England could be forced to qualify for a tournament they are co-hosting, a situation that stands in sharp contrast to Argentina’s guaranteed place at the 2030 World Cup.

Euro 2028 will be staged across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, yet the Three Lions and their neighbours have not been handed the automatic spots that are usually reserved for host nations.

That will frustrate England fans further given Argentina, who dumped them out of this summer’s World Cup, have already booked their place in the 2030 edition of the tournament, despite drawing widespread criticism during their North American campaign, with millions signing a petition calling for their exclusion from future tournaments.

Argentina Already Guaranteed Spot for the 2030 World Cup

Argentina’s route in is guaranteed thanks to FIFA’s unprecedented approach to the 2030 World Cup, which marks the competition’s centenary edition. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority of matches, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay have been given the honour of staging their opening games at home, as part of the celebrations.

As a result, all six countries have been rewarded with automatic qualification, a scale of guaranteed places without precedent at a World Cup.

It means Argentina, who were so heavily criticised for their conduct during this summer’s tournament, will already be safe in the knowledge that they are heading to the next one regardless of form, results, or Lionel Messi’s possible retirement between now and then.

Why England Won’t be Guaranteed a Place at Euro 2028

Paul Childs via Reuters

UEFA has taken a different approach for Euro 2028, allowing only two of the four co-hosts automatic entry. England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will instead be placed into the standard qualifying draw, split across separate groups from one another.

All 12 group winners qualify automatically, along with the eight best runners-up, accounting for 20 of the 24 places. The remaining two spots are held as a safety net for hosts who fail to qualify conventionally, meaning England would only be guaranteed entry if two of the other three co-hosts also miss out. Should more than two hosts fail to qualify, the reserved places go by qualifying ranking instead.

Given England reached the semi-finals at the 2026 World Cup and were beaten finalists at both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, they will be strongly fancied to win their group regardless of who they draw.

Euro 2028 will feature 24 teams playing 51 matches, with Wembley hosting the semi-finals and final.

Inter Milan have an agreement in principle to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero for a fee in the region of €40million (£34million), according to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari.

Despite contributing to nine goals in his 32 appearances across all competitions, Romero endured a turbulent 2025/26 season as Spurs almost lost their Premier League status. The Argentine is subsequently looking for a new home, and the North London club are willing to sanction his departure after signing two new centre-backs this summer.

Inter have emerged as the frontrunners in the race to land Romero, holding direct talks with Tottenham over a prospective deal in recent days.

While negotiations on the player’s side remain ongoing, it’s now understood that the two clubs have reached a consensus on the proposed fee.

De Zerbi has made moves in the transfer window to replace Cristian Romero

Roberto De Zerbi has sought something of a rebuild in his defensive department this summer. Jan Paul van Hecke has been signed from Brighton for £52million, while Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have both arrived on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively.

Inevitably, this volume of additions in this area of the pitch means players will need to make way. Djed Spence has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as Inter, although the most likely player to depart has always been Romero.

The ‘world-class’ 28-year-old has been flirting with an exit for some time, and it finally appears to be close to coming to fruition. Credible reporter Longari suggests that while Romero remains interested in a dream switch to Barcelona, he’s edging closer to plying his trade in Northern Italy next season.

Inter and Spurs have agreed on a price of £34million for the World Cup winner, once described by Lionel Messi as the “best defender in the world”, and while talks between the Serie A giants and the player’s representatives about wages remain ongoing, a deal looks increasingly likely to materialise.

John Stones is also closing in on a move to Inter, who are also looking to renovate their back line.

Tottenham might be better off without Cristian Romero

via Reuters

Romero has largely been a good servant for Tottenham, but they are undoubtedly making the correct decision in choosing to move on from him.

From a squad-building perspective, Romero is 28, the club’s second-highest earner and has consistently expressed a desire to leave, so accepting an offer of around £34 million for him makes perfect sense.

Additionally, De Zerbi is probably somewhat relieved to rid himself of a player who was, at times, something of a liability from a disciplinary standpoint. The Argentina international has been sent off six times across all competitions in his five years in North London.

This reckless and rash behaviour has held Spurs back on several occasions, and they’re replacing him with Senesi and Van Hecke, neither of whom has a reputation for ill discipline.

Vinicius Junior wants his Real Madrid future settled this summer, with the Brazilian keen to avoid any prospect of leaving the Bernabeu on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2027.

Arsenal have been alerted to the situation as they look to add a genuine world-class forward to their ranks, with reports suggesting the move has been sanctioned “at all levels” of the Emirates hierarchy and that Mikel Arteta is fully behind the idea of bringing the 26-year-old to north London.

Newly appointed Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho is understood to be firmly against losing his star forward, and Vinicius himself is said to have prioritised thrashing out fresh terms, rather than testing the market.

The Gunners remain undeterred, though, and are reportedly prepared to offer wages that could exceed 350,000-a-week, a package that would make him the best-paid player at the club, and second only to Erling Haaland in the entire Premier League.

What Vinicius Junior Has Told His Friends

Fresh contract talks are expected once Vinicius returns from an extended break following the World Cup, with both parties keen to find a resolution quickly.

According to AS editor-in-chief Tomas Roncero, the forward’s stance is rooted in a sense of debt to the club that signed him as an 18-year-old from Flamengo. Speaking on Cadena SER’s El Larguero programme, Roncero said Vinicius had been telling those in his inner circle:

Roncero was careful to stress this was secondhand, adding: “I’m saying what he’s telling his friends.”

He added: “They paid €45m euros when it was just a gamble, a promise, nothing more. Madrid has given me everything, I can’t leave without leaving a single euro in the bank.”

Arsenal Already Reshaping Their Front Line

Roncero stopped short of speaking for Vinicius’s representatives, noting:

“Maybe his agents are more calculating when it comes to negotiations. But that’s what Vinicius is saying, that he can’t leave Madrid for free.”

Since arriving from Flamengo in 2017, Vini has racked up 128 goals and 100 assists in 375 appearances, helping Madrid to 14 trophies, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs.

Arsenal have already been busy reinforcing their forward line this summer, signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for around £34m, while also bringing in goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free and completing a £35m permanent deal for Piero Hincapie.

Significant Blow For Arsenal in Vinicius Jr Race

According to Sky Sports News, Real Madrid are now ‘confident he will sign that new deal’, with further talks expected later this week. Vinicius has so far failed to return to training after his post-World Cup holidays.

Dharmesh Sheth suggested the Gunners will already be prepared with alternative targets: “Arsenal will continue to keep an eye on Vinicius Jr’s situation still. He hasn’t signed that new contract yet. As it stands, he has a year left on his contract. That’s why they are exploring the conditions of a possible deal.

“How Andrea Berta does his business at Arsenal is very clear. It’s not about one target and then the risk of that target not coming. They try to get their ducks in a row with three or four deals.”