Win tickets to England vs France at UEFA Women's Euros thanks to our exclusive draw with Pepsi in partnership with M+
The countdown for Women's Euros 2025 is on.
England travel to Switzerland as defending champions and one of the favourites for the tournament but will face tough competition from the likes of world champions Spain.
The Lionesses kick off their title defence against France on Saturday, July 5 and you can be there to cheer them up thanks to an exclusive draw from Pepsi.
One lucky winner will win two tickets to watch Sarina Wiegman 's side play their first match in the tournament at Stadion Letzigrund.
The prize includes an unforgettable two-night getaway to Zurich with a luxury stay, return flights and private transfers.
Don't miss this opportunity to watch the women's national football team, the reigning champions of Europe
Enter before midnight on June 29, 2025 for your chance to win.
Enter now at: mailplus.co.uk/Euro2025tickets
Terms and conditions: UK only, excl NI. 18+. Prize draw closes 23.59 on Sunday, June 29, 2025. Online access required. Promotion is free to enter via mailplus.co.uk/Euro2025tickets.
Prize is for two people and a two night stay in Zurich with general admission tickets to see England v France UEFA Women's Euro 2025 match on July 5, 2025.
Winner and guest must be available to travel July 4-6, 2025.
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The Sun
14 minutes ago
- The Sun
Inside the strangest football stadiums in Europe including one beside Hitler's bunker and another with a STEAM TRAIN
FANCY WATCHING a game of football on the side of an active volcano? Or maybe you would prefer the 90-minute experience of sitting high up a mountain pass, perched on a slender goat trail? 25 25 The thing about new grounds these days is that while they cost billions of pounds to build, more often than not they all look the same and lack uniqueness or character. There is something thrilling and wonderful about watching a match played in bizarre or strange surroundings – locations far removed from the pristine, copycat comfort of the Premier League. Author Leon Gladwell went on a two-year voyage to discover and photograph 100 of Europe's wackiest and strangest venues, travelling more than 130,000 miles across 71 trips. He has collected them all into a glossy new book European Football's Greatest Grounds. And SunSport has put together 10 of the most remarkable, bucket-list places on the continent where you can go and watch the Beautiful Game. Campo di Calcio Zuel (Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy) The Trampolino Olimpico, a ski jumping hill in the Dolomites, was opened in 1923 and was used as a venue during the 1956 Winter Olympics. The faded Olympic Rings are still visible from the bottom of the 49-metre high launch ramp. Yet there is no chance of Eddie 'The Eagle' flying over the goalposts because the jump has been closed for 35 years. During the summer months, when the snow has melted, the area below is used for junior football, thanks to the installation of a football pitch by Serie A giants AC Milan. It also has a key place in movie history – it was the scene of a famous ski jump by James Bond in the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only. 25 25 25 Campo Gerini (Rome, Italy) Italian stadiums might look old and rundown but that is part of their charm and romanticism. Anyone who grew up watching the Italia '90 World Cup on TV will instantly recognise some of the famous yet tired arenas that hosted the world's best footballers 35 years ago. One of the nation's quirkiest grounds can be located in its capital Rome, eleven kilometres south-east of the Colosseum, in the second-largest urban park in Europe. Campo Gerini hosts various football factions seven days a week, from junior sides right through to senior matches in Italy's ninth tier. Some of the pitches are located next to a decaying aqueduct built in 50 BC during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Yet the future of the area is in doubt after 40 hectares of land (the equivalent of 60 football pitches) were sold to private individuals, including a supermarket entrepreneur, in 2023. 25 25 Eriskay (Scotland) Eriskay is a remote island in the Outer Hebrides and is barely four kilometres in length. With a population of just 143, it is one of the smallest regions to support a football club. And Barnet's old uphill slope is nothing compared to this imperfect playing surface. The bumpy, bobbly Cnoc Na Monadh pitch, with his wobbly touchlines, has a 'wee hill in the corner' and as such, one of the corner flags is as high as the crossbar. Occasionally, stray sheep might make a beeline for the centre circle and after every winter, groundstaff have to painstakingly remove all the local wildlife's POO. Fifa's World Football Museum gave Eriskay worldwide recognition in 2015, branding it as one of the eight most remarkable places in the world to play football. Post-match drinks can be enjoyed in the island's only pub, Am Politician, which is named after the celebrated shipwreck. 