Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling could well play more significant roles for England in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals. Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling could well play more significant roles for England in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals. Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling could well play more significant roles for England in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals. Marc Atkins / Getty Images
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
You wait two decades for a semi-final and then two come along at once.
England find themselves in uncharted territory for a different reason, with this the inaugural Uefa Nations League, and it remains a matter for debate precisely how prestigious a new tournament is, but there is nevertheless a symbolic element to their presence.
It highlights the progress made by Gareth Southgate. It shows that this group is achieving things the famously inaccurately named Golden Generation could not and, individually, are accomplishing feats many had thought beyond them.
Had the Nations League come at this stage in several previous summers, England's build-up would scarcely have been interrupted by the proximity of European finals. Instead, it feels rushed, brief, bitty. Ross Barkley may be the Baku one, the sole player who featured in the Europa League final last week, but there have been seven late arrivals via Madrid and, in some curses, a victory parade in Liverpool.
Those, such as John Stones and Ben Chilwell, whose thoughts have been concentrated on England have been pressganged into interviews at a point when international colleagues have been focused on career-defining club games.
Semi-finals are a rarity for England – the full list reads: 1966, 1968, 1990, 1996, 2018 – and yet selection could be dictated by the date players have become available.
There are cases where it is easy to imagine Southgate preferring the fresher player who has had longer to train with the team: perhaps Chilwell ahead of Danny Rose at left-back, Kyle Walker ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, the rookie Declan Rice ahead of Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson in midfield.
"Planning something like this and being surprised that two top teams are in the [Uefa] Champions League final and a lot of these players are involved in the Nations League, that's interesting planning," said Jurgen Klopp, a critic of the competition, last month.
Rewind to autumn and Klopp had called it “the most senseless competition in football". It would be easy for the eliminated and the relegated to share that conclusion. Marcus Rashford made the counter-argument.
“The big teams will start to win it and put their names in its history," he noted. "Then the tournament will rise and rise."
Meaning, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. England should glimpse a reward for winning perhaps the toughest pool, containing Spain and Croatia, and sense the opportunity: they are alone among the World Cup semi-finalists in reaching the same stage of the Nations League.
The question is whether Harry Kane, right, will play in Thursday's semi-final against the Netherlands. Martin Rickett / PA Wire
A repeat has nevertheless come in contrasting fashion.
Southgate has ripped up his 3-5-2 formation, reduced the reliance on set-pieces and introduced something more ambitious and attacking in a 4-3-3 shape which has suited emerging talents like Jadon Sancho and brought more from Raheem Sterling.
A by-product of systemic change is that Kieran Trippier, the outstanding right-back in the World Cup, has been squeezed out by Walker and Alexander-Arnold.
Now Southgate has an alternative spearhead available in Rashford; perhaps a substitute captain in Sterling, who is set to win his 50th cap.
England do not need to provide a sequel to Saturday’s one-sided duel between Kane and Virgil van Dijk. They could do with providing a different ending. Their last four semi-finals may have felt more significant but all ended in defeat. Their only victory at this stage came in 1966 and against Portugal.
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6 Gearbox: 10-speed automatic Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential) On sale: Now
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
