While I’m not a huge fan of the International Break(s), I’m open-minded enough to understand their necessity, and also enough of a fan to recognize good stories do occur while club football takes a breather. Below are a few standouts:
Scotland Pull a Miracle Out of Their Arse
Winless in four matches, with only a single point, it looked dire for the Tartans coming into the Break. But John McGinn’s 86th minute rebound shot header to pip a short-handed Croatia, and Andy Robertson’s stoppage time header to crush Poland, revitalized a team that was sorely in need of being on the rosy end of last minute drama. And how’s about that young Ben Doak? He absolutely punished his defenders with blistering runs and fancy footwork. Won’t be long before you see him back in Liverpool red I reckon. Next challenge: survive a Group A playoff.
Chris Wood – A Goalbot for the Antipodes?
In a break where eight of England’s call-ups called in sick/injured/insert-excuse-here… Chris Wood cashed in some airmiles to upgrade to a full recline seat, flew halfway across the world and donned the Kiwi white to take on… checks notes… Vanuatu and Samoa. His brace and hat-trick were not the difference makers (New Zealand won 8-1 and 8-0 respectively), but what does it say about drive, hunger, and pride that he makes that effort? If you’re keeping score, he’s now hit 13 goals for club and country since October 1st. That’s nearly Scandinavian Goalbot good….
Kosovo Lose; Win Moral Victory?
Kosovo’s away fixture in Romania last Friday always looked to be a controversial one. Both federations were fined for poor fan behavior last year, Romania initially for persistent pro-Serbian chanting and banner-waving, and Kosovo for unruly actions in the reverse fixture. The game’s tone was set during the national anthem, where the home crowd allegedly whistled and jeered. Then in the final moments of stoppage time, Kosovo players claimed to have heard pro-Serbian chanting and took action. The team stopped play and left the field en masse (there are also allegations of Romanian officials issuing threats in the tunnels). The score was 0-0 when this occurred, but UEFA later granted Romania a 3-0 win saying that Kosovo’s action was akin to a forfeit. They plan on appealing.
“World’s Worst Team” Win… Again!!
One thing you can say about this Nations League format is that it has produced some fascinating storylines. Down in the Group D cellar, lowly San Marino (population: ~33,000) did the unthinkable by winning a SECOND game in a calendar year in a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Liechtenstein (population: ~35,000). That victory also meant undefeated Gibraltar (1W; 3D) was denied promotion. I believe we can now retire the “World’s Worst Team” moniker, or at least pin that on someone else.
Golden Generation Now Looks Like Pyrite
What the hell has happened to Belgium? If it wasn’t for their 3-1 win over Israel in the first match, the Red Devils would have been relegated down to Group B. To be fair, given their performance over the past five games (4 losses and 1 draw), they should have been. We all know the Belgians choke under pressure, but this sustained crap spell is not like them. If there is any justice in this world they will lose their upcoming playoff and move down.
Black Stars Get a Black Eye
Ghana, one of the perennial powerhouses of African soccer, will not be at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Grouped with Angola, Sudan and Niger, they failed to record a single win and suffered the embarrassment of being eliminated in the fifth game week of qualifying before finishing last. Of course, this is wonderful news for Premier League teams with Ghanaian nationals, since the AFCON was moved to December 2025 to accommodate FIFA’s oh-so-precious Club World Cup.
Not-So-Friendly
One problem with being an international pariah? Finding good competition. FIFA and UEFA have both confirmed that Russia’s current soccer suspension will now extend through 2026 and the country has been effectively banned from the upcoming World Cup. Not to be dismayed, Russia still participated in the International Break by scheduling two “friendly” matches with Bahrain and Syria, clobbering the former 11-0 and the latter 4-0. Yeah.
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