Five things to look out for during the international break | OneFootball

Five things to look out for in the international break, ahead of crucial clashes in the Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualification.

Who will progress in the inaugural Nations League quarter-finals?

For the first time, the UEFA Nations League has introduced quarter-finals. The two-legged ties will take place during the upcoming break, as the last eight battle for their places in this summer’s finals.

Spain are the current holders and reigning European champions, with La Roja the favourites to defend their title. Luis de la Fuenta’s side take on the Netherlands this month in arguably the pick of the quarter-final ties.

Elsewhere, there are rematches of the 1982 and 2018 World Cup finals, as Italy meet Germany and Croatia take on France. The final quarter-final clash will see Denmark go head-to-head with inaugural Nations League winners Portugal.

UEFA Nations League quarter-final fixtures

First legs – 20th March

Second legs – 23rd March

A new England era under Thomas Tuchel

England embark on a new era this month as the Thomas Tuchel tenure officially begins. After successive European Championship final defeats, Gareth Southgate stepped down as head coach with Tuchel tasked with getting the Three Lions over the line.

The German has experience of winning major trophies and English football, two traits that offer encouragement despite this being a first foray into the international game. However, Tuchel quickly discovered the difficulty in keeping a frustrated fanbase happy.

His first squad, admittedly regressive in some selections, was met with criticism before a ball has even been kicked. England’s World Cup qualifiers begin this month with clashes against Albania and Latvia, where maximum points will be the expectation. England have often made light work of qualifiers before stuttering on the big stage. The challenge for Tuchel will be to buck that trend. Certainly, the talent pool is there for success.

How will Argentina cope without Messi for crunch double-header?

Argentina have been dealt a blow with Lionel Messi ruled out of their upcoming games. Messi’s minutes have been managed during the opening weeks of the MLS season, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner struggling for fitness.

A decision has been made to leave him out of the world champion’s crunch double-header with Uruguay and Brazil this month. La Albiceleste lead the South American standings by five points and can take a huge step towards next summer’s tournament with a positive break.

The onus will be on Argentina’s other big names to step up but the current squad lacks creativity in the absence of Messi, Paulo Dybala and the now-retired Angel Di Maria. Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could have a big role to play in providing the ammunition to the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.

Will USA retain their iron grip on CONCACAF Nations League?

The CONCACAF Nations League finals take place this month with the United States targeting a fourth straight title. The Stars and Stripes have won each of the previous three editions of the tournament to assert their dominance in the region.

Now under the management of Mauricio Pochettino, the USA are aiming to rebuild following a dreadful Copa America showing as hosts last summer. Four consecutive wins have increased confidence, though the US will be without a wealth of key personnel, including Sergino Dest, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty.

Panama are the opposition in a semi-final that will see Pochettino’s side start as strong favourites. Old rivals Canada or Mexico await in the decider. Victory would be a big boost ahead of a huge summer as World Cup co-hosts in 2026.

First World Cup qualifiers set to be confirmed

The first qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup are set to be confirmed this month.

In Asia, Japan, South Korea and Iran could all confirm their places in the tournament after an unbeaten start to the third round of qualification. Japan are a huge 10 points clear of third place in Group C with the top two guaranteed a place at the finals. The Samurai Blue face Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this month.

Over in Oceania, the federation has been granted an automatic World Cup position for the first time. Previously, the winners of the OFC qualification faced an inter-continental play-off to reach the World Cup. Under the current format, the winners will gain automatic entry with the runners-up heading into a play-off involving six teams – one each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC and two from CONCACAF – to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths.

New Zealand, who have reached just two World Cups previously, are the overwhelming favourites to triumph ahead of their semi-final with Fiji. New Caledonia or Tahiti await in the final.

Read – Six potential debutants during the international break

See more – The Premier League teams with the most goals scored by substitutes this season

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