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Wales’ hopes of Euro 2024 qualification were seriously damaged by a humiliating 4-2 defeat to Armenia in Cardiff. Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos both scored twice as Armenia – ranked 97 in the world and 71 places lower than Wales – secured one of the greatest victories in their football history. Daniel James had given Wales an early opener and Harry Wilson cut the deficit to 3-2 after Armenia had seized control, aided by some truly desperate home defending. But Armenia responded in style and Welsh misery was completed by the dismissal of Kieffer Moore, who was adjudged to have committed foul play by Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabadov after tangling with goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich. Moore will miss Monday’s trip to Turkey that now takes on extra significance for Wales after this setback. It was a sweet success for Armenia coach Olesksandr Petrakov, 12 months on after his Ukraine side were beaten in a World Cup play-off final in Cardiff. Wales had not lost in 12 home European Championship qualifiers – the last defeat being against England in March 2011 – but Armenia joined the likes of Belarus, Cyprus, Macedonia and Moldova in inflicting embarrassing defeats on them down the years. Vice-captain Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson were welcomed back after missing the two qualifiers in March when Wales had picked up four points. David Brooks was among the substitutes after rejoining the squad for the first time since being diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021. Wales applied early pressure with Connor Roberts’ long throws posing problems and Moore going close from one of them. Moore had just headed wide when Johnson’s delicious 10th-minute cross set James up for a simple sixth Wales goal. If the hosts thought that early breakthrough would deflate Armenia then they were in for a rude awakening. Captain Eduard Spertsyan headed inches wide and Danny Ward had to stretch every sinew to hold Nair Tiknizyan’s cross at the second attempt. But Ward had no chance when the rampaging Tiknizyan again centred from the left for Zelarayan to send a sweet volley past him. It got worse for Wales as Joe Rodon lost possession in his own half and Spertsyan’s perfect ball arced over Chris Mepham for the unmarked Ranos to head home. Tigran Barseghyan almost embarrassed Wales further, but – in a half when it appeared that a goal would arrive from every attack – the Armenia goal suddenly came under siege. Moore sidefooted the ball traight at Chancharevich after Wilson had sprung the offside trap and Rodon’s header drifted the wrong side of a post from a Welsh perspective. James drove wide after the restart, but Wales became increasingly stifled and frustrated by Armenia’s time-wasting tactics before Ranos supplied another unpleasant surprise with a wonderful finish. Wales were back in it 18 minutes from time when Moore headed down at the far post and Wilson stabbed home from close range. But Armenia responded again for Ranos to thump a post and be denied a hat-trick. Wales failed to make the most of their good fortune as substitute Joe Morrell lost possession to Ugochukwu Iwu and Zelarayan smashed home his second. Brooks came on for a late cameo to provide Wales with some cheer. But Moore’s red card – that appeared harsh on first glance – confirmed Armenia’s first win in 10 games on a crazy night at Cardiff City Stadium. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Trent Alexander-Arnold stars as England cruise to Malta win Matt Fitzpatrick makes ace at US Open as Rory McIlroy stays in contention Aston Villa appoint Monchi president of football operations

Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a stunner and sparkled in midfield as England continued their march to Euro 2024 with a comprehensive victory against minnows Malta. The talented full-back has rarely looked like the player that shines for Liverpool when donning a Three Lions shirt, with the immense competition at right-back also restricting his opportunities. Alexander-Arnold won just his 19th England cap on Friday night against Malta and impressed in a midfield role, helping to inspire Gareth Southgate’s side to a straightforward 4-0 victory. The 24-year-old made an impact from outset at the sold-out Ta’ Qali National Stadium, with this exceptional early pass putting Bukayo Saka behind to produce a cross that Ferdinando Apap turned into his own goal. Alexander-Arnold continued to star and produced a moment of magic in the 28th minute, taking aim from 23 yards as he curled home just his second England goal. The midfielder also had a hand in England’s third goal, winning the ball high up the pitch at the start of a move that ended with Harry Kane scoring a penalty. There was a far better mood in the away section than the last trip to Malta in 2017, when Southgate’s side were jeered off after a scoreless first half as many travelling fans made an early exit. Large numbers of England fans again departed at half-time this time around, but it was to toast a job well done rather than to grumble over beers like six years ago. In truth, they missed little aside from substitute Callum Wilson converting a late penalty as Southgate’s men continued their 100 per cent start in Group C. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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England resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on Friday night as they face Malta away from home with the plan of maintaining their winning start. Gareth Southgate’s side defeated both of their most likely rivals for a top-two finish, Ukraine and Italy, in their opening two matches in this qualifying campaign while Malta have lost to Italy as well as North Macedonia - who the Three Lions will face next week. This round of fixtures is quite forgiving for England, especially after such a long season, and Southgate will be expecting his side to take a big step closer to qualifying for the next summer’s finals in Germany. The England boss will need to make some key decisions in terms of personnel, especially when it comes to his Manchester City stars who only ended their season last week. Eberechi Eze is in mind to make his debut and many of the squad’s fringe or inexperienced players could get the nod in a game England should dominate. Follow all the action as Malta host England: Read More Gareth Southgate facing ‘complicated’ decision on Man City stars for Malta game England’s future is about to be defined – and it’s out of Gareth Southgate’s control Marcus Rashford reveals pain that is ‘relighting the flame’ inside him

