While schoolchildren are in the middle of exam season, West Ham United’s internationals are preparing for the tests of major tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Jarrod Bowen, Vladimír Coufal, Tomáš Souček and Alphonse Areola are all off to UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany, while Edson Álvarez, Michail Antonio and Lucas Paquetá are set for the Copa América in the United States.
Euro 2024 will kick-off on Friday 14 June, while the Copa América starts on Thursday 20 June.
Who has been called up?
Six Hammers have been confirmed in their respective international squads for two major summer tournaments, four for UEFA Euro 2024 and two for the Copa América, while a seventh is waiting to find out if he has been selected.
Of the seven, Jarrod Bowen is the only one who will be featuring at his first major tournament after being named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for Euro 2024. The winger was included after a Hammer of the Year-winning, 20-goal, ten-assist season and will hope to add to his eight senior caps in Germany, where England face Serbia in their opening Group C fixture in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday 16 June at 8pm BST, Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday 20 June at 5pm BST, and Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday 25 June at 8pm BST.
Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček are both set to feature at their second consecutive Euro finals, having appeared for Czech Republic in their run to the quarter-finals in 2021. Right-back Coufal and midfielder and captain Souček have both been regulars for their country in recent years, winning 42 and 69 caps respectively.
Czech Republic will kick-off their Group F challenge against Portugal in Leipzig on Tuesday 18 June at 8pm BST, before tackling major tournament debutants Georgia in Hamburg on Saturday 22 June at 2pm BST. Ivan Hašek’s side will remain in Hamburg to complete the group stage by facing Türkiye on Wednesday 26 June at 8pm BST.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola will hope to appear at a major tournament for the first time, having been an unused squad member for France as Les Bleus won the FIFA World Cup in 2018, then finished as runners-up in 2022. The 31-year-old Parisian has earned five caps since debuting six years ago.
Didier Deschamps’ France begin their campaign in Group D against Austria in Düsseldorf at 8pm BST on Monday 17 June, before taking on the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday 21 June at 8pm BST and then Poland in Dortmund on Tuesday 25 June at 5pm BST.
The Euro 2024 final will be played in Berlin on Sunday 14 July.
Like Souček, Edson Álvarez will also captain his country, Mexico, at the 2024 Copa América, which will be hosted by the United States. Mexico qualified for this summer’s tournament through finishing second in the CONCACAF Nations League and will look to better the runners-up finishes they achieved in 1993 and 2001.
Mexico kick-off their Group B challenge by taking on fellow CONCACAF qualifiers Jamaica in Houston, Texas on Saturday 22 June at 8pm local time (2am BST on Sunday 23 June). Second up will be Venezuela in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday 26 June at 6pm local time (2am BST on Thursday 27 June), followed by Ecuador in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday 30 June at 5pm local time (1am BST on Monday 1 July).
Michail Antonio will also be at the Copa América as part of Jamaica's squad. The Reggae Boyz follow their opening Group B tie with Mexico by taking on Ecuador in Las Vegas on Wednesday 26 June at 3pm local time (11pm BST) and Venezuela in Austin, Texas, on Sunday 30 June at 7pm local time (1am BST on Monday 1 July).
Lucas Paquetá and Brazil are in Group D and will start their quest for a tenth Copa América crown – and first since 2019 – by tackling Costa Rica in Los Angeles on Monday 24 June at 6pm local time (2am BST on Tuesday 25 June).
Second up will be Paraguay in Las Vegas on Friday 28 June at 6pm local time (2am BST on Saturday 29 June), followed by Colombia in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday 2 July at 6pm local time (2am BST on Wednesday 3 July).
Paquetá has 45 caps and ten goals for his country since debuting in 2018.
The 2024 Copa América final will take place in Miami, Florida, on Sunday 14 July.
Away from senior football, the UEFA European U19 Championship finals will be hosted by Northern Ireland between 15-28 July, with West Ham’s Josh Briggs expected to be named in the home nation’s squad.
Defender Briggs has been capped five times at U19 level and will hope to add to that tally when Northern Ireland host Ukraine at Inver Park in Larne on Monday 15 July at 8pm BST, Italy at the same venue on Thursday 18 July at 8pm BST, and Norway at Seaview in Belfast on Sunday 21 July at 8pm BST.