25 25 Feldstrasse (Hamburg, Germany) Hamburg's historic SC Hansa 11 club has a unique claim to fame – it is next door to a gargantuan Nazi-built Second World War BUNKER. Two artificial pitches in this inner-city sports ground are flanked by the astonishing Flakturm IV. This air raid shelter was built in the 1940s under orders from Adolf Hitler to protect the country from Allied air attack. An anti-aircraft gun has long gone from the imposing concrete blockhouse tower and it has since been converted into a public rooftop terrace, which doubles up as a live music venue. On the other side of the ground is the Millerntor-Stadion, which is home to Bundesliga side, FC St. Pauli, a must-see destination for all football hipsters. 25 25 Grigoris Lambrakis Municipal Stadium (Athens, Greece) The best stadiums are not really the ones located off a motorway, far out of town, next to a shopping centre, with ample parking spots. The most interesting ones exist within a deprived community, perhaps next to a housing estate, in a hustling, bustling city, which has been dwarfed by the skyward creep of urbanisation. Athens Kallithea FC's ground, known locally as El Paso, is one such neighbourhood spot and some lucky fans can watch action in Greece's top division from their apartment block windows. Otherwise punters can perch on limestone cliffs that roll around half the pitch, standing behind coils of barbed wire and iron railings. In the mid-1960s, Sergio Leone's spaghetti-western classic For a Few Dollars More, starring Clint Eastwood, was released in Greece under the name Duel in El Paso. Kallithea used that nickname and to this day, they run on to the pitch to the dustbowl strains of Ennio Morricone's haunting score. 25 25 Gryluvollur (Hveragerdi, Iceland) There is no danger of flooding or soggy pitches for Iceland lower-league side FC Hamar. That is because underneath their hillside ground are boiling underground rivers hot enough to cook an EGG. Situated on the slopes of the Grændalur volcano, fumarole vents near the touchline and in neighbouring backyards belch plumes of sulphuric steam into the air. A Gryla geyser lies dormant just 70 metres from the pitch and until the late 1990s, it would often shoot boiling jets of water up to 12 metres high during matches. At least for those who live in this alien landscape in the little village of Hverageroi (which translates as 'hot spring garden'), players can use the gases to steam-dry their match-day kits. 25 25 25 Janosovka (Cierny Balog, Slovakia) Ideally, a football ground needs to have good, reliable transport links – but there is one in Slovakia which takes that concept to its extreme. One slumberous village in Cierny Balog actually has a STEAM TRAIN that passes directly by, just metres from the pitch and only a few feet from one of the grandstands. A busy logging railway used to haul timber up and down the valley for more than 80 miles of narrow gauge track for almost 75 years. These days, it is a heritage railway for tourists but the line goes straight through the ground of this semi-professional club. There are no confirmed accidents involving trains at the ground but the chairman often jokes that a few of his wingers should hop on and off to get them up the line a bit quicker. Yet anyone planning a Rory Delap-style long run-up for their throw-ins might think again… 25 25 Kvarlis Tsentraluri Stadioni (Kvareli, Georgia) Kvareli Duruji FC in Georgia's fifth division play football inside the walls of a medieval CASTLE. The rural 17th-century fortress, which has an iron-studded entrance gate, has wooden grandstands and can house up to 2,500 fans. Legend has it that a player once went down headfirst into a sinkhole that emerged during one match in 1978. That has since been filled in and bricked over but underneath the pitch are tunnels and rooms that were built to store earthenware vessels used for the fermentation and ageing of local wine. When Gladwell went there, a special friendly match was arranged in his honour and his son Noah was allowed to play – even though he ended up missing a key penalty. 25 25 25 Valloyran (Sandavagur, Faroe Islands) Those who live in the Faroe Islands can get to church on time on a Sunday – and then, after their prayers, have a little kickabout next door. One of the country's 26 grounds – in the seaside fishing village of Sandavagur – is overlooked by a beautiful red-roofed wooden church and cemetery. There are so few seats that it is essentially standing room only around this tiny football field – but you could choose to watch from your car given how close you can park behind one of the goals. The artificial pitch ensures few games are called off but spectators have to wrap up warm in the face of the fierce Faroese weather. 25 Yenisehir Stadyumu (Gumushane, Turkey) The city of Gumushane, which is 3,970ft above sea level, lies on the ancient Silk Road, the historic trade route from China to Turkey. To reach their football club, you have to endure a hair-raising zig-zagging journey along the Zigana Pass in the Pontic Mountains. Fans can either watch from the grandstands or, to avoid buying a ticket, find a spot up on the uphill goat paths. Pity the poor groundsman who has to work with a pitch that sees little sunlight due to the towering walls of red rock that encircle the ground. It is one of the most remote places to visit in Europe, several hours outside of Black Sea resort Trabzon, but also one of the most special. 25 25
Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Spain's star player Aitana Bonmati in hospital with meningitis on eve of Euro 2025
Spain's star player Aitana Bonmati is being treated in hospital for viral meningitis with less than a week to go before the start of Euro 2025. Bonmati, who has won the Ballon d'Or two years running, missed Spain's warm-up game with Japan on Friday night and manager Montse Tomé said there is no timeframe on her return. 'The doctors say that it is controlled, talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled,' Tomé said. 'Aitana will be admitted and there are no deadlines yet to know for how long [she will be absent for].' The Spanish Football Federation said Bonmati underwent testing after suffering from a fever, which failed to subside. She was then diagnosed with viral meningitis, which is an inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is contagious but there has been no suggestion that any other of the Spanish players are also suffering from the illness. It is generally spread through contact with infected bodily fluids or respiratory droplets from someone who is infected, but the virus itself is not always likely to cause meningitis in those exposed. Common symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light (photophobia), and sometimes nausea, vomiting and fatigue, and it is typically less severe than bacterial meningitis. Bonmati shared a photo of herself watching Spain's game from a hospital bed on social media and Tome indicated they will give the midfielder as long as possible to recover in time to play some part in the Euros. 'Aitana, for us, is a very important player, we will wait for her, yes, as long as we can,' Tomé said. 'The information I have told you is what I have and I am not going to explain more, if I said something more I would be wrong.' Analysis: Bonmati absence would be a huge blow This news will have sent shock-waves through the Spanish squad. Bonmati is arguably the most important player in their squad and if she is unable to return to fitness in time it will be a huge blow. There is a sense of deja vu in that Spain lost Alexia Putellas to an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the eve of the Euros. At the time, Putellas was the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and their best player. It is hard to replace Bonmati although Spain are at least lucky in that they have a wealth of talent. If Bonmati's absence is prolonged, it could allow Putellas to step back into the limelight. She had a fantastic season with Barcelona and now looks back to her best after initially struggling to regain her form following her ACL injury. During the 2023 World Cup there was a suggestion that Putellas and Bonmati were less effective when they played together and that Bonmati shone more when the former was not in the starting XI. By the end of the tournament, Putellas was starting on the bench and Bonmati was running the show as Spain were crowned champions. It is not just Spain who will be concerned about Bonmati. She is a player that people will have travelled to Switzerland to watch and tournament organisers will naturally want the biggest stars on show.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
We live in ‘UK's Costa Del Sol' but are being kicked out of homes & forced to live in tents by greedy second home owners
IT'S an idyllic seaside village famed for its miles of golden sand that has earned it the nickname 'Costa Del Perran' by locals. But residents say sky high house prices and terrible transport links is making their lives increasingly difficult - with some forced out and resorting to living in tents. 13 13 13 Perranporth in Cornwall has been a popular holiday destination for generations, boasting one of the UK's best beaches which is popular with surfers and families, and provides endless holiday accommodation and activities. So much so that during the summer the village's population swells from 3,000 people to 12,000. And while locals embrace tourists, with most local businesses catering to seasonal trade, locals have been left sleeping in tents or caravans and enduring 10 mile drives to the local school that take up to an hour. Second homeowners are often blamed for Cornwall's housing crisis - there are currently 14,000 empty homes as residents struggle to afford their first home. At Higgins Gift Shop, supervisor Sidnie Ray-Neeld, 22, said second homes have had a massive impact on the village. She said: 'It's strange because there seems to be a lot of people in the town but nobody is spending any money. 'Normally by this time of year we would be open until 7pm, but it's dead by 5pm and normally we would have about seven staff but we're at three currently. 'Second homes must be a factor when over half the area is second homes and the rest is overpriced Airbnbs. 'I just moved away from Newquay because I can't afford to live here any more. 