Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be set to play for Sweden at the 2016 Olympics after a late equaliser against Portugal in the Under-21 European Championship on Wednesday guaranteed the Scandinavians their place in Rio. Simon Tibbling’s 89th-minute strike earned the Swedes a 1-1 draw, a result which sent both sides to the semi-finals as well as securing their Olympic places. Each team can choose three over-age players in their 18-man Olympic squads, and Ibrahimovic said: “If I have the chance to represent my Sweden at an Olympics, why not? We’ll have to see how the situation is… but if I’m available, absolutely.”

Everton have completed the signing of Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona for £4.3m on a three-year deal. The 21-year-old right winger had a loan spell at Goodison Park during 2013-14 season. “Gerard needs no introduction to anyone here at Everton. We are all well aware of his incredible footballing talent,” said manager Roberto Martinez. “Gerard considers Everton as home and we are getting an even more mature player now than he was a couple of seasons ago.”

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina move from Bayern Munich to Napoli. Reina, 32, played for Napoli for a season on loan in 2013-14 before joining Bayern last summer. He played in just two Bundesliga games as understudy to Manuel Neuer and has now returned to Naples to be first choice. “Pepe Reina asked us to release him from his contract, because he has the chance of regular first-team football as first-choice Napoli goalkeeper,” Bayern’s deputy chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen said. “As a player, but especially as a person, he fitted in outstandingly with our team, so we naturally agreed to his request.”

Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi turns 28 today. He is celebrating by preparing for Friday night’s Copa America quarter-final with Colombia.

Liverpool have signed forward Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim on a five-year deal for a fee of about £29m. The 23-year-old’s deal is subject to a medical, which will take place after he returns from Chile, where he has been playing for Brazil in the Copa America. Firmino, who has scored 47 goals in 151 games for Hoffenheim, becomes the Reds’ second most expensive player. The Anfield club made Andy Carroll their record signing when he joined them for £35m from Newcastle in 2011. They also paid Southampton £25m for Adam Lallana in 2014, and have already brought in Burnley striker Danny Ings, goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, defender Joe Gomez and midfielder James Milner this summer. The Reds have so far resisted two offers from Manchester City for England forward Raheem Sterling. Firmino, who has spent the last four-and-a-half seasons in the Bundesliga, was on target for Brazil in their 2-1 Copa America victory over Venezuela on Sunday. In the absence of Neymar, who has been suspended for the rest of the tournament, Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who is already a Liverpool player, are set to start again in Saturday’s quarter-final against Paraguay.

Friday 26 June 2015:

Germany vs France 9pm

China PR vs USA 2:30am (June 27)

Saturday 27 June 2015:

Australia vs Japan 9pm

England vs Canada 2:30am (June 28)

*Time = Nigerian.

Tuesday 23 June 2015:

Japan 2 – 1 Netherlands

Aston Villa midfielder Yacouba Sylla has joined French side Rennes on a four-year contract. The 24-year-old’s move to the Ligue 1 club ends his two-and-a-half year stay at Villa Park. The Mali international joined Villa from Clermont Foot for £2m in January 2013 but made only 12 Premier League starts and spent last season on loan at Turkish club Kayseri Erciyesspor.

Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. Talks between the clubs are progressing towards the 33-year-old becoming Arsenal’s first summer acquisition. The Czech Republic international played 16 times for the Blues last season and has been at Stamford Bridge 11 years. He has made more than 300 Chelsea appearances and won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one Champions League and one Europa League title. Belgium international Thibaut Courtois, 23, became Chelsea’s first-choice stopper last season, leaving Cech – with one year left on his deal – to look elsewhere. He joined the Stamford Bridge club from Rennes in 2004. Cech’s agent said last month the player had been given permission to speak to other clubs, despite manager Jose Mourinho wanting him to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Norwich City have signed former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu on a two-year contract. The 28-year-old DR Congo international was released by the Baggies at the end of the season. Mulumbu made 211 appearances in six years with Albion, having joined them from Paris St-Germain in 2009, initially on loan. Fellow midfielder Graham Dorrans also made the move from The Hawthorns to the Premier League newcomers this summer. “The fact that we’ve been able to pick Youssouf up on a free transfer is a fantastic piece of business,” Canaries boss Alex Neil told the club website. “His arrival will add to the competition for places. We have a strong squad with a lot of players that have done well in the Premier League and Youssouf will bring that competition to the squad.” Mulumbu will officially link up with the Canaries on 1 July when his Baggies contract expires.

