What to look out for during the international break

Football writer Ben Bloom identifies the key fixtures involving Premier League players in this international window and explains what's at stake.

Nigeria begin last-chance World Cup bid

It has been a distinctly poor World Cup qualifying campaign for a Nigeria side that has become accustomed to their continental heavyweight status over recent decades.

Nigeria have competed at six of the last eight World Cups but the current team, featuring such Premier League talent as Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham) and Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), only scraped into the African playoffs on goal difference thanks to a wide-margin victory over Gabon in their last outing.

Group C winners South Africa have qualified automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America but for runners-up Nigeria, the road to securing a place at the tournament remains long.

First, they must overcome Gabon and then the winners between Cameroon and DR Congo to take Africa’s sole spot in next year’s inter-confederation play-offs. There, they would go up against five other teams from across the globe, battling for the final two World Cup places.

CAF Group C standings

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For more information on the African qualifying competition for the 2026 World Cup, visit FIFA.com.

Bromance on the line for Mbeumo and Wissa 

When they spearheaded Brentford’s attacking line-up together, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa used to joke that they knew each other so well that they could tell what the other would do on the pitch just through their eyes.

Their bromance even extended away from football, with the former team-mates living next door to each other in London, and Mbeumo acting as a "surrogate uncle" to Wissa's children.

The pair parted ways in the summer when Mbeumo moved to Manchester United and Wissa joined Newcastle United, and now their respective nations will do battle to make the World Cup.

Mbeumo will feature alongside Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba as Cameroon face Wissa’s DR Congo in their African qualifying second-round semi-final.

The Newcastle striker is absent due to injury, but he knows either his or Mbeumo’s World Cup dreams will fall on Thursday.

Morocco look to extend record winning run

So far, nine African nations have secured their FIFA World Cup places, with the possibility of a 10th team qualifying via the inter-confederation playoffs. Morocco sit top of the pile as the continent’s only country with a 100 per-cent record after eight matches.

In beating Congo 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier last month, Morocco set a new record of 16 successive victories by a national team. That triumph meant they passed the record of 15 straight wins set by Spain in 2008/09.

CAF Group E standings

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Morocco, whose squad features the likes of Noussair Mazraoui (Man Utd), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland), and Amine Adli (AFC Bournemouth), last failed to win when drawing 0-0 with Mauritania in a friendly in March 2024.

They play friendlies against Mozambique and Uganda during this international break.

Jamaica on the brink of history

Jamaica have only competed at one World Cup before, back in 1998, but the Reggae Boyz stand on the cusp of qualifying for the second time in their history.

Managed by former England, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren, they currently sit top of their CONCACAF qualifying group ahead of their final fixtures against Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday and Curacao on Tuesday.

McClaren has handed former England Under-19 defender Rico Henry a maiden Jamaica call-up, where he will link up with fellow Brentford player Ethan Pinnock.

If Jamaica lose on Thursday, it would open the door for Trinidad & Tobago and Curacao to win the group and therefore qualify automatically for the World Cup on the final day of qualifying. Whoever finishes second is likely to be one of Concacaf's two best runners-up who go into the inter-confederation playoffs.

CONCACAF 3rd round Group B standings

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For more information on the CONCACAF qualifying competition for the 2026 World Cup, visit FIFA.com.

England midfielders given chance to impress Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel is the only manager of a European country in this international break who already has a World Cup place, following England’s qualification last month.

The other 11 group winners will be determined over the coming days, but Tuchel now has the luxury of two remaining competitive fixtures with nothing to think about beyond who he wants to select in his World Cup squad next summer.

Tuchel has recalled Phil Foden for the upcoming matches against Serbia and Albania after leaving the Manchester City playmaker out of his last three squads.

He has also brought back Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, while handing a first international call-up to Wharton's fellow central midfielder Alex Scott, of AFC Bournemouth. Scott was part of the England side that won the European Under-21 Championship in the summer.

Haaland aims for World Cup with double-figure streak

Norway last played at a World Cup in 1998 - before Erling Haaland was born.

Blessed with global football’s most lethal striker, they now stand within touching distance of securing their spot at the showpiece event next summer.

At the summit of their qualification group, Norway currently hold a three-point lead over Italy, who have missed the last two World Cups.

UEFA Group I standings

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The two nations face off on Sunday, but Norway’s vastly superior goal difference means it could effectively be over by then if they beat Estonia three days earlier.

That goal difference is largely thanks to Manchester City striker Haaland, who has found the net in each of Norway’s last nine matches, notching an extraordinary 17 times.

Other European table-toppers looking to seal World Cup places include Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium.

For more information on the European qualifying competition, visit UEFA.com.

Sweden’s attacking riches launch final play-off bid

While other countries are looking to secure a direct route to the World Cup, Sweden’s sights are set rather lower as they desperately try to haul themselves out of a dismal qualification situation unbefitting of their attacking riches.

The 2018 World Cup quarter-finalists languish bottom of their group without a win in four qualifying games.

They must beat Switzerland and Kosovo – who sit first and second, respectively – just to stand a chance of making the play-offs without having to rely on a convoluted UEFA Nations League ranking route. But just one point for Kosovo this week would leave that as Sweden’s only option.

UEFA Group B standings

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In his first squad since taking charge of Sweden, former West Ham United boss Graham Potter has selected Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United) and Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur).

Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal) misses out due to injury.

See all the nations who have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026