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From Rome to Rio: Where Fans Are Back in Stadiums and Where They Are Barred

Fans of Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, FC Copenhagen and AZ Alkmaar have all been able to watch their teams over the past week. Composite: AFP via Getty Images; Reuters; FrontZoneSport via Getty Images; Soccrates/Getty Images
Fans of Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, FC Copenhagen and AZ Alkmaar have all been able to watch their teams over the past week. Composite: AFP via Getty Images; Reuters; FrontZoneSport via Getty Images; Soccrates/Getty Images
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From Rome to Rio: Where Fans Are Back in Stadiums and Where They Are Barred

Fans of Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, FC Copenhagen and AZ Alkmaar have all been able to watch their teams over the past week. Composite: AFP via Getty Images; Reuters; FrontZoneSport via Getty Images; Soccrates/Getty Images
Fans of Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, FC Copenhagen and AZ Alkmaar have all been able to watch their teams over the past week. Composite: AFP via Getty Images; Reuters; FrontZoneSport via Getty Images; Soccrates/Getty Images

France

The government on Wednesday announced a reduction in the number of fans allowed in grounds. Initially 5,000 had been permitted but rising Covid cases (from roughly 500 daily to more than 10,000) prompted a change to a maximum of 1,000. Clubs including Monaco, Lille and Bordeaux will allow 1,000 spectators this weekend, whereas Nice will play behind closed doors for the foreseeable future at their own volition; PSG said they too would not allow fans but reports have indicated their president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, will have the final say. Marseille, a coronavirus hotspot, had been given a government order to play behind closed doors but a local government directive has cleared them to have 1,000 fans at Saturday’s game against Metz.

Football in front of fans has got off to a wobbly start to say the least. Ligue 1 was the biggest league in Europe to curtail last season and the first match of the new campaign was beset by problems, with Saint-Étienne’s trip to Marseille postponed owing to a rash of positive cases among the hosts’ squad. At the time, the league’s policy was that matches could not be played if more than three players tested positive but that has been adjusted to allow games if 20 out of 30 players in a squad tested negative. Eric Devin

Germany

Three days before the start of the season, Bundesliga clubs were given the go-ahead to welcome back crowds to a maximum of 20% of stadium capacity. This was by no means a hard and fast rule – and it couldn’t be, with clubs bound by the health and safety rules set by their federal state. So Borussia Dortmund had 9,300 – less than an eighth of capacity – for their season opener against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, whereas state authorities decided late on to bar spectators from matches at Bayern Munich and Köln in response to rising rates of infection.

A survey by the broadcaster ARD this week in which 63% of those polled – not all football fans – were in favor of the return of fans suggested a shift in the national mood, but many supporters are lukewarm. Some ultras have declined to go back and Dynamo Dresden’s ultras this week said they would not create an “active atmosphere” or do choreographies while restrictions remained. Gladbach have tickets unsold for their 10,000-capacity weekend match with Union Berlin, as distancing measures leave friends and family members separated. The current six-week run with fans is a trial period, and clearly there are plenty of issues to iron out. Andy Brassell

Italy

Serie A teams were allowed 1,000 fans on the opening weekend, though the decision came so late that not all managed it. The sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora, confirmed the regulations on Saturday – the day the season began.

He had announced one day earlier that the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome would be allowed that number for its semi-finals and final – marking a new policy for open-air sporting competitions. Events quickly overtook him, as the regional government in Emilia-Romagna interpreted this as meaning it could allow fans into football games that same weekend at Parma and Sassuolo. Spadafora had only intended for the initial decision to cover one-off events rather than ongoing ones such as a league season but ultimately extended the rule to cover all of Serie A.

The government hopes to increase the number of fans in stadiums soon, and the deputy health minister, Pierpaolo Sileri, has suggested teams may be allowed something close to one-third of capacity. The government hopes to increase the number of fans in stadiums soon. Regional leaders were consulted on Thursday and a proposal is being carried forward to allow for Serie A stadiums to be filled to 25% of their capacity, pending scrutiny from the government’s scientific committee. Nicky Bandini

At the back end of last season La Liga had begun preparing a protocol for fans to return to stadiums with the hope of 30% occupation in the first couple of months of the new season, but that has been put on hold indefinitely. With Covid numbers rising, Madrid subjected to heavy restrictions and likely to face another lockdown, and other regions seeing cases rise, few are even contemplating the return of supporters. It hasn’t even been much of a subject of debate, still less something that has been pushed. Indeed, rather than being celebrated, Sevilla playing the European Super Cup in front of fans this week was greeted with caution and concern.