Scotland aim to build on their flying start to their European Championship qualifying group when they face Norway in Oslo on Saturday. Steve Clarke’s side made a perfect start in March against Cyprus and Spain with five goals and two clean sheets, while Norway only collected one point. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the major talking points ahead of the encounter. How do you stop Haaland? With 21 goals in 23 internationals, Erling Haaland’s goalscoring rate for his country is similar to the records he has set at Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and now Manchester City. Steve Clarke has decisions to make over who goes up against a striker who netted 52 goals for treble winning City this season. The player who started in the heart of the back three in victory over Spain, Grant Hanley, is missing for Scotland through injury. The likes of Jack Hendry, John Souttar and Liam Cooper are vying for his place. Can Scotland’s forwards overshadow Haaland? The visitors have plenty of goal threats from midfield with Scott McTominay already on four goals in the campaign and John McGinn taking his international tally to 16 in the opening victory over Cyprus. With Che Adams injured, Lyndon Dykes is likely to lead the line with eight Scotland goals to his name. Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Nisbet are both off the mark for their country and go into the game in good form. A big chance for Scotland already An away win would put Scotland eight points clear of their opponents and put them in a strong position to seal a top-two position and automatic qualification for Germany. A draw would also keep Scotland on course provided they follow it up with a home win against Georgia. Norway have the chance to kick-start their campaign and ensure all three top seeds have beaten each other at home. Learning the lessons Scotland embarked on a training camp in Spain before their normal week’s preparation, after suffering defeats against Ukraine and Republic of Ireland last June on the back of varied workloads and season finishes for their players. Clarke hopes the extra preparation will lead to a stronger post-season performance this year. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Matt Fitzpatrick makes latest hole-in-one at US Open as Wyndham Clark takes lead Zane Tetevano reflects on ‘scary episode’ after suffering a stroke Cycling remembers ‘exceptional’ Gino Mader after death at the Tour de Suisse

Homophobic chanting from fans which halted the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final between Mexico and the United States in Las Vegas has been “strongly condemned” by the region’s governing body. CONCACAF, the North and Central America and Caribbean football confederation, criticised the actions of some supporters during Thursday’s match and said it will issue a further statement after reviewing reports from the match official and security. Referee Ivan Barton, who had already sent off four players – including Leeds midfielder Weston McKennie – had halted play in the 90th minute at the Allegiant Stadium when the chant was first heard. Despite bringing the players back for an additional 12 minutes the referee ended the game with four minutes still to play after USA goalkeeper Matt Turner was targeted again. USA were leading 3-0 at the time, with Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic netting either side of half-time before Ricardo Pepi added a third in the 78th minute. “CONCACAF strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting by some fans during the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final match between Mexico and the United States,” said a statement. “Chants heard during the game led to the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol by the match officials. “Additionally, security staff ejected several fans for engaging in unacceptable behaviour in the stadium. “These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high-quality football in our region. “The confederation is in the process of urgently establishing further details and reports from security and match officials and will make a further statement in short order.” In January, Mexico were fined £84,000 by FIFA for anti-gay chants by fans at two matches. “In terms of the chant, I want to make it very clear first and foremost, for our beliefs and our culture, it has no place in the game,” United States coach BJ Callaghan told a press conference. Read More Malta vs England LIVE: Latest Euro 2024 qualifier updates Equal prize money at men’s and women’s World Cups is a must, says FIFPRO England fans soak up the Malta sun and discuss tactics ahead of Euro 2024 qualifier

The top potential breakout stars of the 2023 Women's World Cup, including Trinity Rodman, Jule Brand, Mary Fowler and more.

