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Harry Kane spared woeful England’s blushes as his second-half strike sealed a lacklustre 1-0 win against minnows Andorra in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Barcelona.

Thomas Tuchel’s side were booed off by England fans in the RCDE Stadium after struggling to impress against a team ranked 173rd in the world.

Kane’s 72nd international goal ensured England avoided the ultimate embarrassment of failing to beat such lowly opposition.

Tuchel is the first England manager to win his first three competitive games without conceding a goal.

But given the paucity of opposition provided by Andorra, Latvia and Albania in the Group K qualifiers, that achievement rings a little hollow after this miserable display.

“I’m not happy with the performance. We completely lost the momentum and couldn’t get it back. We ended up in a place that was not good enough in terms of urgency,” Tuchel said.

“We can just admit it that it’s not what we expect from us. I was most worried in the last 20 minutes because I didn’t like the attitude we ended the game with.

“I didn’t like the lack of urgency. It did not match the occasion. It is still a World Cup qualifier.”

Tuchel had warned that England’s tired stars should not be expected to thrash Andorra after gruelling domestic seasons.

The German cited the motivational difficulties posed by the summer international break, just before nine of his players jet off to the Club World Cup in the United States.

His fears proved prescient as England laboured to establish any rhythm in a soporific match with the feel of a pre-season friendly.

It was a far cry from the pulsating drama produced by Spain and France in their recent Nations League semi-final, underlining the task facing Tuchel as he builds up to the 2026 World Cup.

Tuchel didn’t help England’s cause by fielding an experimental side.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones started at right-back and Chelsea right-back Reece James featured at left-back.

With Declan Rice rested, Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson, 34, made his first England start since 2023, becoming the Three Lions’ oldest player since Frank Lampard 11 years ago.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was left out after only completing one training session this week, leaving Noni Madueke, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer to line up behind striker Harry Kane.

READ ALSO: Ballon d’Or Should Go To Champions League Winner — Ronaldo

Bereft of ideas 

Chelsea winger Madueke impressed but Palmer and Rogers were underwhelming.

Andorra hadn’t scored an international goal for more than two years and they quickly settled into a defensive formation that allowed England to monopolise possession.

As Tuchel had predicted, England didn’t find it easy to prise open a massed Andorra defence featuring nine men behind the ball at all times.

Madueke’s drive from the edge of the area was pushed away by Andorra keeper Iker Alvarez.

Kane should have broken the deadlock with a close-range chance from Jones’ cut-back, but the England captain prodded wastefully wide.

Given Tuchel’s desire to see his player perform in the warm Catalan temperatures ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, it was instructive to see England struggle to find the energy and purpose required to make Andorra uncomfortable.

They moved the ball too slowly, and were reduced them to hopeful efforts from distance, with Jude Bellingham’s 25-yard shot comfortably saved by Alvarez.

England looked bereft of ideas and the fans were beginning to grumble.

Kane eased the mounting pressure when the Bayern Munich striker made the breakthrough five minutes after the interval.

After Kane’s initial shot was saved, Madueke alertly guided a low cross back into the six-yard box for the England captain to tap into the empty net.

It was a modest way to reach a milestone for Kane, who has a remarkable 450 career goals for club and country in 697 games.

England still couldn’t find any momentum and were nearly punished in the closing stages when Guillaume Lopez’s shot was blocked by Ezri Konsa.

Aryna Sabalenka called her loss to Coco Gauff in the French Open “the worst final” she has ever played after an error-strewn display on Saturday dashed her hopes of a fourth Grand Slam title.

World number one Sabalenka won the opening set on a blustery day in Paris but watched the trophy slip from her grasp as she made a tournament-worst 70 unforced errors in tricky conditions.

The 27-year-old suffered her second Grand Slam final defeat in a row after losing in Australia, with Gauff triumphing 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 to capture her second major.

“It was really honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in the last I don’t know how many months,” said Sabalenka.