Monday 22 June 2015:

Norway 1 – 2 England

USA 2 – 0 Columbia

According to reports in South America, Diego Maradona wants to stand for the FIFA presidency to succeed Sepp Blatter. The 54-year-old former Argentina captain and manager has been a long-time critic of Blatter but Uruguayan broadcaster and writer Victor Hugo Morales says he has decided to stand for the position Morales tweeted: “I called Diego Maradona to check on his father’s health. He told me that he would be a candidate for president of FIFA and that I was authorised to communicate it.”

France midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is set to join Inter Milan from Monaco. The 22-year-old French international will undergo a medical in Milan on Monday after the two clubs agreed a fee, reported to be 35m euros

Newly-promoted Bournemouth have agreed a deal in principle to sign defender Sylvain Distin. The 37-year-old left Everton when his contract expired at the end of the season. Distin is still to have a medical but it is not anticipated there will be any barrier to the deal going through. If he does sign, Bournemouth will become Distin’s fifth Premier League club after previous spells with Newcastle, Manchester City, Portsmouth – where he won the FA Cup in 2008 – and Everton.

Premier League newcomers Norwich City have agreed to sign DR Congo midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu on a two-year contract. The 28-year-old’s move to Carrow Road will go through on 1 July when his current deal with West Brom expires. “The fact that we’ve been able to pick Youssouf up on a free transfer is a fantastic piece of business,” boss Alex Neil told the Norwich website.

New Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez has said Real Madrid will be bringing in more reinforcements this summer, but has not divulged who they might be or which players might be on their way out. “Of course there will be,” Benitez told his club’s official website, when asked about new arrivals. “But let me just say that to improve the current Real Madrid side is enormously difficult. “This team has won it all and has proved the level it has. The fans can be certain that the team will have the level of competitiveness that this club demands.”

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed it will investigate reports that national team coach Stephen Keshi applied to manage Ivory Coast. On Friday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced it had received 59 applications  in the race to succeed Herve Renard. The list will be then be narrowed down to three who will be interviewed. The FIF initially published the name of every man to declare interest in the job, including Stephen Keshi. He is still employed by Nigeria having signed a new deal in April. The page on FIF website listing Keshi and 58 other applicants for the Elephants job has been taken down but the NFF insists that will not prevent ‘a full investigation’. “The NFF will open a full investigation to determine whether Mr Stephen Keshi actually applied for the vacant Ivory Coast job,” NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told BBC Sport. “There will be no hasty decision. We hope to get a full part from the Ivory Coast football federation before making an official statement.” Keshi returned as Nigeria coach for the third time in April by signing a two-year contract with the NFF.

Mart Nooij has been sacked as national coach of Tanzania following a 3-0 home defeat to Uganda in the first leg of their preliminary round African Nations Championship (CHAN)) qualifier. The match, one of three in East Africa this weekend in the competition for locally-based players, was dominated by Uganda who completed a double over Tanzania in the last CHAN qualifiers. Erisa Ssekisambu scored in each half before Farouk Miya converted a late penalty to secure a first leg victory and signal the end of Nooij’s reign. Nooij has paid the price for a string of poor results since taking over as coach of the Taifa Stars 14 months ago. Last weekend, Tanzania lost 3-0 to Egypt in their first 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The Tanzania Football Federation announced the news on their website   and say they will name a replacement in due course.

Saturday 20 June 2015:

Germany 4 – 1 Sweden

China PR 1 – 0 Cameroon

Sunday 21 June 2015:

Brazil 0 – 1 Australia

France 3 – 0 Korea Republic

Canada 1 – 0 Switzerland

Serbia on Saturday made history as they won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in New Zealand. They defeated Brazil by two goals to one in the final match. Mali took the bronze medal as they defeated Senegal 3-1 in the third-place match.