The latest men`s international football window is fully underway, with significant attention on the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualification campaigns across various continents. Other national teams are utilizing this period for crucial friendly matches. Pardeep Cattry brings you the latest updates as a packed schedule of international fixtures rapidly approaches.
USMNT`s Striker Contest Takes Center Stage (Again)
Despite US men`s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino potentially framing this international break as the final opportunity to assess less experienced players before the World Cup, the current roster prominently features several familiar faces. A long-standing question persists: who will ultimately lead the line as the USMNT`s starting forward at the World Cup?
The competition appears narrowed down to four contenders: Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Josh Sargent. With Agyemang recovering from hernia surgery and Pepi in the early stages of returning from a knee injury, the spotlight this month falls on Balogun and Sargent. Balogun has a chance to make his national team debut after an injury-affected year and remains a strong candidate for the starting role, although Sargent presents a formidable challenge.
Sargent has enjoyed a prolific start to the season with Norwich City, netting five goals in four matches. He chose to remain with the Championship club despite drawing interest from teams like Bundesliga side Wolfsburg over the summer. His current objective is to replicate this club form for the national team. While Sargent had a 15-goal season with Norwich last campaign, his USMNT opportunities were limited, including being left off the Concacaf Gold Cup roster—a decision Pochettino termed a `football decision.` This month`s friendly matches are among his last chances to break an international goal-scoring drought that dates back to November 2019.
Sargent: `I`d probably be lying if I said I didn`t think about it. Of course, it`s been a while. I`m doing so well at the club level at the moment. I just keep reminding myself how well I`m doing there. I know I can score goals and I know it`s a matter of time that I`m going to score for the national team so I`m just going to put my head down and keep working hard. I know the goals will come. … I kind of just took [the Gold Cup omission] as rest up during the offseason and hit the ground running with Norwich to make sure that I`m back into the next camp and I think I`ve done a very good job of that at the club level and that`s why I`m here.`
World Cup Qualifying Intensifies Globally
Several national teams could secure their places at the 2026 World Cup this month as qualification tournaments progress, with 35 coveted spots still available in next summer`s competition.
South America`s qualification tournament is nearing its conclusion this month, with three teams still vying for one guaranteed World Cup berth and an additional spot in the intercontinental playoff. Colombia are currently favored to claim the direct qualification spot and could achieve this as early as Thursday when they host fellow contender Bolivia in Barranquilla. Los Cafeteros hold a five-point lead over Bolivia (and a four-point advantage over Venezuela), meaning a victory would secure their guaranteed place at the World Cup. This scenario would leave Venezuela and Bolivia to battle for a playoff spot as CONMEBOL`s qualification concludes, both facing challenging final fixtures—Venezuela will host Colombia, while Bolivia will welcome Brazil.
In Africa, while four games remain in the first round of qualification, two perennial contenders could seal their fate this month if results align favorably. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists, are poised to become the first African team to book their spot at the 2026 tournament with a win over Niger on Friday, contingent on Tanzania losing to Congo on the same day. Egypt could follow suit on Tuesday by winning their two scheduled matches this month against Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
No World Cup spots are directly up for grabs yet in Europe or North America, although both continents are commencing significant qualification stages this month. Several European powerhouses, including the last three World Cup winners from the continent—France, Germany, and Spain—along with Portugal, will begin their qualification journeys in the coming days as they compete for the 16 available berths. In North America, the third qualification round will start this month and conclude in November, with three teams directly qualifying for the World Cup and two additional playoff spots later. Beyond the three host nations, Costa Rica aims for consecutive World Cup appearances, while Concacaf Nations League finalists Panama and regional giants Jamaica are among the favorites to secure qualification by November.
Best Bets for International Fixtures
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World Cup qualifying: Bulgaria vs. Spain
THE PICK: Over 3.5 goals scored (+134) – Spain launches their World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday against Bulgaria, the lowest-ranked team in Group E of UEFA World Cup qualification. While away matches can sometimes be tricky, the reigning European champions possess all the necessary tools to overcome any obstacles, especially with talents like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in their squad. Anticipate a dominant victory for Spain in Eastern Europe as the path to the 2026 World Cup officially begins for these title contenders.