“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Gauff’s first Grand Slam title also came at the expense of Sabalenka — at the 2023 US Open, with the American fighting back from a set down on that occasion as well.

Sabalenka raced into a 4-1 lead and eventually won a tie-break to pocket the first set Saturday, but Gauff adjusted better to the gusty winds on a gloomy afternoon.

“I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes,” said Sabalenka.

“I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn’t really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say.”

“Sometimes that happens, you know? You just wake up, and you don’t feel your best and another player goes for whatever and it works, and for you nothing is working,” she added.

“I guess today wasn’t the day.”

Sabalenka was attempting to become the only current women’s player with titles at three of the four Grand Slam events.

READ ALSO: Sinner Ends Djokovic Record Bid, To Face Alcaraz In French Open Final

Greek island and tequila 

But after seeing her bid for a third straight Australian Open crown ended by Madison Keys in January, Sabalenka slid to another painful loss on the clay.

“I definitely have to, you know, step back and learn something, because I cannot keep doing the same mistake,” she said.

“It’s the worst match I’ve played in the last couple of months. It’s just a joke. I cannot do that anymore in the finals.

“I wouldn’t care if I would play like that in, I don’t know, fourth round or quarter-finals, but in the final of a Grand Slam… it’s a bit not right.”

Sabalenka was full of confidence after knocking out Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and then ending Iga Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

But she couldn’t deliver when it counted most, as Gauff avenged her loss to Sabalenka in last month’s Madrid final.

“It just hurts. Honestly hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that hurts.”

Sabalenka revealed her plans for a quick break in Greece, to help her switch off and reset before preparing for the transition to grass and Wimbledon.

“I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world… and this crazy thing that happened today,” she said.

“Tequila, gummy bears, and I don’t know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days.”

Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year due to a shoulder injury but has reached the semi-finals in her last two appearances.

She did not compete in 2022 either after the tournament banned Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Aryna Sabalenka called her loss to Coco Gauff in the French Open “the worst final” she has ever played after an error-strewn display on Saturday dashed her hopes of a fourth Grand Slam title.

World number one Sabalenka won the opening set on a blustery day in Paris but watched the trophy slip from her grasp as she made a tournament-worst 70 unforced errors in tricky conditions.

The 27-year-old suffered her second Grand Slam final defeat in a row after losing in Australia, with Gauff triumphing 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 to capture her second major.

“It was really honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in the last I don’t know how many months,” said Sabalenka.

“Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me. I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Gauff’s first Grand Slam title also came at the expense of Sabalenka — at the 2023 US Open, with the American fighting back from a set down on that occasion as well.

Sabalenka raced into a 4-1 lead and eventually won a tie-break to pocket the first set Saturday, but Gauff adjusted better to the gusty winds on a gloomy afternoon.

“I think she won the match not because she played incredible; just because I made all of those mistakes,” said Sabalenka.

“I think I was overemotional. I think today I didn’t really handle myself quite well mentally, I would say.”

“Sometimes that happens, you know? You just wake up, and you don’t feel your best and another player goes for whatever and it works, and for you nothing is working,” she added.

“I guess today wasn’t the day.”

Sabalenka was attempting to become the only current women’s player with titles at three of the four Grand Slam events.

READ ALSO: Sinner Ends Djokovic Record Bid, To Face Alcaraz In French Open Final

Greek island and tequila 

But after seeing her bid for a third straight Australian Open crown ended by Madison Keys in January, Sabalenka slid to another painful loss on the clay.

“I definitely have to, you know, step back and learn something, because I cannot keep doing the same mistake,” she said.

“It’s the worst match I’ve played in the last couple of months. It’s just a joke. I cannot do that anymore in the finals.

“I wouldn’t care if I would play like that in, I don’t know, fourth round or quarter-finals, but in the final of a Grand Slam… it’s a bit not right.”

Sabalenka was full of confidence after knocking out Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and then ending Iga Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

But she couldn’t deliver when it counted most, as Gauff avenged her loss to Sabalenka in last month’s Madrid final.

