Five things we learnt from September’s international break | OneFootball

The September international break was full of twists and turns, with nations across the globe battling for a place at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

FromTheSpot takes a closer look at four key takeaways from the international fixtures, with focused analysis on different regions of the world.

Wirtz shows he can still deliver

Few German players have been under more pressure recently than Florian Wirtz.

His national team has managed just one win in their last five competitive fixtures, a run that included a shock defeat to Slovakia. At club level, the 21-year-old has also endured a slow start, recording no goal involvements in his first three Premier League starts for Liverpool.

The £116 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen has already played at least 80 minutes in each of those games, and patience from fans could soon start to wear thin.

But Wirtz offered a timely reminder of his quality on international duty, curling in a superb free kick to secure Germany’s 3-1 win over a spirited Northern Ireland side.

Dominik Szoboszlai may still hold priority on set pieces at Anfield, but Wirtz will hope to carry this confidence boost back into domestic football as the league resumes.

England are starting to click

A historic first-ever defeat to African opposition in Senegal following a lacklustre 1-0 win over lowly-ranked Andorra back in June, left Thomas Tuchel facing early criticism as England boss.

The Andorra result, in particular, suffered in comparison to Gareth Southgate’s record; his England sides netted nine goals across just two meetings with them, casting Tuchel’s men as sluggish and uninspiring.

That narrative shifted dramatically as the Three Lions dismantled Serbia 5-0, highlighted by a flowing move of quick, intricate passes finished coolly by Noni Madueke.

Tuchel’s trademark emphasis on positional discipline in possession was still clear, but so too were his attacking full-backs and intensity in the press – qualities England fans will hope remain central to his approach.

Brazil are lacking cohesion

A shock 1-0 defeat away to Bolivia, who sealed a place in the playoff round, left Brazil finishing World Cup qualifying with fewer than 30 points for the first time since 1996.

That tally will surprise many, given the calibre of players in the squad, including potential Ballon d’Or contender Raphinha, and the presence of newly appointed coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Brazil finished behind Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay in the CONMEBOL standings, with all five sides having secured qualification.

While the campaign cannot be labelled a complete failure, Brazil have rarely looked like the sum of their parts and will need to find cohesion quickly. Attention now turns to Ancelotti, who must not only get his star-studded squad firing again ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, but also justify his bold tactical calls, such as the decision to omit Neymar against Bolivia, which drew heavy criticism from supporters.

Costly consequences of ineligible players

Equatorial Guinea had been enjoying a promising run in African World Cup qualifying, recording 1-0 wins over Liberia and Namibia back in 2023.

Both victories came courtesy of Emilio Nsue, who was ruled ineligible to represent the national team in May of the following year. As a result, FIFA awarded 3-0 wins to their opponents, while Nsue received a six-month ban. Instead of sitting second in their group, Equatorial Guinea have dropped to second from bottom.

Nsue was declared eligible to play again in March of this year, and Equatorial Guinea appealed to reclaim those lost points. However, that appeal has now been turned down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The case highlights how costly administrative oversights can be. From Equatorial Guinea’s setback to Grimsby Town’s recent fine for fielding a player registered just one minute after the transfer deadline in the Carabao Cup, history shows that clubs and nations alike struggle to overturn such rulings.

There will be new faces aplenty at the 2026 World Cup

With next summer’s tournament the first World Cup to feature 48 teams as opposed to the traditional 32, it was always likely there would be some unfamiliar nations. Now, that’s becoming a reality.

Even before this most recent international break, Uzbekistan and Jordan secured their first ever World Cup finals qualifications, while New Zealand made the tournament for the first time since 2010. Recently qualified Paraguay share that boat.

Now, there are even more sides who are within touching distance of landmark appearances. Norway’s 11-1 demolition job of Moldova put them six points clear at the top of Group I in UEFA qualifying, and if they make the tournament, it will be their first bout since 1998. Bosnia and Herzegovina also sit atop of their group and could reach the finals for the first time since 2014, while North Macedonia lead Belgium at the top of Group J.

Bolivia’s shock win over Brazil secured them a seventh place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying, and has set up an intercontinental play-off which could see them reach the World Cup for the first time since 1994.

Africa is perhaps where the most remarkable shock came. Cape Verde, with a population of just over 600,000, defeated Cameroon 1-0 to put them within two games of a first ever World Cup. If they make it, they’ll become the second smallest ever nation to qualify, behind only Iceland in 2018.

One thing is for sure: next summer’s World Cup will look unlike any we’ve seen before.

Stay tuned for more weekly takeaways from both domestic and international football every week.