France’s exhibition soccer game against England, scheduled for Tuesday, will most likely be canceled in the wake of the killings in Paris, British newspapers reported late Friday.
The attacks are certain to lead to tighter security at the UEFA European Championship finals, which France is set to host next summer.
The championships are among the most prestigious in world soccer, but they will present considerable security challenges with 24 international teams set to contest 51 games over 32 days at 10 venues: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.
The nations taking part are: France, Iceland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Belgium, Wales, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, England, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Romania, Austria, Russia, Italy, Croatia, Portugal and Albania, and four other countries that have yet to qualify.
Like Friday’s matchup of France and Germany, which took place during the attacks, next week’s fixture is one of a series of exhibition games arranged in the build up to Euro 2016.
Under the headline, “England-France friendly to be called off,” The Times of London wrote, “The Football Association will speak with its French counterparts this morning before confirming that the match will not go ahead.”
