With the October international break underway, national teams across the globe are gearing up for a crucial round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers as well as highly-anticipated friendlies. With the expanded 48-team format heightening competition, every fixture this week could play a pivotal role in shaping the final road to the centre stage to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.
The October break will be the last of its kind with FIFA merging the September and October period together from next year. This change has arisen due to ongoing talks around player welfare. This is particularly prevalent for African and South American footballers who play their club football in Europe and then have to undertake long journeys to play for their respective countries.
Some key European matches to look out for
Europe, as always, is hosting some of the most anticipated match-ups.
On Friday, host Azerbaijan in a fixture they are expected to dominate. However, with surprise results elsewhere in recent months, Didier Deschamps is not taking anything for granted. Likewise, Germany face Luxembourg – another fixture that appears straightforward on paper but remains crucial for group positioning.
Meanwhile, on Thursday England beat Wales 3-0 in a friendly at Wembley. While that was not tied to qualification, it still carried significant historical weight as Thomas Tuchel’s side avoided the threat of a potential slip-up against their local rivals who are in a period of transition.
Wales face a pivotal World Cup qualifier at home to Belgium on Monday night but before that their opponents host North Macedonia, who have grown in confidence and capability over the past few years, on Friday night. With Belgium navigating a generational shift, fans will be watching closely to see if this new era can match the consistency of their golden generation.
Footballers’ fashion ‘fits’
Other than the actual football on the pitch, fans see this break as a chance to connect with the players with their off-the-field habits.
Arriving at their countries’ training camp these arrival videos often reflect the players personality via their outfit choices. Many players consider this a mini-fashion week with supporters anticipating to see the latest trends in the fashion industry.
The footballers themselves see it as a competition among their squad to see who can pull off the most rogue outfits.
This time round the Belgium squad have been put on the centre stage for having the best ‘fits’ for this week’s arrival – with many fans giving Amadou Onana his flowers for the best look this international break.
In the England camp in terms of fashion sense it was minimal, with the players opting for the classic England tracksuits ahead of their clash with Wales. However, the ever-popular ‘handshake’ arrival video was still seen doing the rounds on social media with it amassing more than 120,000 views on YouTube.
With so much at stake across continents, this international window serves as a reminder that national team football – despite its interruptions to the club calendar – still holds immense value.
For some, it’s a chance to secure a World Cup dream; for others, it’s an opportunity to test the future of their squads.
