UEFA said it would replace the pitch at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille after Wednesday's final group E match between Italy and Ireland.
France coach Didier Deschamps was more than just relieved after his team scored two late goals to beat a stubborn Albania team 2-0 on Wednesday and reach the second round of Euro 2016.
Olympique Marseille striker Djibril Cisse said on Saturday he would be returning to action within three weeks following a long injury layoff.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in top condition and showing more resolve than ever to lead Portugal to the European title, national team coach Fernando Santos said ahead of their final Euro 2016 warm-up match on Wednesday.
A new four-year contract will keep the striker with the English champions until 2010.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema, embroiled in a sextape scandal, were omitted from France's squad on Thursday for the games with Germany and England later this month while Hatem Ben Arfa was recalled.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Some key facts about Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as Real Madrid coach after leading the Spanish club to a third successive Champions League title.
Australian Nick Kyrgios let his tennis do the talking against Stanislas Wawrinka as he knocked the fourth seed out of the Madrid Open with a scintillating display on Wednesday.
The Swiss ace joined Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras as the only men to have won four consecutive Wimbledon singles titles when he defeats Nadal in the final.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Paris for a third straight weekend witnessed violent protests leading to the arrests of more than 400 people and injuring 133. In the past few days, masked rioters have torched cars, buildings and even a police headquarter, looted shops and clashed with police. On the other hand, security forces have fired stun grenades, tear gas shells and water cannon at protesters. The protest, now called as the 'Yellow Vest Protest', comes 18 months into French President Emmanuel Macron's presidency. It has been named so because the participants are wearing fluorescent safety jackets that are kept in all cars in France. The protesters, "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests), reportedly have no real structure or leadership.
The French defender said he wants to leave Chelsea for AC Milan but the English champions are refusing to let him go.
Lionel Messi dragged a nervous Barcelona to a 1-0 win at home to Levante in La Liga, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted two late penalties on his 100th appearance for Juventus in all competitions as the Serie A titleholders ground out a 3-1 win away to a dogged Genoa side.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
With their own bitter memories of past semi-final defeats in the soccer tournament, England and Croatia will be competing for a spot in Sunday's final against France.
The world number two acknowledges it may be some time before he can return to the level he reached last year
Juan Carlos Ferrero's struggle for form continued at the Marseille Open on Tuesday where the former world number stumbled in straight sets in the first round against Joachim Johansson.
Paris St Germain missed the chance to go top of Ligue 1 after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Lille on Wednesday as coach Laurent Blanc's decision to rest Zlatan Ibrahimovic backfired.
The striker scored two goals as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Community Shield match.
Inter have got through two-legged ties in all nine of their previous meetings with Olympique Marseille.
FIFA's Task Force for Women's Football has called for a target of 30 percent women's participation in the governing body's leading structures and top jobs, FIFA said on Thursday.
Stan Wawrinka reached his second final of the season as Nick Kyrgios retired injured from their semi-final at the ATP Dubai Championships on Friday. The Australian quit due to back pain while trailing 6-4, 3-0, having had on-court treatment after the seventh game of the opening set. Wawrinka now moves into position for a possible second trophy of the season after winning in Chennai to start the year. The French Open champion will face either sixth seed Feliciano Lopez, who advanced in the quarter-finals when Novak Djokovic was unable to continue due to an eye infections or former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis. Wawrinka, ranked fourth, carries an enviable record into the Saturday title match at the Aviation Club, having won his last eight finals.
The France-Austria-Britain sequence of races poses a fresh logistical challenge for teams hitherto committed only to back-to-back weekends, with the 21-round season hurrying to the halfway point.
Didier Drogba is revelling in the pressure of spearheading Chelsea's triple trophy challenge despite having struggled for his best form this season.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
The French Football Federation extended the ban on the Olympique Marseille goalkeeper for spitting at a referee till the end of 2005.
The English champions reached agreement with the French goalkeeper to terminate his contract with the club with effect from 30 June 2004.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos turned to teenager Renato Sanches in a bid to bring some fluency to the midfield in their Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland on Thursday and was handsomely rewarded for the decision.
'If the coach considers it, I am ready to play the next game'
While France and Switzerland largely got what they wanted with a 0-0 draw at Euro 2016 on Sunday, it was a night of shame for ground staff and sports manufacturers.
Fabien Barthez could be punished after a referee said the Olympique Marseille goalkeeper spat at him during a friendly match.
Chelsea have re-signed Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba on a one-year contract, the Premier League club said on Friday.