Kirby Smart's Georgia football program may have actually overachieved this last decade-plus.While Kirby Smart has led his alma mater to back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championships, you can certainly argue that his Georgia football program has actually ... overachieved?! Wai...

Equal prize money at the 2026 and 2027 men’s and women’s World Cups has to happen “no matter what”, according to world players’ union FIFPRO. Gianni Infantino, the president of football’s global governing body FIFA which organises the tournaments, said in March it was his ambition for there to be equal prize money after this summer’s Women’s World Cup. He has said sponsors and broadcasters must play their part in helping to achieve that, something FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann agrees with. Qatar." data-source="FIFA"> However, Baer-Hoffmann insisted on Friday that equal prize money must not just be a goal – it was essential. “It is not wrong from FIFA to actually call all the other economic contributors to the tournament to the table,” he said. “You can say whatever you want about how footballing institutions have probably massively under-invested in the game and have not done enough to develop it. “At the same time, so have many other stakeholders, whether they are broadcasters or sponsors. “So while we think this prize money equalisation has to happen in 26-27 no matter what, we also are looking to work with FIFA to make sure that the economics of this tournament continue to develop because it shouldn’t just be a prize money equalisation on the back of a political commitment.” Infantino had been especially critical of broadcasters in some of the big European markets, including the United Kingdom, for offering a tiny fraction of the money they had put forward for the 2022 men’s finals compared to this summer’s women’s tournament. However, a deal for the tournament to be screened on the BBC and ITV was announced earlier this week. FIFA has confirmed a record prize money pot will be distributed for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, with 270,000 US dollars (around £216,000) earmarked for each member of the winning squad. Every player involved in the tournament is guaranteed to receive at least 30,000 US dollars (just over £24,000), at a time when the average salary in the women’s game worldwide is 14,000 US dollars (£11,000), according to last year’s FIFA benchmarking report. World players’ union FIFPRO has praised FIFA “for listening to the voice of players” on the issue of pay, and for ensuring equal conditions in terms of training facilities and transport for players at this summer’s finals compared to the men’s tournament in Qatar late last year. A group of 150 players from 25 national teams – including players from England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland – had written to FIFA in October last year calling for equal conditions and for a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players. Previously, there was no requirement for national associations to distribute a minimum amount of World Cup prize money to participating players. The overall performance-based fund for the finals is 110million US dollars (£88.1m), more than three times what was on offer at the 2019 World Cup in France, with the players sharing more than 44 per cent of that between them. FIFPRO said on Friday that the money earmarked for players would go into designated accounts audited by FIFA to ensure it got to them. There remain issues globally regarding the conditions for players, with the Jamaican squad publishing a statement on Thursday criticising their country’s federation for how it has resourced and handled the team’s World Cup preparations. Their complaints include a failure to pay agreed compensation or provide sufficient resources for team preparation in some areas, including food, training and travel. Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO’s director of global policy and strategic relations for women’s football described the plight of the Reggae Girlz as “completely unacceptable”. FIFPRO also confirmed FIFA had presented its proposed approach regarding armbands to a players’ group at a meeting on Thursday. A group of seven European nations were threatened with sporting sanctions starting with a yellow card for their captains if rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands were worn at the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year. Discussions are ongoing with other stakeholders on the issue, with the Football Association understood to be in almost daily written contact with FIFA regarding this topic. Baer-Hoffmann said feedback from the players’ group would be passed to FIFA in due course. Infantino said in March that all sides had learned lessons from what happened in Qatar and was confident “a solution” would be agreed for the Women’s World Cup. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh put on united front after ‘differences’ Zak Crawley sets the tone for England before Australia hit back in Ashes WRU criticised for ‘serious failure of governance’ over misconduct allegations