“It just hurts. Honestly hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, go out there and perform like I did, that hurts.”

Sabalenka revealed her plans for a quick break in Greece, to help her switch off and reset before preparing for the transition to grass and Wimbledon.

“I already have a flight booked to Mykonos and alcohol, sugar. I just need couple of days to completely forget about this crazy world… and this crazy thing that happened today,” she said.

“Tequila, gummy bears, and I don’t know, swimming, being like the tourist for couple of days.”

Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year due to a shoulder injury but has reached the semi-finals in her last two appearances.

She did not compete in 2022 either after the tournament banned Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged he was “another generation” to Spain starlet Lamine Yamal but said Sunday’s Nations League final was more than just a battle between the duo.

The final in Munich has been framed as a showdown between veteran Ronaldo, 40, one of the game’s biggest names, and 17-year-old Yamal, the most exciting young talent in world football.

Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain’s wild 5-4 semi-final win over France.

Ronaldo however said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain “maybe the best national team in the world”.

“There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK.

“When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.”

“You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot and you’re right to do so because he’s very good,” Ronaldo told journalists, adding “but I’d like to talk about the team.

“They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri and their coach (Luis) de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.”

Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture 21 years ago, in a match which Ronaldo started.

Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age.

Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later.

READ ALSO: Ballon d’Or Should Go To Champions League Winner — Ronaldo

 ‘Relaxed and in control’

Like a young Ronaldo, Yamal has consistently impressed since bursting onto the scene, winning a league and cup double with Barcelona this season after lifting the Euro 2024 title in Germany last summer.

The Portuguese veteran asked media to allow the teenager to grow and improve without pressure, reminding them the Spanish star “with funny hair” was just “three years older than my son”.

“The kid has been doing very well, but what I ask is for you to let him grow, not put him under pressure. For the good of football, we need to let him grow in his own way and enjoy the talent he has.”

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was “only 17, but very mature for his age. Well-prepared, intelligent — he lives life as if it’s all normal, and that’s what we want for him”.

De la Fuente said the national side were “trying to walk alongside (Yamal) in his education,” but added “you’d be surprised, shocked, how calm he is.

“He’s special. For some people, this would be a situation of maximum stress. But for him, he’s relaxed, he’s in control — he masters the situation.”

The coach also took time to praise Ronaldo, calling him “a legend in football and an example of the values I like: effort, work rate, sacrifice, getting better every day and never letting your guard down.

“Portugal are led by a footballer who will go down in history with an indelible legacy.”

Both Spain and Portugal have already won the Nations League. Spain are the current champions from their win in 2023, while Portugal won the inaugural tournament back in 2019.

Spain have won 16 and drawn two of their past 18 fixtures — and have not lost a competitive match since March 2023.

Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal told reporters his side “do not think we are better than anyone,” but “we trust ourselves 100 percent and know we can compete in every game.

“We’ve shown that over the years. Our level is very high.”

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged he was “another generation” to Spain starlet Lamine Yamal but said Sunday’s Nations League final was more than just a battle between the duo.

The final in Munich has been framed as a showdown between veteran Ronaldo, 40, one of the game’s biggest names, and 17-year-old Yamal, the most exciting young talent in world football.

Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain’s wild 5-4 semi-final win over France.

Ronaldo however said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain “maybe the best national team in the world”.

“There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK.

“When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.”

“You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot and you’re right to do so because he’s very good,” Ronaldo told journalists, adding “but I’d like to talk about the team.

“They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri and their coach (Luis) de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.”

Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture 21 years ago, in a match which Ronaldo started.

Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age.

Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later.

READ ALSO: Ballon d’Or Should Go To Champions League Winner — Ronaldo

 ‘Relaxed and in control’

Like a young Ronaldo, Yamal has consistently impressed since bursting onto the scene, winning a league and cup double with Barcelona this season after lifting the Euro 2024 title in Germany last summer.