The top two finishers in each of the two groups will qualify directly for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, while the two third-place finishers will play-off for a fifth place at next year’s World Cup in Chile. Northern Ireland are competing in the Euro U19 Championship for just the second time since 1980, and could qualify for the U-20 World Cup for the very first time.
Where can I watch the games?
OK, this is complicated, so bear with us!
England’s Euro 2024 ties with Serbia and Denmark will be broadcast live by BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Website, while the Slovenia match will be shown by ITV1 and ITVX.
France versus Austria will be on ITV1 and ITVX, while their tie with the Netherlands will be on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Website, while the Poland clash will be on a BBC TV channel to be confirmed, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Website.
Czech Republic’s opener against Portugal will be on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport Website, as will their second tie against Georgia, while their group-stage finale will be on an ITV channel to be confirmed.
Moving to the Copa América, Mexico’s ties with Jamaica and Venezuela will be on Premier Sports 1, as will Jamaica’s meeting with Ecuador, while the group-stage finales will be shown on a Premier Sports channel to be confirmed.
Brazil’s opening two ties against Costa Rica and Paraguay will both be on Premier Sports 1, while their third group-stage game against Colombia will be on a Premier Sports channel to be confirmed.
Finally, the UEFA European U19 Championship finals will be broadcast live by the BBC via platforms to be confirmed nearer to the tournament.
Fixtures in full
Sunday 16 June
Jarrod Bowen | Serbia v England, UEFA Euro 2024 Group C, Arena Auf Schalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 8pm BST
Monday 17 June
Alphonse Areola | Austria v France, UEFA Euro 2024 Group D, Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany, 8pm BST
Tuesday 18 June
Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček | Portugal v Czech Republic, UEFA Euro 2024 Group F, Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 8pm BST
Thursday 20 June
Jarrod Bowen | Denmark v England, UEFA Euro 2024 Group C, Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, Germany, 5pm BST
Friday 21 June
Alphonse Areola | Netherlands v France, UEFA Euro 2024 Group D, Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, Germany, 8pm BST
Saturday 22 June
Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček | Georgia v Czech Republic, UEFA Euro 2024 Group F, Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany, 2pm BST
Sunday 23 June
Edson Álvarez and Michail Antonio | Mexico v Jamaica, Copa América Group B, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States, 2am BST
Tuesday 25 June
Lucas Paquetá | Brazil v Costa Rica, Copa América Group D, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California, United States, 2am BST
Alphonse Areola | France v Poland, UEFA Euro 2024 Group D, BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany, 5pm BST
Jarrod Bowen | England v Slovenia, UEFA Euro 2024 Group C, Cologne Stadium, Cologne, Germany, 8pm BST
Wednesday 26 June
Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček | Czech Republic v Türkiye, UEFA Euro 2024 Group F, Wednesday 26 June, 8pm BST
Michail Antonio | Ecuador v Jamaica, Copa América Group B, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California, United States, 11pm BST
Thursday 27 June
Edson Álvarez | Venezuela v Mexico, Copa América Group B, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California, United States, 2am BST
Saturday 29 June
Lucas Paquetá | Paraguay v Brazil, Copa América Group D, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, 2am BST
Monday 1 July
Edson Álvarez | Mexico v Ecuador, Copa América Group B, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, United States, 1am BST
Michail Antonio | Jamaica v Venezuela, Copa América Group B, Austin, Texas, United States, 1am BST
Wednesday 3 July
Lucas Paquetá | Brazil v Colombia, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California, United States, 2am BST
Monday 15 July
Josh Briggs | Northern Ireland v Ukraine, UEFA European U19 Championship Group A, Inver Park, Larne, Northern Ireland, 8pm BST
Thursday 18 July
Josh Briggs | Northern Ireland v Italy, UEFA European U19 Championship Group A, Inver Park, Larne, Northern Ireland, 8pm BST
Sunday 21 July
Josh Briggs | Norway v Northern Ireland, UEFA European U19 Championship Group A, Seaview, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 8pm BST
