He just broke Argentina’s national record, scored screamers in El Superclásico, and Real Madrid pulled the trigger before anyone else. But who is Franco Mastantuono – and why is Xabi Alonso betting big on him? Fresh off his breakthrough in River Plate’s midfield, the 17-year-old Argentine wonderkid is now set to shake up Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid – but who exactly is Mastantuono and why is everyone buzzing? Introduction Real Madrid officially confirmed on 13 June 2025 that they’d signed Franco Mastantuono from River Plate The announcement sent shockwaves through the football world – this 17-year-old attacking midfielder is already being hailed as one of Argentina’s brightest prospects. The transfer was no casual move: Madrid had tracked Mastantuono for two years and suddenly rushed to beat Paris Saint-Germain to his signature According to reports, club and new coach Xabi Alonso believe Mastantuono will be “an immediate asset to the first team,” praising his vis...
Euro Qualifiers: Everything you need to know.
Twenty-one teams have confirmed their places in the tournament, including hosts Germany, leaving three spots to be decided through the play-offs. The qualified teams are Germany, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.
The Euro 2024 draw is scheduled for Saturday, December 2, airing live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer at 17:15 GMT, with text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
The play-offs feature teams divided into three paths:
- Path A: Poland, Wales, Estonia, and one of Finland, Ukraine, or Iceland
- Path B: Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and two of Finland, Ukraine, or Iceland
- Path C: Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg
The play-offs, occurring on March 21, 2024, will determine the final three qualifiers. Twelve teams, based on their 2022-23 Nations League performance, will compete in semi-finals before the finals on March 26.
Several notable nations have failed to qualify for Euro 2024. Norway continues its wait for a major tournament since 2000, finishing behind Spain and Scotland in Group A. Sweden misses out on a European Championship for the first time since 1996. North Macedonia, previously in the 2020 tournament, and Russia, suspended from UEFA competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine, will also be absent.
Finland and Ukraine, qualified for Euro 2020, await their involvement in the play-offs.
Romelu Lukaku of Belgium leads the qualifying goal tally with 14, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) with 10, and Kylian Mbappe (France) with nine. England's Harry Kane, Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark), and Scott McTominay (Scotland) complete the top five with eight and seven goals, respectively.
Portugal stands out as the form team, winning all 10 qualifying matches, scoring 36 goals, and conceding only twice. France won seven games but drew the last against Greece. Other unbeaten teams include England, Belgium, Hungary, and Romania. Spain finished on top of Group A by winning their final six games in qualifying.
Semi-finals:
- Path C: Georgia vs. Luxembourg & Greece vs. Kazakhstan
- Path B: Israel vs. Ukraine or Iceland & Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Finland or Ukraine
- Path A: Poland vs. Estonia & Wales vs. Finland or Ukraine or Iceland
A draw on Thursday will determine the paths for non-group winners (Finland, Ukraine, Iceland) and finalize hosting arrangements for the finals.
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