Outside the first and second division, in what is usually called “amateur” football (even though it is not), clubs are set to be allowed to grant access to small numbers of fans (fewer than 1,000) depending on the health authorities in each province, although those leagues do not start until October and the plans are yet to be confirmed. In the top two divisions, by contrast, no one anticipates opening doors before Christmas. Sid Lowe

Selected others

In Budapest last weekend 7,000 people watched Ferencvaros thump Paksi 5-0 at the Groupama Arena. Hungarian football has been open to fans since the beginning of June and the capital’s other main stadium, the Puskas Arena, hosted the European Super Cup on Thursday with 20,000 fans in situ. Hungary has seen a dramatic growth in coronavirus cases since August. Hungarian rules require three out of four seats in a given stadia to be left empty and for every other row to be left clear.

In the Netherlands, fans have been allowed back into grounds as well but rules require that they not only comply with social distancing but refrain from chanting. In Denmark, crowds have also returned but in very small numbers: 240 watched Copenhagen’s home defeat by Brøndby last weekend.

On the other side of the world, Brazilian authorities this week announced their intention to fill their stadiums to a third of capacity, meaning up to 25,000 people could attend the Maracanã. There is no set date for fans’ return, however, with Brazil still in the middle of one of the world’s worst outbreaks of Covid-19. Paul MacInnes

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Sports

From Rocafonda to the World Cup: Lamine Yamal’s Meteoric Rise

Football - Euro 2024 - Quarter-final - Spain v Germany - Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - July 5, 2024 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates after Dani Olmo scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Quarter-final - Spain v Germany - Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - July 5, 2024 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates after Dani Olmo scores their first goal. (Reuters)
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From Rocafonda to the World Cup: Lamine Yamal’s Meteoric Rise

Football - Euro 2024 - Quarter-final - Spain v Germany - Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - July 5, 2024 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates after Dani Olmo scores their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Quarter-final - Spain v Germany - Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - July 5, 2024 Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates after Dani Olmo scores their first goal. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play at a record sixth World Cup in 2026, but years from now the tournament may instead be remembered as Lamine Yamal's first.

From the concrete square in Mataro the Spanish 18-year-old used to play in, to the biggest stages in world football, his rise has been dazzling.

His uncle Abdul Nasraoui used to keep a small replica World Cup trophy in his bakery in the humble neighborhood of Rocafonda, a 20-mile (32-kilometer) crawl up the Catalan coast from Barcelona, telling people it was for when his nephew wins it.

Abdul had the trophy before Yamal even debuted for Spain, because he knew something special was coming. Many claim they did, in Rocafonda, but importantly for Barca it was Jordi Roura who got there first.

Alerted to Yamal by a scout, Barcelona's then youth football chief Roura and close colleague Aureli Altimira pounced. In the chaos of a trial match, Lamine stood out.

"We were there with Aureli and at the beginning we saw him and he looked a bit odd, kind of scrawny, he moved a bit strangely, and we said, 'hmm let's see...'," Roura tells AFP.

"Then once they start playing, it's difficult, right? Because imagine 20 kids of seven, eight years old, all chasing the ball.

"Even so, Lamine would sometimes do something where you'd go, 'Damn!'. Instead of just running after the ball, sometimes he would find space, wait, look for his left foot, execute really quickly."

One attribute, honed on the square where if your feet aren't fast enough to swerve defenders you can end up on the concrete, marked out little Lamine.

"Dribbling might be the most innate technical action, right?" says Roura. "It's hard to train a dribbler. He had that. He would feint, do things which made you say 'wow'.

"We thought this kid had something special, even if he looked a bit slight, and decided to sign him."

Negotiations were quick with Lamine's father Mounir Nasraoui from Morocco, and his mother Sheila Ebana, from Equatorial Guinea.

He was a quiet, even shy child, who loved to play football and spent a lot of time with his paternal grandmother, Fatima.

She was the first of the family to move to Spain, arriving on a ferry from Tangier in 1990 and slowly bringing across her children in the following years.

Fatima settled in Rocafonda and remains there, although Mounir, after being stabbed during an altercation in 2024, has since relocated to the upmarket Barcelona neighborhood of Sarria.

After Lamine's parents split up when he was three, he also lived with his mother in Roca del Valles, north of Mataro, but Rocafonda was always home.

It is represented in his goal celebration, using his hands to show the numbers 304, the last digits of the neighborhood's postcode.

Now even in the more well-to-do parts of Mataro the number appears.

Rocafonda is north-east of the elegant center, a neighborhood with a negative reputation for crime and poverty, although now it is famous for being where Lamine came from.