'I know a lot of people who rent out their houses for the summer and go abroad or move in with family. Some even live in a caravan in their garden.' Inside UK's holiday home capital where pushed-out locals live in caravans & SHEDS at bottom of garden thanks to sneering millionaires 13 13 13 In April, Cornwall Council doubled council tax rates on all second homes to try to tackle the problem. And figures released last month revealed house prices in Perranporth, located on the north coast, have dropped an average of £13,000. Despite the hefty reduction, average property prices in the region still remain north of £400,000 - almost double the national average. With many locals priced out of the village, some are forced to use unreliable bus services to get to and from work and school. While Perranporth has a primary school, the nearest secondary is 10 miles away in Truro, which often takes an hour or more by bus. Villager Katie Mellor hires out surf boards on the beach in summer and does factory and bar work in winter. She said: 'It's been quiet this summer and people that are around are not spending money. 'I have friends who own holiday accommodation and they still have lots of vacancies this summer. 'Second homes has had a massive impact on every village in Cornwall. All the time people are getting kicked out because their landlords are selling up and there is nowhere for them to go. 'Buying here is completely out of the question for most villagers because wages are so low compared to house prices. 'The biggest problem I can see is lack of public transport. Bus services are so bad there are people in the village who work at the hospital in Truro and cannot even get to their shifts. 'My two children go to college in Truro but the bus is always half an hour to an hour late. "Their teachers have been very good and understanding but it's a real worry they could miss exams.' Despite this, business owners say they are proud of Perranporth's friendly reputation - some even argue second homes and Airbnbs have a positive impact on businesses. David Morrell, 60, owner of The Filling Station, a family-run sandwich shop in the village, said: 'We have very loyal customers, both holidaymakers and locals, so we must be doing something right. 'The cost of housing in the village is definitely a concern for staff. "I've noticed a lot of people selling their second homes recently, but it's still not at a price where it's accessible for the locals. 'There are a lot of local families who want to live in Perranporth but are just priced out at the moment.' 'Costa Del Perran' 13 13 13 Matt Burrell, 43, runs Pavillion Ice and neighbouring Haddock's End fish and chip shop. He said: 'Families love coming here because of the 3.5 miles of golden sand, but locals love it too. We call it 'Costa Del Perran'. 'House prices are a bit of a problem, you have to be able to save up £40,000 for a deposit and not many people here can do that. 'I know of people who move into a tent on a campsite for the summer and rent their house out because of the money they can make. 'I don't think Airbnbs are a bad thing for the village, they have opened up one and two night stays, whereas before people would have to come for a week or not at all, so it's bringing more people here for more of the year.' Bus services are so bad there are people in the village who work at the hospital in Truro and cannot even get to their shifts Katie Mellor Sammie Marshall of Marshall's Clothing added: 'There is a huge pressure to make money in the peak weeks because the winters are fairly quiet. 'We are open most of the year but it's just my dad working. 'There was a lot of concern about people not coming to Cornwall but business has been ok this year. Tunes in the Dunes helped us out a lot as we were really busy that weekend.' One of Perranporth's most popular attractions is the The Watering Hole, which claims to be one of the oldest beach bars in the UK. The bar, which opened in 1978, has tables right on the sand and has played host to some amazing live music including big names like Sam Ryder, Busted, Jess Glynne and Kaiser Chiefs. The bar also hosts music festival Tunes in the Dunes every year, claiming to be the only live music bar on the beach. Historical roots 13 13 Along with great bars and activities, Perranporth also hosts some fascinating history. There is a legend that says the patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran, was cast into the sea from Ireland by being tied to a millstone and washed up in the town. St Piran built a Christian oratory in the dunes whose ruins from the 6th century are still preserved there to this day. Families love coming here because of the 3.5 miles of golden sand, but locals love it too. We call it Costa Del Perran Matt Burrell He is credited with discovering tin, which would become the backbone of Cornwall's industry, and people make a pilgrimage to the town on March 5 to commemorate the saint. Surfers from all over the world also make the pilgrimage to Perranporth, which is known for its famous waves and is where the first UK surfboards were created. After World War I, soldiers returned home with stories of surfers they'd met on their travels. These yarns then inspired Perranporth's local undertaker and builder, Tom Tremewan, who designed and made the first bellyboards and surfboards, which he made out of coffin lids.
