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James Andrew X @JamesAndrew_ E james.andrew@futurenet.com

UPFRONT

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

OWEN HARGREAVES

YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS

THE ULTIMATE QUIZ

Prove you know more than your mates by answering questions on everyone from Pele to Scott McTominay

GAMES THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

JULIANO BELLETTI

IS WREXHAM’S RISE THROUGH THE LEAGUES A FAIRYTALE OR NOT?

MARK WHITE ONLINE CONTENT EDITOR @markwhlte Tell us

“I’M NOT A VAMPIRE, HONEST!”

Arsenal street artist Northbanksy has gained fame for his murals, after a terrible misunderstanding almost led to his demise

GAIL EMMS

The badminton Olympic medallist talks dodging Alan Shearer shots and her mum’s Azteca heroics

LONG MAY THEY REIGN

For the first time since 1970, an England senior team attempt to defend their title – the Lionesses haven’t had things all their own way since Euro 2022, but they’re determined to retain their crown

BETH MEAD “I’D LOVE TO WIN THE GOLDEN BOOT AGAIN, BUT IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO RETAIN THE EUROS”

The Arsenal forward was player of the tournament in 2022 – after injury ruled her out of the World Cup, she’s desperate to enjoy more success in Switzerland

ELLA TOONE “THIS IS MY FIRST TOURNAMENT WITHOUT MY DAD – HE’D WANT ME TO JUST ENJOY IT”

Nearly a year since her father’s passing, the Manchester United midfielder hopes to score yet more crucial Lionesses goals in Switzerland this summer

GEORGIA STANWAY “I’VE TATTOOED A LOT OF MY TEAM-MATES – IT’S EXTRA PRESSURE TO MAKE IT PERFECT!”

Since stunning Spain in 2022, the midfielder has moved to Bayern Munich and taken up a hobby – recently, though, she’s been battling to be fit for the finals

FRAN KIRBY “MISSING THE WORLD CUP WAS REALLY HARD – I TRIED EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT”

A champion in 2022, injury ruled the 31-year-old out of England’s last major tournament – this term, she’s flourished once more after a move to Brighton

ALESSIA RUSSO “SCORING THAT BACKHEEL IN 2022 WAS GREAT – PEOPLE TRUST ME TO TRY THINGS”

The Arsenal striker shot to fame with her improvised goal against Sweden at the last Euros – now she’s the Lionesses’ main attacking threat this summer

THE WAIT IS OVER

It’s been 19 years since Jess Fishlock made her debut for Wales – now, at 38, she has helped them to their first ever major tournament. She tells FFT she’s eyeing a Euros record this summer to boot…

SPAIN: THE TEAM WHO JUST WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL

La Roja’s stars won their first ever major trophy two years ago, only for glory to be overshadowed by controversy; this time, they hope for no distractions

ALEXIA PUTELLAS: “THE WORLD CUP WAS A RACE AGAINST TIME FOR ME. NOW I WANT TO SHOW THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF”

Injury ruled the two-time Ballon d’Or winner out of Euro 2022; a sub in the World Cup final on her return, the 31-year-old has now rediscovered top form

JOHANNA RYTTING KANERYD: “WINNING BRONZE AT THE WORLD CUP WAS SPECIAL. HOPEFULLY WE CAN TAKE THE NEXT STEP”

The 28-year-old Chelsea winger is Sweden’s reigning player of the year – and after tasting success Down Under in 2023, she fancies more in Switzerland...

A SUMMER OF TOURNAMENTS

The Women’s Euros may be the major showpiece of 2025, but other national teams are preparing to go toe-to-toe too, in Morocco, Minneapolis and more...

THE BALLON D’OR WAS MY CHILDHOOD DREAM. MILAN SAID, ‘THE ONLY WAY TO WIN IT IS BY PLAYING FOR US’

Andriy Shevchenko rose from Kyiv to become the world’s best – in his own words, he relives a career inspired by Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s clocks and Ian Rush’s boots, and explains why Volodymyr Zelensky can count on him

FFT’S GUIDE TO THE CLUB WORLD CUP

On June 14, a new 32-team tournament kicks off when Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on Al Ahly of Egypt. After a great deal of scepticism, can it establish itself as one of football’s most prestigious events?

“OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS DON’T COME AROUND EVERY YEAR – YOU HAVE TO GO AND EMBRACE IT AND WIN A TROPHY”

The Chelsea legend is now an academy coach at the club; after missing out on global domination as a player, he explains to FFT why he hopes the west Londoners can seize their chance in the US

“PLAYERS ARE BEING FLOGGED – I THINK THIS TOURNAMENT IS A JOKE”

The former Man City goalkeeper tells FFT why a Stateside circus is the last thing players need after a tough season

THE GROUPS

Featuring legendary veterans, Lee Clark’s offspring and a Brit with a crocodile...

THE FIXTURES

“I know it’s your mother’s 60th, but you can’t expect me to miss Mamelodi Sundowns against Fluminense...”

WHEN MAN UNITED FLED THE FA CUP FOR BRAZIL

FIFA’s first attempt to launch a global competition was similarly controversial – if only they’d played it in Tahiti, eh?

English football’s darkest months

The Heysel disaster in May 1985 brought to an end 11 weeks of turmoil in which 96 supporters went to watch the sport they loved but never came home. Forty years on, FFT recalls the tragic inspiration for a new fan dawn

RISE OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad have gone deep in Europe in recent times, by mining fertile local talent pools. In a four-day trip to the region, FFT visits those clubs and more, to find out how quarries in Euskal Herria have thrived

MY PERFECT XI STAN COLLYMORE

The ex-Forest and Liverpool striker explains why Lars

AROUND THE GROUNDS

DEAN LEWINGTON

MANCHESTER’S OTHER BREAKAWAY CLUB

FC United of Manchester hog the limelight, but they’ve been around nowhere near as long as Maine Road FC, created in homage to the city’s blue half...

