7 matches to watch over September's international window
One match per day that you should book your spot on the sofa for during the first international break of the season
Get ready, folks, because every dreadful Premier League pundit will soon be moaning about “oUr lEaGuE” being disrupted by the first international break of the season.
Of course, FIFA set the international match calendar, and then every national league around the world schedules its fixtures around those dates. So, if you think it is ridiculous to have a break three weeks into the season, blame the Premier League, it was their decision.
Sorry, we’ve got off on the wrong foot… get ready, folks, because the first international window of the 2024/25 season is fast approaching! Hooray!
Hopefully, you all had a good study of this…
…and know exactly what will be coming up early next month. Whether you have or not, you will know that there’s always plenty going on all over the world (as the name suggests) each international window.
It can be tough to know where to focus your attention, so to help you out, I’ve selected one match per day that you should watch. You’re welcome. Let’s get into it!
(To not make things confusing, I will be using the local kick-off time)
Wednesday 4th: Libya vs Rwanda
(18:00 CAT)
There are a handful of friendlies earlier in the week, but the international window begins in earnest on Wednesday when the Group Stage begins in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
Only five matches take place on day one, with none of the usual big guns in action, but the standout tie will be taking place in Tripoli.
Both Libya and Rwanda missed the last Afcon, but have both made brilliant starts to World Cup qualifying; Rwanda lead a group featuring Nigeria, South Africa and Benin, while Libya lie second in theirs, trailing Cameroon but sitting above Cape Verde and Angola.
The pair will be desperate to carry their WCQ form over to the Afcon qualifiers and get off to a good start as the two outsiders in Group D, which also features - coincidentally for Rwanda - Nigeria and Benin.
Watch out for Côte d'Ivoire vs Zambia, Egypt vs Cape Verde and Senegal vs Burkina Faso on what promises to be a very tasty Friday evening!
Thursday 5th: San Marino vs Liechtenstein
(20:45 CEST)
I’m serious.
As someone once sang, “the only way is up”, so we are starting our European viewing at the bottom of the world rankings.
I probably don’t need to tell you that San Marino’s only win in their entire history was against none other than Liechtenstein. That match took place in April 2004, and a few months on from the 20th anniversary, they face the same opponents on the opening night of UEFA Nations League D.
Could this be the night La Serenissima finally pick up win number two and competitive win number one? The way things have been improving, you would not put it past them.
A 2-1 loss to the mighty Denmark began a run of scoring in four consecutive matches for the first time, before a goalless draw with Saint Kitts and Nevis, currently ranked 146th.
San Marino may be 210th, but opponents Liechtenstein have slipped to 199th and though they drew 0-0 with Romania in June, no Liechtenstein player has scored in almost exactly a year.
You won’t want to miss a potential San Marino win, surely? You might have to wait two decades for the next one.
Friday 6th: Brazil vs Ecuador
(22:00 BRT)
Nothing seems to be going right for five-time world champions Brazil at the moment; they had a poor Copa América by their standards and were not even in the Olympic tournament - a competition Brazilians hold in higher regard than most of us.
The biggest eyebrow raises have been reserved for their performances so far in the CONMEBOL section of 2026 World Cup qualifying, which resumes in September. They currently sit sixth of the 10 teams, with a mere seven points from six matches.
For 32-team World Cups, that would put them outside the play-off position, let alone the automatic qualifying places, but the 48-team format sees six teams qualifying automatically.
However, they still are at risk of missing out on a World Cup for the very first time.
In their most recent qualifier last November, great rivals Argentina beat them 1-0 to end a 64-match unbeaten run in home qualifiers. In October, they were held at home by Venezuela and in between, they suffered losses to Colombia and Uruguay.
Ecuador sit one point and once place above them. Win the match in Curitiba, and Brazil will give themselves some breathing space. Draw, and both teams risk getting dragged into a tussle with the likes of Paraguay and Chile for the final automatic spots. Lose, and come Saturday Brazil could be sitting in eighth place, outside even a play-off place.
