbia, according to RooneyEURO 2024 LIVE: LATEST UPDATES FROM THE TOURNAMENT More