Villa Park set to expand capacity to 50,000

Aston Villa today welcomed Birmingham City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for phase one of the Club’s redevelopment and expansion of Villa Park. The project will increase the stadium’s capacity to over 50,000, allowing Villa Park to host major international tournaments and enable its return to the world stage.

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Premier League seeks to join trial on temporary concussion substitutes

The Premier League wants to adopt the use of temporary concussion substitutes in the competition next season in a departure from established thinking within the game on the risks of brain injury. The English top flight has written to the game’s international rule-making body asking to trial temporary substitutes from next summer.

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Karim Benzema announces international retirement

France striker Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international football – on his 35th birthday – a day after Les Bleus lost against Argentina on penalties in the World Cup final. The Ballon d’Or winner, who scored 37 times in 97 appearances, was expected to lead the line for France in Qatar but missed the tournament after sustaining a thigh injury in training the day before it started.

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Argentina edge France on penalties in epic World Cup Final

ionel Messi finally achieved his World Cup dream as Argentina won their third crown on penalties following one of the greatest finals in the tournament’s history at Lusail Stadium. Argentina won the shootout 4-2 after a spectacular game which developed into the much-anticipated confrontation between Messi and Mbappe, the Frenchman scoring a hat-trick but still ended up on the losing side.

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