Glance down the right street and you can catch a narrow glimpse of sweet Mediterranean blue.

The winger and his father are spotted less frequently there now, but the games go on, with players duking it out in front of a mural of Lamine, painted in 2025.

"With all these great players... they're capable of doing the same, or more than they did when they were children, and that's very difficult, very rare, and that's why they're the chosen ones," said Roura.

"(Lamine) enjoys playing, and I think that even when he was very little, when the challenge was greater, when a game was harder, that's when he liked it the most, you know?"

- 'No limits' -

Not everyone has the accuracy of the neighborhood's "idol" and an "example" as youngsters sitting and waiting for a chance to play describe him.

The ball is lashed high over the fence that divides the concrete pitch from the road, to howls of frustration.

The kids call to a passer-by, before one player zips past on an electric scooter to retrieve it.

But for the interception, it may have rolled down the road and past the bar run by Lamine's uncle, "Familia LY 304", since he gave up his bakery.

Over the past three years Abdul has answered plenty of questions about Lamine, but with concerns over the winger's fitness heading into the World Cup, he doesn't feel like speaking for now.

On a shelf behind the bar, sits his replica trophy. Abdul's dream, just three years after Lamine made his professional debut aged just 15, could come true remarkably quickly.

"When you see the resume he already has at 18, it's scary, so what this kid can achieve has no limits," added Roura.

Yamal was still studying for his exams during Spain's run to Euro 2024 glory, where he captured the world's attention with a sensational strike against France.

That moment is memorialized on one wall of the bar, along with others from the winger's short yet glittering career for club and country, along with two framed shirts.

Nearly three decades after arriving from Morocco, Abdul is still happy working. He sits and eats a few mouthfuls of vegetables before a shout comes from the kitchen and he is on his feet again, bringing dishes, olive oil and bread to customers.

"Ojala -- I hope -- ojala," he says on the prospect of Lamine bringing the real thing back to Rocafonda. "If we win the World Cup, then I'll talk."

Sports

AI Unearths Football Talent Beyond Scouts’ Radar

Brazilian football player Leonardo Veiga is seen on the screen of the Foot Bao app, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 22, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football player Leonardo Veiga is seen on the screen of the Foot Bao app, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 22, 2026. (AFP)
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AI Unearths Football Talent Beyond Scouts’ Radar

Brazilian football player Leonardo Veiga is seen on the screen of the Foot Bao app, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 22, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football player Leonardo Veiga is seen on the screen of the Foot Bao app, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 22, 2026. (AFP)

Brazilian teenager Leo Veiga had almost given up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer when artificial intelligence helped him secure a spot in the youth ranks of an Italian club.

Tech companies promising to "democratize" football are launching apps that allow young players to upload videos recorded on their phone of them showcasing their ball skills.

AI is then used to analyze and score their performance, which is sent to scouts and clubs.

The 18-year-old Veiga was stuck playing for a small club in his home state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil when he discovered one of these apps, from Swiss company Footbao.

A YouTube video offered the highest-scoring users to train for a few days with the Italian club Lecce. Veiga was selected and caught the eye of a scout, who decided to take a chance on him.

"AI opened a new door," he told AFP from Italy, where he is now under contract with the youth academy of the club Spezia, which plays in Italy's second division.

"I thought, 'I'm going to download the app and give it a try. If nothing happens, it doesn't matter because nothing else is working out for me. But what if something does happen?'" he said.

Footbao works with videos from matches and training sessions, while another tech company in the field, German firm CUJU, uses videos of drills suggested to users through the app.

- Untapped potential -

Around 120,000 players have used the Footbao app, most of them in Brazil, the world's largest exporter of football talent.

"There are probably between 14,000 and 15,000 players with the potential to join clubs or academies," chief executive Nick Rappolt told AFP.

The company, founded in 2023, also operates in Colombia and Argentina and plans to expand into other South American countries.

According to Rappolt, AI can "democratize" football by helping identify talent that lies outside the radar of major development centers.

CUJU's app, meanwhile, was launched last year and has been downloaded around 160,000 times.

"Professional clubs have huge databases, but they mostly contain players who have already been scouted. There is no reliable data on talent at the earliest stages," Sven Muller, CUJU's marketing director, told AFP.

The goal, he said, is to turn "simple videos recorded on a phone" into "reliable performance data."

- Boost to women's football -

In Sao Paulo, Marcela Geremias de Lima repeatedly kicks a ball against a wall, one of the exercises proposed by CUJU, which focuses on technical skills such as ball control and speed.

