Indholdsfortegnelse for 29 June 2021 i MATCH!

It’s been in the pipeline for a while, but now it’s finally been confirmed… Sergio Ramos has played his last-ever game for Real Madrid! MATCH looks back on the Los Blancos superstar’s legacy! THE WONDERKID! Real Madrid signed Sergio Ramos from Sevilla in 2005 for around £18.5m, when he was a19-year-old wonderkid! He started off as a right-back but was shifted to central defence by boss Jose Mourinho in the 2010-11 season. He quickly developed into one of the best and most consistent centre-backs in Europe’s top leagues! THE CHAMPION! In his 16 years at the club Ramos has lifted 22 trophies, including five La Liga and four Champions League titles! Only club legend Paco Gento, on 23, won more silverware while at Real. One of his best moments came…

WIN THE TOSS! At the 2018 World Cup, researchers discovered that going first in the shootout gives you a 20% greater chance of victory! AIM HIGH! It obviously comes with its risks, but penalties aimed high are statistically harder to save than low penalties! DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND! Statistically, there’s barely any difference in shooting left, right or even down the middle, so just pick a spot and stick with it – changing your mind is a big no-no! TAKE YOUR TIME! Pausing for a second after the referee blows the whistle before taking your penalty can really help you re-focus and ready yourself for your shot. Don’t rush things! CELEBRATE! If you score your penalty, make sure you celebrate! It’s actually been proven to put additional pressure on the…

BRAZIL’ SNO.10! NEYMAR SAYS: “I never planned to wear the No.10 – that was never in my mind! I always said that I wanted to wear No.7 or 11 and it was Dani Alves who looked at me and said, ‘You are a No.10, you must wear it’. I’m glad I listened to him–and, of course, it’s a number some of our greatest ever players have worn!” WEARING THE ARMBAND! NEYMAR SAYS: “I’m happy just to play, but of course when you’re asked to captain your country there is a very special feeling. You don’t have to wear an armband to be a captain – there are many in the team. If I’m asked to be captain or not I’ll always try to lead and help the team!” CONFEDERATIONS CUP…

10 MARIO BALOTELLI ITALY v Germany EURO 2012 Mario Balotelli was one of the stars of the 2012 tournament! After scoring a stunning scissor kick v Republic Of Ireland, he went one better in the semis against Germany. He collected a long pass from defence, took a touch and smashed an unstoppable bullet past Manuel Neuer from outside the area! 9 MICHAEL BALLACK GERMANY v Austria EURO 2008 The Germans were on the verge of elimination at the group stage when they faced co-hosts Austria at Euro 2008! Up stepped midfielder Michael Ballack, who fired a rocket free-kick into the top bins to seal a crucial 1-0 victory. His nation went on to reach the final of that tournament, but eventually lost to Spain in Vienna! 8 HALROBSON-KANU WALES v…

Raheem Sterling Boots Raheem Sterling scored England’s first goal of Euro 2020 against Croatia and he did so in these special-edition New Balance boots! NB handed the Three Lions forward these customised cleats ahead of the start of the tournament, with the England-coloured lightning bolts looking flash on the heel. MATCH loves them! Price: TBC newbalance.co.uk Football Superstars: Pogba Rules Discover all about the France and Man. United midfielder’s rise to glory, his top moments and transfers, plus stats about the superstar’s career! Don’t forget about the other ballers in the series, like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Leo Messi! Price: £5.99 amazon.co.uk Football Superstars: QuizzesRule In July, the Football Superstars series is also launching the ultimate quiz book, with football trivia focusing on today’s biggest names and the greatest…

Premier League Football 2021-22 The 2020-21 Premier League campaign might have felt a bit “flat” without all the fans in the stadiums, but we’re “pumped” for next season now we’ve seen Nike’s official match football! Did you see what we did there?! The Flight footy has a really standout design, with the orange circles from last season’s ball being used alongside a wavy black pattern. It's just the second season of the Nike Flight technology in the PL! Price: TBC nike.com Lynx Java FC Football Shirt What kind of ant smells the best? Deodorant! Now we’ve got that out of the way, the award to the most random gear drop of the month goes too…Meyba! The Spanish brand has teamed up with deodorant makers Lynx to launch a limited-edition shirt…

CLOSING DATE: JULY 29 The Kid’s Mystery Box will include a brand-new kid’s football shirt from a club from any league in any country–or an international team! Visit mystiquejerseys.com for more information and follow them on social media @MystiqueJerseys…

Top teamwork! Are Ronaldo and Pepe trying to break the record for the world’s longest piggyback? Funny fan! Shout out to the Dutch fan with a lump of cheese on his head. Bonkers! Darts danger! Bukayo Saka spends hours trying to hit the target! Say cheese! Romelu Lukaku couldn’t resist a quick photo opportunity! Crazy car! Turkey just can’t escape the tiny car from their opener against Italy! Little & large! Lorenzo Insigne looks like one of the mascots next to Leonardo Bonucci! Lop-sided line-up! Bale needs to organise his troops better! Moore’s Mohawk! With that red headband on, Kieffer Moore looks like he’s rocking a massive Mohawk! The Vikings! The Danish clearly take their nickname very seriously… Keeper catcher! Even though you can’t see him, Spider-Man is always a…

