Injured Haaland to Miss Euro 2024 Qualifiers for Norway

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup quarter final match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup quarter final match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP)
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Injured Haaland to Miss Euro 2024 Qualifiers for Norway

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup quarter final match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup quarter final match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP)

Erling Haaland has left Norway’s training camp because of a groin injury and will miss the team's upcoming European Championship qualifying games, the national federation said Monday.

Haaland felt pain from a slight groin injury after playing for Manchester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals against Burnley on Saturday and will return to his club for treatment, the Norwegian federation said. He scored three goals in a 6-0 win against Burnley, raising his total to a club-record 42 this season.

Man City next plays Liverpool in the Premier League on April 1. The English title holder also hosts Bayern Munich on April 11 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Norway begins its Euro 2024 qualifying group program at Spain on Saturday and travels to face Georgia three days later. Group A also includes Scotland and Cyprus.

Haaland has scored 21 goals in 23 games for Norway but has yet to play at a major tournament.

The top two teams in Group A will advance to Euro 2024 in Germany. Norway could also have a qualifying route through the playoffs next year based on its Nations League standing.



France Coach Didier Deschamps Says He’ll Leave after 2026 World Cup

France's coach Didier Deschamps celebrates as they do a lap of honor during a ceremony to celebrate the victory of the 2018 World Cup at the end of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Netherlands at the Stade de France stadium, in Saint-Denis, northern of Paris, on September 9, 2018. (AFP)
France's coach Didier Deschamps celebrates as they do a lap of honor during a ceremony to celebrate the victory of the 2018 World Cup at the end of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Netherlands at the Stade de France stadium, in Saint-Denis, northern of Paris, on September 9, 2018. (AFP)
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France Coach Didier Deschamps Says He’ll Leave after 2026 World Cup

France's coach Didier Deschamps celebrates as they do a lap of honor during a ceremony to celebrate the victory of the 2018 World Cup at the end of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Netherlands at the Stade de France stadium, in Saint-Denis, northern of Paris, on September 9, 2018. (AFP)
France's coach Didier Deschamps celebrates as they do a lap of honor during a ceremony to celebrate the victory of the 2018 World Cup at the end of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Netherlands at the Stade de France stadium, in Saint-Denis, northern of Paris, on September 9, 2018. (AFP)

Didier Deschamps announced Wednesday that he won’t continue as France coach after the next World Cup.

The 56-year-old Deschamps said in an interview with broadcaster TF1 that he will leave when his contract expires in the summer of 2026.

“I’ve been here since 2012, I’m scheduled to be here until 2026, the next World Cup, but that’s where it’s going to end because it has to end at some point,” Deschamps said in excerpts of the interview to be aired later Wednesday.

“I did my time, with the same desire and the same passion to keep the French team at the highest level, but 2026 is all very well.”

Deschamps started in his role as a successor to Laurent Blanc and led France to victory at the 2018 World Cup, also reaching the final in 2022 and at the 2016 European Championship.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, France reached the final and lost an epic title match to Argentina.

“I’m not here for the records,” Deschamps added. “The most important thing is that the France team remains at the top as it has been for many years.”

Europe will send 16 teams to the first 48-team World Cup, being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 2026.

Deschamps did not elaborate on his future beyond the World Cup.

“There is a life afterwards,” he said. “I don’t know what it will be.”