Futbol Slides into International Break

The Menʼs International Soccer Break has officially come and gone, as many exhilarating games were played, living up to the anticipation. The break began on September 21st and closed on October 6th, making this sixteen-day intermission the longest ever.

During this break, players from the five major European menʼs leagues (Englandʼs Premier League, Spainʼs La Liga, Italyʼs Serie A, Germanyʼs Bundesliga, and Franceʼs Ligue 1) temporarily left their respective club teams to play for their home country; no league-related games are permitted to be played during this time. Each country played four games for their homeland, whether it was a friendly match or for the UEFA Nations League, which is a more competitive tier-based contest. This yearʼs break was merged into one continuous, three-week break for ease of travel instead of having the ordinary pair of two-week breaks that are separate from one another. Many major games were played, starring the biggest names in the sport, like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal!

Best Games:

Norway 3 – 2 Denmark (September 24) UEFA

After receiving international attention during the World Cup race this past summer, Erling Haaland led Norway to a 3-2 victory over Denmark; he scored a pair of goals (called a brace) to secure the win. The 6ʼ5” Norwegian frontman slotted home the pair of goals with his left foot, with assists from Antonio Nusa and Arsenalʼs midfield sensation Martin Ødegaard. Haaland brought his international goal record to sixty-four and later raised it to sixty-five after a tough 2-1 loss to Portugal. Norwayʼs next games were played on October 1st versus Wales, resulting in a 2-1 loss, and again on October 4th (in a rematch against Portugal), ending in another 2-1 loss. Denmark would move on to win 2-0 versus Wales, lose 4-2 against Portugal, and play Wales once again to a 1-0 victory.

Spain 3 – 2 England (September 26) UEFA

Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Álex Baena all scored goals to give another victory to the World Champions versus England last Saturday. Standouts included Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo, who strung together attacks for Spain and provided an assist to Álex Baena. For the English, Jude Bellingham had a particularly strong outing, creating a penalty chance for England, organizing the team, and assisting Anthony Gordon on the Three Lions' first goal.

Spain would go undefeated in their next three battles: two victories over Croatia with scores of 4-1 and 2-1 respectively, along with a 3-1 win against Czechia for the sweep. England followed their narrow loss to Spain with trio of defensive shutouts: a combined 5-0 win over two games versus Czechia and a 7-0 annihilation of Croatia.

France 1 – 0 Belgium (September 28) UEFA

After getting injured during their first game of the group stage, French superstar Kylian Mbappé has been recovering at Real Madridʼs training facilities. For France, it has been a significant struggle to score without Mbappé. Head Coach Zidane stated, “We will not take risks,” signifying Mbappé has been out of the lineup to prevent reaggravation of his injury. France defeated Belgium with a tight 1-0 win on September 28th. There were multiple opportunities for both teams to score and take the lead, but Frenchman Michael Olise managed to find the back of the net in the 88th minute, after being subbed in ten minutes before. France followed the victory with a tie against Italy before a more convincing 4-1 victory over Belgium on October 5th.

Argentina 4 – 0 Bolivia (September 30) and Argentina 3 - 0 Benin (October 6) Friendly

Argentina began international play with a 4-0 win against Bolivia. Following the victory, many fans prepared for Lionel Messiʼs last international game with Argentina, which was a bout against Benin. Fans nicknamed the matchup “El Último Tango”, meaning “the last tango.” After scoring from a penalty, Messi was shown much gratitude by fans from both teams. This moment was quite significant, wrapping up his Argentina National Team career as their top goal scorer with 126 goals, 208 appearances, 1 World Cup Title, and 2 Copa América titles. Even though this was Messiʼs last international match, it marked the start of Argentinaʼs run with a new generation of players eager to make a name for themselves as the G.O.A.T. takes his place at the mountaintop.

USA 3 – 0 Mexico (October 3) Friendly

Since their last game of the World Cup, a major change has occurred for the United States Menʼs National Team (USMNT) regarding their lineup; head coach Mauricio Pochettino brought numerous fresh faces to the team, allowing for the debut of eight players young than twenty-years-old. During the four friendly games, teenagers Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, Mathis Albert, and Cavan Sullivan have scored standout goals. On September 26th, the USMNT battled Peru for their first match since the World Cup loss in the round of sixteen to Belgium. Justin Ellis drew first blood in the 4th minute of the match with his debut goal, leading the Americans to 4-1 win against Peru. Their next game took place on September 29th, against Chile, where three yellow cards were given, and the game ended in a brawl with the United States taking a 4-2 win. History was made when seventeen-year-old Mathis Albert scored the final goal in the 93rd minute, making him the youngest goal scorer in USMNT history.