Navas Announces Retirement from Costa Rica National Team After 16 Years and 3 World Cups 

Paris Saint-Germain's Costa Rican Goalkeeper #01 Keylor Navas (L) holds the ball during the French L1 football match between FC Metz and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium in Longeville-les-Metz, eastern France, on May 19, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's Costa Rican Goalkeeper #01 Keylor Navas (L) holds the ball during the French L1 football match between FC Metz and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium in Longeville-les-Metz, eastern France, on May 19, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Navas Announces Retirement from Costa Rica National Team After 16 Years and 3 World Cups 

Paris Saint-Germain's Costa Rican Goalkeeper #01 Keylor Navas (L) holds the ball during the French L1 football match between FC Metz and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium in Longeville-les-Metz, eastern France, on May 19, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's Costa Rican Goalkeeper #01 Keylor Navas (L) holds the ball during the French L1 football match between FC Metz and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Saint-Symphorien Stadium in Longeville-les-Metz, eastern France, on May 19, 2024. (AFP)

Veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas announced on Thursday he plans to retire from the Costa Rica national team after 16 years and over 100 international matches, including appearances in three World Cup tournaments.

The 37-year-old Navas made the announcement through his official social media accounts with a video where he described his career highlights.

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the memories we have made. Together we have made history, facing the best players in the world, raising the name of Costa Rica to the highest level,” Navas said.

Navas, considered the best goalkeeper in Costa Rican history, led his national team to the quarterfinals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He also played in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

Navas played with Real Madrid where he won the Champions League three times in a row. With Real Madrid, Navas also won one Spanish league title and one Copa del Rey.

After playing for five seasons in Spain he signed with Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he played four seasons.

Navas was expected to play with Costa Rica in the next Copa America but it was not clear if he plans to play in the tournament and then retire from the team. The Associated Press has contacted the Costa Rican Soccer Federation in an attempt to clarify the situation.

“I leave with a heartful of gratitude and my eyes looking forward, always carrying the name of our beloved Costa Rica,” Navas said. “A small country in territory but big in heart. It’s a difficult feeling to assimilate. This stage of my life with the national team has come to an end.”



Euro 2024: Belgium Face Slovakia to Open Group E in Clash of Italian Coaches

 Belgium's midfielder #07 Kevin De Bruyne takes part in a MD-1 training session during the UEFA Euro 2024 football Championship, at the team base camp in Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart, on June 16, 2024, on the eve of their first group match against Slovakia. (AFP)
Belgium's midfielder #07 Kevin De Bruyne takes part in a MD-1 training session during the UEFA Euro 2024 football Championship, at the team base camp in Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart, on June 16, 2024, on the eve of their first group match against Slovakia. (AFP)
TT

Euro 2024: Belgium Face Slovakia to Open Group E in Clash of Italian Coaches

 Belgium's midfielder #07 Kevin De Bruyne takes part in a MD-1 training session during the UEFA Euro 2024 football Championship, at the team base camp in Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart, on June 16, 2024, on the eve of their first group match against Slovakia. (AFP)
Belgium's midfielder #07 Kevin De Bruyne takes part in a MD-1 training session during the UEFA Euro 2024 football Championship, at the team base camp in Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart, on June 16, 2024, on the eve of their first group match against Slovakia. (AFP)

Belgium and Kevin De Bruyne face Slovakia to start their European Championship program on Monday in Group E. Also in the group are Romania and Ukraine. Kickoff in Frankfurt is at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT). Here’s what to know about the match.

Match facts:

— There is a strong Italian influence on the game. Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona is Italian, and was the interim coach since February at Napoli where he had been an assistant to Mauricio Sarri. Belgium’s 38-year-old coach Domenico Tedesco was born in Italy though is a citizen of Germany having grown up there.

— Slovakia is at its third straight Euro as an independent nation, all since the tournament was expanded to 24 teams. Slovakia reached the round of 16 in 2016 losing 3-0 to Germany. As half of the former Czechoslovakia it won the 1976 title.

— Belgium was the beaten finalist in 1980, losing to West Germany.

— The teams never met in a competitive game and last played a friendly against each other 11 years ago. A Belgium team featuring a 21-year-old De Bruyne beat Slovakia 2-1 in Brugge.

Team news:

— Belgium left arguably the world’s best goalkeeper at home. That’s despite Thibaut Courtois proving his fitness helping Real Madrid win the Champions League final. Courtois has been in dispute with Tedesco reportedly after not getting the captaincy for a game last year.

— Belgium has injuries in defense with doubts over Axel Witsel. Veteran Jan Vertonghen and Arthur Theate are both expected to be unavailable. Zeno Debast, just 20, and Maxim De Cuyper could get their chance.

— Slovakia’s lineup could include Peter Pekarík and Juraj Kucka. At age 37 they are Slovakia’s oldest ever players. They also are the last remaining members of the 2010 World Cup squad that beat and eliminated defending champion Italy in the group stage.

By the numbers:

— Belgium is still ranked No. 3 by FIFA despite not advancing out of its group at the 2022 World Cup. Belgium has a seven-year run in the top five, including atop the ranking from 2018 through 2021. Slovakia is No. 48.

— Romelu Lukaku’s record 85 goals for Belgium, aged just 31, is more than the top three Slovakia scorers combined since it became an independent soccer nation in 1994. Marek Hamsik, who retired last year and is now an assistant coach, leads with 26.

— Belgium captain De Bruyne made his 100th appearance for the Red Devils last week, scoring in a 2-0 warmup win against Montenegro.

— Slovakia gave up the fastest goal in the history of men's international soccer in March. It took just six seconds for Austria's Christoph Baumgartner to dribble the ball direct from the center spot and shoot past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

What they’re saying:

— “Belgium has a lot of fantastic individuals. Take De Bruyne, (Jérémy) Doku, Lukaku, (Leandro) Trossard, all of them are huge players. Belgium has two or three top players playing in top clubs in each position.” — Slovakia midfielder Stanislav Lobotka

— “Since the 2022 World Cup, he has had to build a completely new team with a lot of younger players, so everything had to be adjusted to his philosophy of playing.” — Kevin De Bruyne on coach Domenico Tedesco