After using the app, Marcela was invited to youth tournaments organized by the company in front of scouts.

She eventually earned a place in the Under-15 side of Corinthians, a powerhouse of South American women's football with six Copa Libertadores titles.

The exercises "help you improve" and mean "you can be seen from anywhere in the world," she said.

Brazil will host the 2027 Women's World Cup, an event that could help drive the recruitment of young female players.

The Brazilian club Santos, associated with star players like Pele and Neymar, in December announced a deal with Footbao to help identify young prospects.

It is a way to "expand our search for athletes," club president Marcelo Teixeira said.

Top prospects are usually recruited from a very young age, but AI can give a boost to players who might otherwise go unnoticed, according to Joao Paulo Sampaio, head of youth development at Palmeiras, where international talents such as Endrick and Estevao came through the ranks.

"I receive between 30 and 40 videos every day," Sampaio told AFP, adding that tech companies that carry out "a first round of pre-selection" represent "a new tool," although the Sao Paulo club does not currently work with these firms.

Sports

For Roland Garros Youth, Quarter-Final Moment of Truth

Rafael Jodar of Spain during his Men's 4th round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
Rafael Jodar of Spain during his Men's 4th round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
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For Roland Garros Youth, Quarter-Final Moment of Truth

Rafael Jodar of Spain during his Men's 4th round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2026. (EPA)
Rafael Jodar of Spain during his Men's 4th round match against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2026. (EPA)

The young kings of tennis have been deposed and as the French Open reaches its quarter-finals on Tuesday, the sport's even younger princes will be strutting on the clay.

Between them 24-year-old Jannik Sinner, and 23-year-old Carlos Alcaraz have won the last nine majors. But the Spaniard is injured and Sinner could not stand the Paris heat and lost in the second round.

In their place are three striplings playing a first Grand Slam quarter-final.

The next in the line of Spanish clay monsters, 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, faces the top remaining man, Alexander Zverev.

The honor of ending the first day when all the main-draw matches can be fitted onto Court Philippe Chatrier, has been handed to 20-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik and the phenomenon of the tournament, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca.

The third 19-year-old in quarter-final action on Tuesday is, by comparison, a grizzled veteran of Grand Slam late rounds.

Eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva will be playing her third straight Roland Garros quarter-final when she faces Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Of all the majors, the French Open most favors young men. Of the five youngest men to have won majors in the Open era, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg all did it at Roland Garros.

Of 16 women who have won majors in their teens, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Iga Swiatek, Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong all did so in Paris.

Chang and Wilander were at Roland Garros on Monday for an annual reunion of former champions.

The American, who won aged 17 in 1989 and now coaches rising American Learner Tien, said youth gave advantages.

"I think it can be easier on some aspects if you're not dwelling too much on it," he said before adding that for some the spotlight was already bright.

"I think there's also a lot of pressure for some of these young guys because there are expectations. That doesn't necessarily give them freedom to go out there and play.

"When I was 17, nobody expected me to win. So I had the freedom to be the underdog... in the second week."

Wilander, who won the first of his three French Open crowns at 17 in 1982, was clear the youngsters had a mental edge.

"You find me a 19-year-old that does have the fear. None of them do," the Swede said.

"No pressure, no nerves. I don't think, I know."

"They don't have any history of losing," the Swede said. "So you're losing the quarter-finals? It's not gonna hurt, and then they realize that it hurts to lose. And then suddenly things change."

Wilander is a fan of Fonseca who is "going to be a great player".

Fonseca came from two sets down to beat first Dino Prizmic and then tennis titan Novak Djokovic, before conquering Casper Ruud.

"It's great to have new generations," the Brazilian declared after beating Djokovic.

"The next generation is doing pretty well. Not only Jodar and Mensik and me, but also Learner, (Alex) Michelsen. There is (Martin) Landaluce... It's good to have them around, pushing me for sure, doing some great battles."

- 'Margin of development huge' -

Chang has been impressed by Jodar.

"On the clay, he just took off," said Chang.

"He's just he's just riding a wave of great tennis right now. I don't think he's thinking a whole lot. He's going out there and playing some great tennis."

Jodar is full of confidence.

"I am trying to develop that game," he said after reaching the last eight. "But, overall, I think I still have a margin of development huge, you know?"

The other match of the day changes the focus as 31-year-old Elina Svitolina takes on 23-year-old compatriot Marta Kostyuk.

Svitolina said that she believed two Ukrainians had never met so late in a Slam.

Kostyuk said the older player had a lot to do with that happening.

"She's a legend of Ukrainian tennis... she's paved the way."