Lukas Podolski was born in Poland but plays for Germany, and Thursday's match between the countries at the European Championship promises to be another emotional experience.

The contrast in difficulty is summed up by the fact that the bottom half has nations with a total of 20 major titles (11 World Cups and nine Euros), while there is a total of none in the top half.

After 17 days and 44 matches, Euro 2016 has now reached crunch time with eight teams left to battle it out for glory in France as the tournament reaches the finishing straight.

Despite Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo so far failing to produce a string of consistent displays, Portugal have recovered from a slow start to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

With seven games of the tournament remaining, kicking off with Poland's quarter-final clash against Portugal on Thursday night, three players sit top of the standings with three goals each.

Arkadiusz Milik is looking forward to playing against one of his footballing heroes, Cristiano Ronaldo, when Poland face Portugal in the European Championship quarter-finals in Marseille.

Renato Sanches insists any criticism of Portugal has no effect on the players as they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 after a penalty shoot-out victory over Poland.

The 2014 World Cup Golden Boot was won by Colombia's James Rodriguez, who set the tournament alight with six goals and goal of the tournament before earning a transfer to Real Madrid.

Germany's home clash with France is the most mouth-watering tie on Thursday, as the reigning World Cup winners look to continue their dominance with victory over the 2014 champions.

Poland coach Jerzy Brzeczek has warned his players not to treat Tuesday night's friendly clash with the Republic of Ireland as a party for Robert Lewandowski.

Italy prepared for Sunday's UEFA Nations League clash with Poland with a training session in the Florence sunshine. Roberto Mancini watched on as the late afternoon sun beat down.

Gareth Southgate's men are among the top seeds and will be in a five-team group while Wales and Scotland will join Germany in pot two and Northern Ireland and the Republic in pot three.

SPAIN 5-0 ROMANIA: Gerard Moreno scored a brace as Spain concluded their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with an emphatic 5-0 win at home to Romania.

Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week in search of the next big star. This week they give Sportsmail the low-down on Crystal Palace starlet NYA KIRBY.

THE SECRET SCOUT: Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. This week they give the low down on Cardiff midfielder Gavin Whyte.

The title hopes of jump jockey Brian Hughes have been hit after he was suspended for three days for weighing in light on Carlisle winner Bingo D'Olivate.

Gregg Wallace has revealed how he maintains his three-stone weight loss - something that's made harder by working as the co-host of MasterChef.

He recently lost an impressive three stone by overhauling his diet and sticking to a gruelling work out regime. 

The MasterChef star, 55, revealed he's taking a break from his gym workouts as he encouraged self-isolation amid the coronavirus pandemic on Instagram on Sunday.

The Masterchef judge, 55, got up at the crack of dawn to work out, while his son Sid, 11 months, was asleep on Friday.

The Black-ish star recalled the amusing story of when she first met the late great pop superstar during a visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday.

Birmingham have announced they are not actively seeking a replacement for Garry Monk after appointing Pep Clotet as the club's caretaker head coach.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES AND HARRY SLAVIN: Former Wales winger David Cotterill is yet to apply for charitable status for the foundation that carries his name, Sportsmail can reveal.

TIM NASH AT ST ANDREWS: Charlie Austin was the hero as he bagged a brace to help West Brom beat Birmingham City and return them to the top of the Championship.

Chelsea are willing to pull out all the stops to sign the teenager and will table a mammoth bid of £35m plus £15m in add-ons to secure his services, according to The Sun.

FSB security service detained more than 160 North Korean fishermen at gunpoint and accused them of illegal fishing in Russian waters. After a gun battle four Russian guards were wounded.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a flight demonstration of military aircraft at an airfield on the country's eastern coast where he instructed combat pilots to acquire 'great idea and tactics'.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the Trump administration of dragging its feet in nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show a new strategic weapon to the world.

North Korea has not yet confirmed any cases of the coronavirus, formally known COVID-19, but has closed the land border with China, where 254 people died yesterday from the outbreak.

So it was all fake news…The entire two-year Russia collusion frenzy was based on an absolute falsehood that Donald Trump and his team had colluded with Russians to fix the 2016 election.

RICHARD KAY: Fifteen years ago, Sir Martin Sorrell paid a then record divorce settlement of more than £29 million to his first wife, Sandra Finestone, after 33 years of marriage.

The Duke of Sussex was in London today to officially launch the team of injured and wounded military veterans and service personnel who will compete in the next Invictus Games.

The Paralympics has been added to the 'crown jewels' list of sports events which must be broadcast live on free-to-air TV - but cricket has been controversially overlooked.

Aries 21 March-20 April Having yearned for a chance to break out of a rut, you are now faced with not one but several opportunities

The earthquake - the strongest to ever hit the state - struck at 3.39pm on Sunday off the coast of Broome in the Indian Ocean, according to GeoScience Australia.

Ryan William Victor Grafton, 26, is accused of running off with almost $500 in merchandise from an Oxenford sex shop, stealing cars, and also pinching a mobile phone on the Gold Coast.

At present so-called 'lifers' are supervised and forced to attend regular meetings with probation officers when freed on licence after completing their minimum jail sentence in the UK.

Police in Malaysia said Nora Quoirin's family would have to wait until at least today for the results of tests that may unravel the mystery of her death. Her body was found in the jungle on Tuesday.

Muhammad Zikri Ibrahim, 29, denied committing intentional insult at a Kuala Lumpur court. He allegedly claimed local indigenous villagers from the Orang Asli tribe raped Nora, 15.

The curious case of former Adelaide cleaner Negar Ghodskani began in Iran 11 years ago, moved to Malaysia, then Australia and will this week be sentenced in a US courtroom.

Australian grandmother Maria Exposto, who faced death by hanging after being found guilty of importing ice into Malaysia in 2014 has had her conviction overturned by the country's federal court.

Jacqueline Jossa is allegedly set to replace Michelle Keegan as the main role in the BBC One military drama Our Girl.

The Duchess of Cornwall, 72, looked elegant in a forest-green ensemble as she joined Prince Charles, 71, to welcome guests for the Queen's Anniversary Prizes at Buckingham Palace today.

New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons almost had his trip to the UK to meet Prince Charles cancelled over coronavirus fears.

It is understood the Prince of Wales met his 93-year-old mother at Buckingham Palace on March 12 - less than two weeks ago. The virus has an estimated incubation period of one to 14 days.

The Prince of Wales' doctor believes that the royal may have been contagious from March 13 at the earliest - just 24 hours after he last saw his 93-year-old mother the Queen.

Princess Charlotte, five, posed for her obligatory first day of school family photo in her uniform this morning beside her brother Prince George, six - on the familiar steps of Kensington Palace.

Prince George, 6, is already proving a popular pupil among his peers at £18,000-a-year school St Thomas's Battersea, inviting peers back for play dates at Kensington Palace.

Housekeeper Antonella Fresolone, 48, who is originally from Italy received her medal at Buckingham Palace yesterday, after working for Prince William and Kate Middleton for six years.

Kate Middleton, 38, paid a touching tribute to her children by wearing a £1,070 necklace by Daniella Draper as she arrived in Cardiff today. It was engraved with their initials 'G, L, C.'