Football News: Albania Stun Italy in Euro 2024 Opener, Champions League and World Cup Updates
In a dramatic start to the Euro 2024 tournament, Albania’s Nedim Bajrami scored the quickest goal in European Championship history, finding the back of the net just 23 seconds into their match against Italy. This flying start set the tone for an exciting opening day of the competition.
Bajrami’s strike for Albania has cemented his place in the Euros record books, surpassing the previous record held by Dmitri Kirichenko’s goal for Russia at Euro 2004. The Sassuolo star took advantage of a poor throw-in by the Italians to fire an excellent shot into the top of the net, stunning the reigning champions.
“Bajrami’s goal has set the tournament alight and will be a moment that will be replayed for years to come,” said football analyst John Smith.
However, Italy’s response was swift, as Alessandro Bastoni equalized in the 11th minute, and Nicolo Barella put the Azzurri ahead just moments later with a thumping effort. Despite late pressure from the Albanians, Italy held on to claim a 2-1 victory in their opening Group B match.
Elsewhere in the tournament, the opening day of Euro 2024 saw a flurry of goals, with Germany thrashing Scotland 5-1, Switzerland beating Hungary 3-1, and Spain comfortably dispatching Croatia 3-0.
Champions League and World Cup Updates
In other football news, the Champions League draw for the 2024/25 season has been announced, with several mouth-watering fixtures on the horizon. The Premier League and EFL Cup are also gearing up for their new campaigns, while the Africa Cup of Nations continues to captivate fans across the continent.
Looking ahead, the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027 are set to be the next major international competitions, with teams around the world already planning their strategies to lift the coveted trophies.
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