Spanish wunderkind Lamine Yamal could get the chance to line up opposite his hero Lionel Messi next summer – if the Argentina superstar prolongs his international career.
Yamal was instrumental as Spain won a record fourth European Championship on Sunday, supplying the pass for Nico Williams to open the scoring as La Roja beat England 2-1 in the Berlin final.
It capped an incredible individual tournament for the precocious 17-year-old Barcelona tyro, who celebrated his birthday a day before the final. During the month-long Euro 2024 in Germany, Yamal became the tournament's youngest player, goalscorer, finalist and was named best young player. He ended the tournament with one goal and four assists in seven games, emerging as the breakout star of the competition.
Across the Atlantic, Yamal's boyhood hero Messi was also celebrating.
Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 after extra time in Miami to capture a record 16th Copa America title.
Messi, who plays his club football with MLS side Inter Miami, had to watch from the bench as substitute Lautaro Martinez scored the goal that settled the match.
Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had to be withdrawn midway through the second half with an ankle injury, leaving the field in tears.
Those soon turned to tears of joy though as Messi and Argentina collected a third-straight international title following their 2021 Copa triumph and the 2022 World Cup.
Messi, who just recently made headlines for doing a photoshoot with Yamal when he was just a few months old, could be passing the torch when the two countries play.
Here's everything to know about the Finalissima:
What is Finalissima?
The Finalissima (Italian for "grand final") is a one-off match between the winners of the European Championship and Copa America for another trophy.
When was the first Finalissima?
The first match was played in 1985 it what then called the European/South American Nations Cup.
It was also held in 1993 before being discontinued until the rebranded 2022 game that saw Messi and Argentina beat Euro 2020 winners Italy 3-0.
Who has won the most Finalissimas?
Argentina are two-time winners, having first beaten Denmark in 1993 before their most recent victory over Italy. In the first edition, Euro '84 winners France beat South American champions Uruguay 2-0.
When is the next Finalissima?
The next Finalissima is expected to be held in 2025. No date has been specified but it is almost certain to be held some time in the summer.
Will Yamal face Messi?
While Yamal's international career is just taking off, Messi's is most definitely closer to the end. At age 37, there are few things left for Messi to achieve in a glittering career that already has him earmarked as arguably the greatest player ever.
Two of Messi's teammates – Angel di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi, both 36 – announced their international teammates in the wake of their recent Copa triumph. Whether Messi follows them or decides to carry on remains to be seen.
Their paths have crossed before. Yamal's father, Mounir, recently posted a picture of a then 20-year-old Messi early in his Barcelona career holding a baby for a charity calendar that was made almost 16 years ago. The baby in the photo is Yamal.
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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