Several Slovakia players may be featuring in the biggest game of their careers so far against England in Sunday's Euro 2024 last-16 clash. But it's just as big a day for former Miss Slovakia finalist Simona Leskovska as she continues her blossoming media career at the tournament in Germany.
Slovakia face England after finishing third in Group E, where Belgium, Romania and Ukraine all accumulated four points with a win, draw and loss.
The Three Lions topped Group C despite winning just one and drawing two of their three matches against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia, only scoring twice.
Related articles
Slovakia await at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, where England kick-started their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 triumph over Serbia.
And they will be helped out by Leskovska, a former beauty queen who has flourished since entering the world of media.
After competing as a top contender in the Miss Slovakia competition in 2015, she initially started reporting on hockey before making the switch to football.
Leskovska first worked with her country's U21 team and is now conducting pitchside interviews for the national team at Euro 2024.
The 29-year-old has accumulated almost 200,000 followers on Instagram through both of her lines of work and now has the opportunity to bump shoulders with England's all-star squad.
Leskovska will undoubtedly be cherishing the occasion just as much as Francesco Calzona's squad, who enter the match as strong underdogs.
Speaking to Czech outlet Extra, she explained: "I have been working for the Slovak Football Federation for three years, and I started with the U21 team.
"They were a good side. I got used to them, and last September, I moved on to working with the first team. Some people told me that a woman from a modelling background would not make it in football.
"But several years have since passed, and those people who laughed at me now want to take pictures with me.
Related articles
"We post more on social networks now and make videos on the pitch. This concept has become very popular.
"You may just see a pretty face, but I've been through a lot of hard times to get where I am now.
"There are still a lot of goals I want to achieve. I learned a lot about football, despite the fact that people thought I wasn't good enough."
A test against Switzerland in Dusseldorf in the quarter-finals awaits Slovakia if they can cause an almighty upset and dump England out of the competition.
