Real Madrid star, Vinicius Jr., has shared his thoughts on the ongoing problem of xenophobia in the country where he plays, a nation set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.

As it turns out, Vinicius did not hold back in expressing his concerns about Spain’s progress in tackling racism. He stated that if there is no improvement in addressing this issue, the World Cup venue might need to be reconsidered.

The Brazilian forward was emphasised by Mundo Deportivo as saying, “I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin.

“Because if things have not evolved by 2030, I think the World Cup will have to change its location because if the players do not feel comfortable and confident to play in a country where they can suffer racism, it is very complicated,” he added.

Vinicius Jr. still feels at home
Despite the challenges, Vinicius made it clear that he feels very much at home in Spain. However, he remains firm in his commitment to combating racism.

“I believe and want to do everything so that things can change because many people in Spain, the majority, are not racist, although there is a small group that ends up affecting the image of a country in which life is very good,” he added.

Vinicius’ words highlight the importance of continued efforts to address racism, not only in football but in society as a whole.

His dedication to this cause serves as a powerful reminder that the fight against discrimination must persist until every individual can live and play without fear of prejudice.

The 2030 World Cup presents an opportunity for Spain and the other host nations to showcase their commitment to inclusivity, but it also sets a deadline for meaningful change to be achieved.

Manchester United’s deputy football director Andy O’Boyle is set to leave after two years at the club.

O’Boyle joined as United’s inaugural deputy football director in May 2022 and his appointment was intended to free up around two-thirds of John Murtough’s week.

John Murtough was formerly United’s football director but left Old Trafford in April as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s boardroom shake-up. O’Boyle is now set to follow him out the exit door, despite assuming more responsibility since Murtough left earlier in the year.

O’Boyle had vacated his role as the head of elite performance at the Premier League to support Murtough and he assisted Sir Dave Brailsford as he made boardroom changes.

The Northern Irishman played an important role as United waited on the appointments of Omar Berrada (CEO), Jason Wilcox (technical director) and Dan Ashworth (sporting director).

Like Murtough, O’Boyle went to university in Liverpool and also has a background in sports science, having been the head of science at Coventry. He was previously Jurgen Klopp’s fitness coach at Liverpool and had stints with Wrexham and England’s Under-21s.

Murtough’s exit from United was a mutual agreement to allow a new football leadership structure to be implemented and O’Boyle’s departure is the natural next step.

Murtough tendered his resignation as United’s football director earlier this year and Ratcliffe said: “We want to thank John for his loyal service over many years and for his support and integrity during this period of transition. He leaves with our best wishes for the future.”

The 54-year-old is yet to take up a new positon in football since leaving United in April.

The UEFA Nations League returns this week following a gripping summer of action at Euro 2024.

Ahead of the fourth iteration of the young competition, we’ve compiled a complete overview of everything to come over the next year as Europe’s elite sides go head to head battling for a place in next year’s final.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Nations League, from format to fixtures, ahead of kick off in the coming days.

Introduced in 2016, the UEFA Nations League offers an alternate qualification route to the European Championships, particularly benefitting the lower-ranked sides who previously stood no chance.

Winners of each group will be promoted into a higher division, while team who finish bottom will be relegated into the division below. Winners and runners up of the four groups in Division A then qualify for a knockout tournament at the end of the season to crown a UEFA Nations League champion.

UEFA Nations League Groups
Group A1
Poland
Portugal
Scotland
Croatia

Group A2
Belgium
France
Israel
Italy

Group A3
Germany
Hungary
Netherlands
Bosnia & Herzegovina

Group A4
Denmark
Spain
Switzerland
Serbia

Group B1
Albania
Georgia
Ukraine
Czechia

Group B2
England
Finland
Greece
Rep. Ireland

Group B3
Austria
Norway
Kazakhstan
Slovenia

Group B4
Iceland
Turkiye
Wales
Montenegro

Group C1
Sweden
Estonia
Azerbaijan
Slovakia

Group C2
Cyprus
Romania
Lithuania
Kosovo

Group C3
Bulgaria
Northern Ireland
Luxemburg
Belarus

Group C4
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Armenia
North Macedonia

Group D1
Liechtenstein
San Marino
Gibraltar

Group D2
Malta
Moldova
Andorra

Matchday 1

5–7 September 2024

Matchday 2

8–10 September 2024

Matchday 3

10–12 October 2024

Matchday 4

13–15 October 2024

Matchday 5

14–16 November 2024

Matchday 6

17–19 November 2024

Quarter-final and play offs
First leg

20 March 2025

Second leg

23 March 2025

Finals
Semi-finals

4–5 June 2025

Third place play-off

8 June 2025

Final

8 June 2025

Past winners
Portugal lifted the first-ever Nations League title with a 3-0 win over Switzerland in the semi-final before defeating the Netherlands in the final. England finished third thanks to a penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the third-placed playoff.

France then lifted the title three years after their World Cup success, defeating Spain 2-1 in the final in Italy.

Spain, however, got their own back, lifting the most recent title thanks to a penalty shootout win over Croatia, perhaps a prelude to the dominance that was to come at Euro 2024.