Failure to win will add extra spice to an away trip to Paraguay on 10th September. La Albirroja are already breathing down Brazil’s necks in seventh.
It’s a late kick-off in Brazil, so an all-nighter for those in Europe, but it’ll be worth it!
Saturday 7th: Ireland vs England
(17:00 IST)
For the first time since 2016, England will be in action without Gareth Southgate in the dugout.
The man who has replaced him on an interim basis, is Lee Carsley, the former England under-21 boss who played 40 times for the Republic of Ireland in an international career lasting over a decade.
As fate would have it, Carsley’s first match in charge will be against none other than Ireland in the first competitive meeting between the teams since before Carsley made his debut as a player.
The two are meeting in UEFA Nations League B after England’s relegation from the top flight two years ago, in what will also be Heimir Hallgrímsson’s first match in charge of the Boys in Green. But this is not simply an old rivalry with a couple of managerial coincidences.
Being promoted from the youth setup on an interim basis at first is exactly how Gareth Southgate landed the England job in the first place.
The FA’s decision to appoint Carsley suggests to some that they are waiting for the right “big name” candidate to become available. To others, it suggests that they are sticking to a process that has worked well recently.
Therefore, Carsley making either a good or bad start in Dublin could cause a headache for the FA, depending on which theory is true.
Sunday 8th: Switzerland vs Spain
(20:45 CEST)
We must not forget that new European and Olympic champions Spain are also the reigning UEFA Nations League champions.
La Roja begin their title defence in Belgrade in Serbia, but arguably their greater test in September in Group A4 will be in Geneva against another of this summer’s most impressive teams, Switzerland.
Exactly how much drive there is still in Luis de la Fuente’s men will be put to the test against a team who has not lost in 90 or 120 minutes in 2024, and has not tasted defeat at home since June 2022.
Although it must be said that that 0-1 June 2022 defeat did come in the UEFA Nations League, in Geneva, against Spain!
Monday 9th: Norway vs Austria
(20:45 CEST)
That’s right, I’m sparing you France vs Belgium. Again, you’re welcome.
This match pits together two teams where for one of them, the neutrals want to see improvement and for the other, neutrals want the improvement to last.
Norway have kept the faith with Ståle Solbakken despite missing out on UEFA Euro 2024 qualification, and they will want to use the UEFA Nations League campaign as a building block ahead of 2026 World Cup qualification.
The squad, spearheaded by Erling Haaland and captained by Martin Ødegaard, is littered with plenty more high-level league talent. Their potential is so great, yet they have not qualified for a major tournament since 2000.
As for Austria, they were many people’s second team at the Euros, playing some thrilling football under Ralf Rangnick. In many ways they are the anti-Norway - no real stars, but they get results while playing the “right way”.
The match in Oslo could be an early six-pointer to see who gets promoted from League B Group 3, but Kazakhstan and Slovenia will be tricky opposition, too.
Tuesday 10th: Palestine vs Jordan
(Time TBC)
Only 18 teams are left in AFC qualification for the 2026 World Cup, and the Third Round begins on 5th September, with the teams split into three groups of six.
Most of the fancied sides take on the smaller surviving nations on the first matchday, but Tuesday 10th sees a handful of fixtures which could go a long way to deciding the top two spots in each group.
South Korea are expected to win Group B, with Iraq, Jordan and Oman likely to have a three-way battle for second place and a maiden World Cup place should it go to Jordan or Oman, or just a second appearance if Iraq take it.
Of those three, Jordan are the only one to play both the lesser-fancied sides, Kuwait and Palestine, in September.
Jordan were AFC Asian Cup runners-up earlier this year and should be full of confidence, but the pressure will be on them to take six points from their opening two and gain a head start over Iraq and Oman, who meet on matchday one. Jordan playing South Korea on matchday three in October only adds to the importance.
Palestine, though, have come close to qualification before and certainly will not be pushovers in the match being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Agree with my picks or are there other matches that have peaked your interest? Let me know and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button!
Anthony Tomas is a football writer and commentator, who writes for Flashscore and World Soccer Magazine.