by
The November international break, like those preceding it, has some elite soccer games and some less elite ones. Once again, international soccer puts the club soccer game on hiatus. Much to the chagrin of soccer fans, the best soccer players in the world spread out across the globe to represent their home nations.
No, there is no Premier League, UEFA Champions League, or any other domestic competition at the top level. Instead, viewers get to watch Euro 2024 Qualifying, World Cup 2026 Qualifying, and the CONCACAF Nations League, which has major implications of its own.
In the past two international breaks, only CONMEBOL had active World Cup 2026 qualifying. That changes in November, as Africa and Asia begin their qualifying processes for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in less than three years.
The November international break runs from Thursday, Nov. 16 to Tuesday, Nov. 21. Here are the seven best games at your disposal from across the world during that week.
All of the following times are US Eastern Time. Also, the broadcast and streaming information is exclusive to viewers in the United States.
When looking back to the qualification for the 2022 World Cup in South America, there was controversy. Ecuador fielded an ineligible player en route to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Chile demanded Ecuador’s disqualification from qualifying and a forfeit of the games Ecuador played against Chile. That would have put Chile into the playoff places.
Ecuador’s punishment carried over into this cycle of qualifying. CONMEBOL deducted three points from the current qualifying table for Ecuador. Therefore, despite having two wins and a draw, Ecuador is in sixth with four points. Chile will have something to prove against the nation that effectively prevented it from reaching the World Cup in Qatar.
One of the first games in the November international break could also be one of the most important. Poland, which sits third in its Euro 2024 qualifying group, is playing its last game of the phase. It takes on Czechia, which is in second, and a single point above Poland.
This may be Robert Lewandowski’s last tournament with Poland, should it qualify. He has three goals in qualifying. Yet, he failed to get on the scoresheet when these two met in Prague, and the Czechs won, 3-1.
Czechia will have a game to play after its trip to Warsaw. Therefore, this is a crucial game that Poland, in all likelihood, has to win. Then, the Czechia game against Moldova could be paramount for how this group finishes.
Colombia is one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying. Yet, despite no team defeating the Colombians, three draws from four games has the side sitting at fifth in the current standings. This is good enough for a spot in the World Cup in 2026, as six teams automatically qualify for the World Cup out of South America. However, three points would go a long way to secure a spot.
That may be a tough task against Brazil, even if Brazil is battling through rampant injuries. Neymar and Casemiro are out. Still, Brazil has two wins and a draw from its four games, which puts it above Colombia. Perhaps Colombia can take advantage of the key absences in the Brazil squad.
The United States Men’s National Team has not had the best time against Trinidad and Tobago. While it owns a nearly flawless record against the Caribbean nation in all competitions, that one game in 2017 stands out among the rest. A loss on the last day of World Cup 2018 qualifying prevented the United States from playing in Russia.
Now, the United States has a chance to play in the Copa America on home soil. If it can advance past Trinidad and Tobago over two legs, it will enter the group stage for the traditional South American competition. Each of the four Nations League A semifinalists will earn a spot in the tournament this coming summer. The aggregate winner between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago will compete.
The first leg is in Austin on Thursday, Nov. 16. Then, the second leg is in Port of Spain.
Argentina and Uruguay will both be hosts for the 2030 World Cup, albeit not for the entire tournament. However, that is all in the relatively distant future. At present, these are the top two teams in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying for 2026. Argentina has a perfect record with four wins from four games. Uruguay, on the other hand, is one of three nations with a record of two wins, one draw and one loss.
Most recently, Uruguay knocked off Brazil in a monumental game. That game was in Montevideo. A trip to Buenos Aires presents a different challenge against the defending World Cup champions.
In the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying for 2026, six teams get an automatic spot in the tournament proper. Therefore, Argentina and Uruguay should not be at any risk of missing out. However, South America regularly provides some unpredictable storylines in qualifying.
Having missed the 2022 World Cup, Italy simply cannot deal with another failure ahead of Euro 2024. The Euro 2020 champions have had a rough go of things over the last several years, having also avoided the 2018 World Cup. Yet, failing to qualify for Euro 2024 is a legitimate possibility.
Entering the November international break, Italy is three points behind Ukraine in their qualifying group. Fortunately for the Italians, they have a game in hand on the Ukrainians. Ironically, that is a home game against North Macedonia, the country that knocked Italy out of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. If Italy does not defeat North Macedonia, a draw will be enough to see Ukraine through into Euro 2024.
Italy does have a better goal differential than Ukraine. Therefore, if Italy defeats North Macedonia, this Ukraine-Italy game can end in a draw. That would be good enough for the Italians. However, even though Italy beat Ukraine earlier in the group, Ukraine is no pushover, especially when the country is playing for those back in their war-torn land.
Unsurprisingly, the best contest in the list of soccer games during this international break is the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina. Not only do these two teams have a rivalry that extends back over a century. They remain the two elite teams of South America, and that shows in their recent successes.
While Argentina and Lionel Messi claim the last Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, Brazil likely represents its biggest test out of South America. The two faced off in the Copa America Final in 2021, which led to Messi’s first major international trophy with Argentina.
Brazil, despite mounting injury concerns to Casemiro and Neymar, is still a strong side. There is a chance 17-year-old Endrick could feature in this game, too. The Palmeiras forward is one of the brightest Brazilian talents in recent years, and he earned his first call-up to the national team for the November games.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
Includes: Premier League + 84 Sports Channels
Includes: Bundesliga & La Liga
Includes: Champions League & Serie A
Includes: Premier League
Includes: every MLS game and Leagues Cup
World Soccer Talk © 2023. Made in Florida.
World Soccer Talk is reader-supported and may earn a commission through our partner links.