FALKIRK

Diehard Bairns James and David Maxwell recall sinking Celtic, possibly excrement-filled shoes and stinky loos

FLEETWOOD, INDIA, NEPAL (IN THAT ORDER)

Former EFL boss Simon Grayson is enjoying South Asia, but hopes the experiences will secure a job at home...

I WISH I WAS A BALLER

Several ex-pros have had that wish granted in the new influencer Baller League – they tell FFT what it’s like...

“WHEN WE GOT IT BACK TO 2-1AGAINST GILLS IN THE LAST MINUTE, I KNEW I’D GET ONE MORE CHANCE”

The tireless Scot on starting at Arsenal, his lethal partnership with The Goat and – of course – Manchester City’s incredible 1999 comeback at Wembley

“IT LOOKED AS IF ALI DIA HAD NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL – WE COULDN’T BELIEVE HE WAS ON THE PITCH”

else in the Premier League could do, but he didn’t look after his body the way he should have to maximise his potential. I think that caught up with him too early as the game was developing quite fast in those years. Fitness became more and more important.

“I DECIDED TO LAY A MARKER ON TEVEZ AT OLD TRAFFORD. IT DIDN’T SEEM TO BOTHER HIM TOO MUCH...”

The former defender talks the art of tackling, proving the doubters wrong, making Alex Ferguson angry and winning the League Cup with Birmingham

THE BEST OF FOOTBALL

KIT • FASHION • ART DESIGN • TECH

SWINDON TOWN HOME 2009-11

FFT ’s football shirt buff revisits the age of the asymmetric by picking out a pair of Robins tops with a rather familiar sponsor...

WOMEN’S EURO 2025 GUIDE

YOUR EUROS STARTS HERE TEAM PROFILES • STAR PLAYERS AND MORE

CONTENTS

For the first time since 1970, England head

EURO 2025

25 REASONS TO LOVE EURO 2025 04 Cowbells!

25 REASONS TO BE EXCITED FOR EURO 2025

St Bernards, glaciers and goals goals goals – it promises to be one hell of a summer in Switzerland...

THE VENUES

From sprint kings to the Miracle of Bern and, er, Eurovision, this summer’s Swiss showpiece is steeped in history

THE GOLDEN BOOT RACE IS ON

Only Inka Grings has ever won the award twice in a row – can Beth Mead fend off her rivals to top-score again?

SWITZERLAND NORWAY ICELAND FINLAND

A FIXTURES WEDNESDAY, JULY 2 5pm:

SWITZERLAND

Each of the last two European Championship hosts has won the tournament – Switzerland will set their sights a little lower than the Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022, having never made it past the group stage before, but they did reach the last 16 at the 2023 World Cup.

NORWAY

Led by former Wales manager Gemma Grainger, Norway hope to put consecutive group-stage Euros exits firmly behind them.

ICELAND

Iceland head into Euro 2025 ranked higher than ever. Boosted by high-profile victories over Germany and Austria, they rose to 13th in the world in March.

FINLAND

Finland have been a recent Euros mainstay of sorts, without ever matching the heights of reaching a semi-final on debut in 2005.

ITALY SPAIN PORTUGAL BELGIUM

B FIXTURES THURSDAY, JULY 3 5pm: Belgium

ITALY

European finalists in 1993 and 1997, Italy have rarely hit similar heights but optimism abounds after qualifying above ex-winners the Netherlands and Norway

SPAIN

Spain have never won a knockout tie at a European Championship, but the reigning world champions will head to Switzerland as the undoubted favourites.

PORTUGAL

Can Portugal realise their potential at a major tournament?

BELGIUM

Belgium impressed on their run to the Euro 2022 quarter-finals, their campaign ending in pluckyyet-heartbreaking fashion with an injury-time defeat to Sweden.

DENMARK GERMANY POLAND SWEDEN

FIXTURES FRIDAY, JULY 4 5pm: Denmark vs

DENMARK

Denmark don’t have the historic prestige of Sweden and Norway, but they did get to the knockout rounds at the last World Cup and have reached the semi-finals at two of the past three Euros, even contesting the final in 2017.

GERMANY

Germany hop over the border needing a change of scene. Their desperate group-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup is receding in the rear-view mirror, obscured somewhat by the bronze medal they secured at last summer’s Olympics, beating Spain to do so

POLAND

Poland attempted to reach a first major women’s tournament by hosting it, but came third in the Euro 2025 vote behind a joint bid from the four Nordic countries

SWEDEN

Sweden won the inaugural Euros back in 1984, but it’s been four decades of hurt since for one of the women’s game’s trailblazers.

NETHERLANDS ENGLAND WALES FRANCE

FIXTURES SATURDAY, JULY 5 5pm: Wales vs

NETHERLANDS

The 2017 European champions want their trophy back – though it’s not going to come easily

ENGLAND

The Lionesses go into Euro 2025 as the holders, but it’s been an up-and-down journey for Sarina Wiegman’s charges in the three years since they lifted the trophy on home soil. They also reached a first ever World Cup final, but then failed to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in France

WALES

Wales head to Euro 2025 for their first ever tournament, from their 15th qualification attempt.

FRANCE

France regularly fail to turn their talent pool into a successful international tournament, and it won’t be any easier for them at Euro 2025 – they must eliminate one of the last two champions just to make the knockout stages.