Mbappé Plays 20 Minutes as France Draws with Canada in Its Last Euro 2024 Warmup 

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappé (C) runs with the ball during the International friendly football match between France and Canada at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, on June 9, 2024. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappé (C) runs with the ball during the International friendly football match between France and Canada at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, on June 9, 2024. (AFP)
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Mbappé Plays 20 Minutes as France Draws with Canada in Its Last Euro 2024 Warmup 

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappé (C) runs with the ball during the International friendly football match between France and Canada at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, on June 9, 2024. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappé (C) runs with the ball during the International friendly football match between France and Canada at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

Kylian Mbappé got some rest ahead of the European Championship, playing only about 20 minutes as France drew 0-0 with Canada on Sunday in its final warmup.

The match in Bordeaux marked Olivier Giroud's last home game for France. The striker, who is moving to Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer, is retiring from the French national team after Euro 2024, which starts Friday in Germany.

Mbappé entered in the 74th minute and failed to spark France to victory. He had played the entire friendly against Luxembourg on Wednesday, when he scored in France's 3-0 win in what was his first match since his move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid was finally confirmed.

France's opening game at Euro 2024 is on June 17 against Austria.

Mbappé reportedly was not fully fit after the game against Luxembourg and had missed some training sessions during the week but is expected to play a key role for France in Germany.

France, runner-up to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup, is in Group D along with Poland and the Netherlands.

Defending European champion Italy beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 at home.

Davide Frattesi scored the only goal with a neat volley from inside the area in the 38th minute in Empoli.

Italy won Euro 2020 but missed out on qualifying for the last two World Cups. It begins its Euro 2024 campaign on Saturday against Albania. The other teams in Group B are Spain and Croatia. Spain routed Northern Ireland 5-1 on Saturday, while Croatia defeated Portugal 2-1.

Also Sunday, Slovakia routed Wales 4-0 with goals from Juraj Kucka, Robert Bozenik and Laszlo Benes, as well as an own goal by Ethan Ampadu, intensifying the pressure on Wales manager Rob Page.

Slovakia will start its Euro 2024 campaign on June 17 against Belgium. Group E's other teams are Romania and Ukraine.

Montenegro lost 3-1 at home to Georgia, which is in Group F with Portugal, Türkiye and Czech Republic.



Netherlands into Euro 2024 Semifinal against England after Beating Türkiye

Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Netherlands into Euro 2024 Semifinal against England after Beating Türkiye

Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)
Türkiye’s forward #21 Baris Alper Yilmaz reacts as Netherlands' players celebrate after the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal football match between the Netherlands and Türkiye at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Berlin on July 6, 2024. (AFP)

The Netherlands came from behind to beat Türkiye 2-1 on Saturday and book its place in the European Championship semifinals.

An own goal from Mert Muldur in the 76th minute, only six after Stefan De Vrij canceled Samet Akaydin’s first-half header for Türkiye, was enough for the Dutch in the last of the quarterfinals.

The Netherlands will face England in the second semifinal in Dortmund on Wednesday. Spain faces France in the first on Tuesday.

Türkiye was without defender Merih Demiral, who was suspended for two matches by UEFA for making a nationalistic hand gesture after scoring in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria. The gesture is used by Turkish nationalists and associated with an ultra-nationalist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at the game after he changed his plans because of the diplomatic row with Germany over Demiral's gesture.

German interior minister Nancy Faeser had said Demiral used his celebration “as a platform for racism” and federal minister Cem Özdemir, a German politician of Turkish descent, said the gesture “stands for terror, fascism.”

Many Turkish fans made the gesture on their way to Berlin’s Olympiastadion, and again during Türkiye’s national anthem before the game.

The Dutch made a better start, but Türkiye’s defenders dug in to limit the impact of Cody Gapko, Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay. Türkiye lined up with five at the back without the ball, as it had in the win against Austria, and gradually improved.

Akaydin rewarded a period of Turkish pressure by scoring in the 35th. Arda Guler delivered a butter-soft cross for the defender to head in off the underside of the crossbar.

It set off wild celebrations among Türkiye’s coaching staff and fans. Guler was swamped in the coaching area with hugs, while fans in the west end of the stadium set off flares. Most stayed standing after the goal.

Turkish supporters greatly outnumbered their orange-clad counterparts in a city that’s home to a large community of people with Turkish roots. Most are descendants of Turkish “guest workers” who arrived in what was West Germany to help rebuild the post-war economy.

Germany is home to some 3 million Turks or people with Turkish roots, making them the country’s largest ethnic minority, and the team has enjoyed fevered support at Euro 2024.

The Dutch pushed for an equalizer before the break to a chorus of whistles.

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who won Euro ’88 as a player with the Netherlands, reacted at the break by sending on big forward Wout Weghorst for Steven Bergwijn.

Weghorst’s presence gave the Dutch wingers a target, leading to a period of intense pressure.

Guler hit the post with a free kick, but it was an isolated effort as Dutch pressure continued.

It finally paid off in the 70th when De Vrij was left free to head in Depay’s cross.

Suddenly the Dutch supporters could be heard again, and they were cheering again six minutes later when Gapko forced the own goal from Muldur by getting in front of the defender to Denzel Dumfries’ low cross.