Euro 2016: How to access secret football game hidden in the Facebook Messenger app

While you're enjoying watching the Euro 2016 football matches this week, you can now play a highly addictive mini game on a Facebook mobile app and have a mini tournament with your friends.

Similar to the secret easter egg basketball game that was introduced to Facebook Messenger in March, now the social network has introduced a new mini game dedicated to football (soccer for the Yanks) whereby players have to try to keep a ball up in the air for the longest time possible, and points are awarded every time your finger taps the ball and it doesn't fall off the screen.

To access the new game, users first need to make sure that their Facebook Messenger iOS or Android app is updated to the latest version. You can do this by going to the App Store or Google Play, searching for "Facebook Messenger" and then click the "Update" button.

Next, open Facebook Messenger and either start a chat with a friend, or open a group chat with several friends. Then, click on the emoji button on the keyboard in the app and search through the emojis until you get to the inanimate objects, where different sports are located.

Click on the football emoji and send it as a message in the app. Then, click on the football emoji and it will launch the game. You can play as many times as you like and the high score will be recorded and displayed in the chat conversation.

If you follow these instructions and the game still doesn't work, make sure you've definitely updated the Facebook Messenger app. You can also choose to press your finger down on the Facebook Messenger app, and when the cross appears, delete the app, then go to the relevant app store and re-download it.

Unfortunately, you can only play this game on the mobile app, not the web browser version, but as most people will likely be sitting in front of their TVs or down the pub this week watching the footie, the mobile app might be best.

Go England!