Most men in Malta will be glued to their screens today as one of the traditional big three – England, take on Russia in their opening Euro 2016 match. The opening ceremony was held yesterday, but none of the usual suspects were playing, it was France against Romania.

Most Maltese supporters tend to be fanatical about Italy or England, the long-standing rivals. There is a smattering of German supporters, but the most popular teams are the Azurri and the Three Lions.

There will be many a football widow over the course of the next month as football fans rush straight out from work to enjoy the matches on the big screen in the various entertainment spots on the islands.

Bar owners will be cheering for a different reason as business will boom because a Saturday by the beach will be swapped for an afternoon in front of the big screens with a fair amount of beer and other beverages being consumed.

This year, it seems that neither the Italy fans, nor the England fans are that confident about their respective teams’ chances to lift the trophies. But, there are a great number of Europeans who ply their trade in Malta, working for betting companies and the like. They too will be getting behind their teams, so we should not be surprised to see people decked out in the colours of Spain, Poland or Wales.

At the end of the day, football tournaments such as these do give businesses a boost, and they also offer welcome distractions from the mundane and ordinary day at work. No doubt, as usual, there will be the odd scuffle, and this is where fans should drink responsibly and not go overboard. It is, after all, just a game; albeit a beautiful one at that.

The threat of terror also looms large, and the acts of England fans, chanting about ISIS in Marseille yesterday will not have done much to placate simmering tensions. No doubt, the French authorities will be monitoring things very closely and security will be supremely tight. But all it takes is for one act to ruin the whole event.

The Paris and Brussels attacks over the past 12 months have shown that the world is no longer the same. A US travel advisory for its citizens travelling to Europe this summer specifically warns against the possibility of a terror attack at sporting events – a clear reference to the Euro tournament.

Hopefully, Europe and the world will be allowed to enjoy the finest talent that this continent produces in terms of football. On that note, being the year of surprises, there could be a minnow that actually lifts the trophy. After all, it has happened before when Denmark – a late replacement in the 1992 tournament won it, as did Greece in 2004.

And on that note, while a great sporting event kicked off yesterday, a legend in another sport was yesterday laid to rest. Muhamad Ali, the boxer, the activist, the larger than life personality who changed not only boxing, but the world. He was buried after an interfaith service. The late, great, Muhamed Ali.