DENZEL DUMFRIES NETHERLANDS & PSV Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and Arsenal are all after a new right-back this summer, and one Euro 2020 target is Dutch dynamite Denzel Dumfries! As well as having epic levels of energy, he’s also proven that he’s got quality end product! ROMELU LUKAKU BELGIUM & INTER His brace in Belgium’s opener against Russia was his 26th goal involvement in 19 games for The Red Devils, sparking interest from his old club! If Tottenham do lose Harry Kane, he’d be a top replacement for the England captain too! DID YOU KNOW? His 85th-minute winner against Ukraine was the Netherlands’ latest winning goal at the tournament since Euro 2000! LEONARDO SPINAZZOLA ITALY & ROMA There have been reports linking Leeds with Huesca left-back Javi Galan, but they should…

EURO 2020 SPECIAL1 THE NUMBERS GAME! What shirt number did Gareth Southgate hand captain Harry Kane? TROPHY TIME! Which wicked forward is hiding behind the iconic trophy? NAME THE CLUBS! Can you name the clubs these Euro 2020 heroes play for? GAME CHANGER! Who scored England’s opening goal in their 4-0 qualifying win over Kosovo? ODD ONE OUT! Which nation didn’t feature at Euro 2016 in France? EURO MASH-UP! Name the epic defender in this mega weird pic! SPOT THE BALL! Mark where you think the ball is in this cool action pic! NAME THE COUNTRY! Which Euro 2020 countries do these PL heroes play for? EURO STARS! Which nations do these superstars play for? MATCH! WINNER! Who scored twice in Belgium’s mega impressive 3-0 group stage win against Russia?…

Rooney returns? Since he joined Atletico Madrid, Kieran Trippier has earned a LOL new nickname – Rooney! It’s coz he’s the only English player in their squad! Music man! Austria ace David Alaba plays the piano and guitar and has recorded his own songs at a mixing studio in his mansion. Wowzers! Maths mad! Swiss star Manuel Akanji should appear on maths programme Countdown – the brainiac can do mental maths quicker than a calculator. Boss! Grizi’s roots! Antoine Griezmann was born in a French village, but his grandad was from Portugal – so he could’ve represented either of the nations! B-ball barmy! Eden Hazard's a massive fan of basketball and his fave team is the New York Knicks! Tattoo truths! Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic has two emoji tattoos – the…

CHALLENGE 1 DEFENDER’S SCREAMER It’s one thing to score from outside the box with a world-class striker or midfielder, but can you do it with a defender? England’s Harry Maguire once scored a rocket for Man. United v Tranmere, sotry to repeat that! CHALLENGE 2 PERFECT PENALTIES There isn’t any better feeling than winning a dramatic penalty shootout at a major tournament, but it’s also the most painful way to lose! Can you handle the pressure to win a shootout without missing a single spot-kick? CHALLENGE 3 RONALDO ROCKET As this could be the last time we see Ronaldo at the Euros, MATCH wants you to replicate one of his trademark free-kicks! Look to draw a foul on the edge of the box, then make sure you hit the top…

Cristiano Ronaldo Mercurials Mega brand Nike handed Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo a special-edition Mercurial Superfly silo for the Euros! The lightning design has his signature and iconic celebration on the insole of each boot. He wore them for the first time v Hungary to become the tourno’s top scorer in history, so they’re a real collectors’ item for CR7 fans! Price: TBC nike.com USA Away Shirt 2021 The United States have been creating a real buzz recently! As well as the men’s side winning the CONCACAF Nations League final 3-2 over Mexico, the women’s team haven't lost a single match since January 2019 ahead of the summer Olympics. On top of that, the side’s mazy new shirt has just been released by Nike, which is inspired by a waving American…

Euro 2020 Special Quiz 1 Game Changer: Harry Winks. The Numbers Game: 9. Odd One Out: Netherlands. Trophy Time: Romelu Lukaku. Name The Clubs: 1. Sassuolo; 2. Lille; 3. AZ Alkmaar; 4. Borussia Monchengladbach; 5. RB Leipzig; 6. Villarreal. Euro Mash-Up: Leonardo Bonucci. Spot The Ball: I17. Name The Country: Havertz – Germany; Tierney – Scotland; James – Wales; Rodri – Spain. Euro Stars: 1. Finland; 2. Austria; 3. Spain; 4. Portugal; 5. Italy; 6. Wales. MATCH Winner: Romelu Lukaku. Euro 2020 Special Quiz 2 Club Sharers: Chelsea. FIFA 21 Challenge: Andreas Christensen. On The Box: Ivan Perisic. Back To The Future: Ferran Torres. Camera Shy: 1. Federico Chiesa; 2. Nicolo Barella; 3. Leonardo Bonucci. Spot The Difference: See above. One point for each correct answer! MY SCORE/40 HOW WELL…