England are back in action on Friday and resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a trip to the National Stadium in Ta’Qali. There, Gareth Soughate’s side are in action against Malta in Group C - a meeting off top against bottom in the early stages of this series. Two wins over Ukraine and Italy have put the Three Lions well and truly in the driving seat to comfortably qualify for the finals, given the top two in each group will head through to play in Germany. Malta, meanwhile, have lost both their games against Italy and North Macedonia. Key decisions in terms of the team will come over whether to hand a debut to Eberechi Eze and how many of the fringe or inexperienced players get the nod in a game England should be far too strong for their opponents in. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Malta vs England? The Euro 2024 qualifier kicks off at 7:45pm BST on Friday 16 June. Where can I watch it? England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers are free-to-air after Channel 4 secured the rights for all Three Lions games for two years. Fans can stream the match via Channel 4’s app and desktop website. What is the England team news? It’s not yet clear whether Man City’s stars will feature in the match given their Champions League exertions - and subsequent celebrations - but it’s likely Gareth Southgate will offer a chance to a few players who are not habitual starters. Marc Guehi could be in line to win just his fourth cap in defence and Crystal Palace teammate Ebe Eze is hoping for his senior debut with the national team. Jude Bellingham has just completed his transfer to Real Madrid but will not be playing in this break as he recovers from injury. Predicted lineups MAL - Bonello, Attard, Borg, Apap, Corbalan, Muscat, Guillaumier, Yankam, Mbong, Jones, Satariano ENG - Pickford, Trippier, Guehi, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Gallagher, Eze, Saka, Kane, Maddison Odds Malta 66/1 Draw 18/1 England 1/20 Prediction No contest in terms of the outcome of course, so it’s about how clinical and intense England can be in the humid conditions. Malta 0-4 England. Read More Southgate makes call over Man City stars and warns of ‘line’ in celebrations How to watch Malta vs England Euro 2024 qualifier online and on TV today Malta vs England team news and predicted line-ups for Euro 2024 qualifier England’s future is about to be defined – and it’s out of Gareth Southgate’s control One year to Euro 2024: Who is on the plane for England? Rashford underlines commitment to England after missing recent games

Norway manager Stale Solbakken joked that if Jack Grealish could train for England then he has no cause to worry about Erling Haaland’s treble celebrations ahead of Saturday’s clash with Scotland. Solbakken understood the need for Haaland to revel in his success with Manchester City after last weekend’s Champions League final. Solbakken has taken it easy with Haaland this week, more concerned with ensuring the striker recharges, and believes a homecoming welcome will lift his star man during the Euro 2024 qualifier in Oslo. City celebrated in Ibiza after their Istanbul success against Inter before continuing the party on a bus parade in Manchester on Monday with Grealish throwing himself wholeheartedly into the fun. When asked what the Norwegian people made of the scenes ahead of a big international, Solbakken said: “I think everyone understands that and I also think it’s a good idea to do that. “Because, no matter how good you are, if you say (Pep) Guardiola is the best manager in the world and he has managed to do this treble once in Spain, once time in England, even when he had the best players representing the biggest clubs with the biggest budgets, you could think this would happen more often. But it doesn’t because it’s so, so difficult. “And I don’t think you can postpone a celebration like that. You can’t say ‘let’s meet up in the summer when these national games are over and we party’. It’s not the same because the excitement is a little bit out of your body and you have to do it then. “When he came here, he didn’t look like he had gone the Grealish way. If Grealish managed to train for England the first time, he should also manage to do it for us.” Only one of Haaland’s 53 goals this season has come on the international stage but the 22-year-old has not played for his country since September and Solbakken believes an excited home crowd will help him overcome his heavy schedule. “The biggest gift in that is the love the crowd will give him because it’s a long time since he has played in Norway and he didn’t participate in the two internationals earlier this year,” the former Wolves and Copenhagen manager said. “Obviously the Norwegian people have seen him on telly for a long time without seeing him live. I think he has had one game here in a year. “So that will probably pump him up and give him the five to 10 per cent he probably lacks due to the programme he has been through and all the feelings and emotions he has been through as well.” Haaland was missed in March as Norway took one point from their opening two Group A games against Spain and Georgia, while Scotland sealed maximum return. On the game, Solbakken said: “It’s more crucial for us than Scotland of course but no matter what, before the group started, this would always have been a key game. “But it’s more that Scotland have had a really great start. I think we played two really good games but what messed it up a little bit, even though we only got one point, is that Scotland beat Spain. “That means it looks much better for us if we can beat you and everyone is beating each other. If we win, also Spain are in trouble, because it’s two teams who can catch them.” Read More City soak it in and Nuggets strike gold – Tuesday’s sporting social Cadan Murley suspends loyalty to Man Utd to analyse Erling Haaland’s finishing Jack Grealish revels as Manchester City parade treble Manchester City’s trophy parade in pictures The sporting weekend in pictures Man City match-winner Rodri named Champions League player of the year