The Portuguese veteran asked media to allow the teenager to grow and improve without pressure, reminding them the Spanish star “with funny hair” was just “three years older than my son”.

“The kid has been doing very well, but what I ask is for you to let him grow, not put him under pressure. For the good of football, we need to let him grow in his own way and enjoy the talent he has.”

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was “only 17, but very mature for his age. Well-prepared, intelligent — he lives life as if it’s all normal, and that’s what we want for him”.

De la Fuente said the national side were “trying to walk alongside (Yamal) in his education,” but added “you’d be surprised, shocked, how calm he is.

“He’s special. For some people, this would be a situation of maximum stress. But for him, he’s relaxed, he’s in control — he masters the situation.”

The coach also took time to praise Ronaldo, calling him “a legend in football and an example of the values I like: effort, work rate, sacrifice, getting better every day and never letting your guard down.

“Portugal are led by a footballer who will go down in history with an indelible legacy.”

Both Spain and Portugal have already won the Nations League. Spain are the current champions from their win in 2023, while Portugal won the inaugural tournament back in 2019.

Spain have won 16 and drawn two of their past 18 fixtures — and have not lost a competitive match since March 2023.

Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal told reporters his side “do not think we are better than anyone,” but “we trust ourselves 100 percent and know we can compete in every game.

“We’ve shown that over the years. Our level is very high.”

Coco Gauff won the French Open showpiece on Saturday to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka for the second time in a dramatic victory.

After also defeating Sabalenka at the US Open in 2023, the second-ranked American fought hard to win a 6-7 (5 / 7), 6-2, 6-4 victory and her second major title.

Sabalenka defeated Iga Swiatek in Roland Garros over the course of two hours and 38 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, making more than up for her emotional 2022 final defeat.

After being defeated by Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January, Sabalenka lost to Madison Keys for the second time in a row in the Grand Slam final.

Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in windy conditions, which was a match that resembled Gauff’s victory at Flushing Meadows two years ago, while Sabalenka made another set-rebound.

After winning the US Open last year and the following Australian Open titles back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, Belarusian Sabalenka wanted to become the only female player in the world to win three of the four Grand Slam events.

Gauff ended up 6-5 ahead of the top two, proving to be the more consistent player in the first women’s doubles final since Caroline Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep in Melbourne in 2018.

READ MORE: Sinner Ends Djokovic’s record bid to face Alcaraz in the French Open Final.

first set of marathons

The 27-year-old Sabalenka quickly asserted herself, winning four of the first five games in a row.

Before being forced into a tie-break, the top seed had a 4-1 lead with a double-break in her semi-final victory over Swiatek.

With two double-faults and a tame backhand into the bottom of the net, she also gave Gauff a glimmer of hope.

When Sabalenka hit a second groundstroke long, Gauff scored 12 points in a row to bring the set level at the fifth break point of the eighth game.

She gave the break right away because she couldn’t continue to build on that momentum.

In a tense game, Sabalenka ultimately extended the lead by taking her fifth break point, missing two set points, the first of which was a double-fault.

Both players struggled on serve in the breeze, with Sabalenka breaking once more in the set before failing once more to tie the game.

After 77 minutes, Sabalenka ran out of four straight points to finally win the set in the opening set of a women’s French Open final. This was the first tie-break since 1998.

It was the longest set in a women’s Grand Slam final since the Williams sisters squared off in 2002, and it was also longer than the previous year’s final between Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini.

Gauff, however, took the lead into the second set by opening up a 4-1 lead with a double-break.

Gauff won the match with a confident smash at the net, beating Sabalenka in the first set, and she did so without any issues.

In game three, Sabalenka sent down her fifth double-fault, and the US star also broke first in the third.

As Gauff approached the title, Sabalenka was able to reclaim the lead to 3-3, but the relationship quickly became broken.

A thunderous Sabalenka return to the baseline denied Gauff on her first match point, and she then needed to save a break point.

But she crossed the line again, falling to the ground in celebration.