What you should watch this international break

As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, the field is starting to shape up. We already know 18 of the 48 contestants, and will cross the halfway point by the end of this international break.

The expansion of the tournament has meant that there isn’t as much jeopardy for the European giants in their qualifiers, but there are a lot of interesting storylines developing in other parts of the world.

Africa: Debutantes and off-field drama

There is never a dull day when CAF World Cup qualifiers are on, and sometimes they can even provide entertainment outside of the international break. Just last week, for instance, South Africa effectively lost three points as FIFA annulled their win over Lesotho from March since they fielded an ineligible (suspended) player. That has really spiced things up in Group C, where Benin are currently in pole position to make their World Cup debut.

In fact, four teams are separated by just three points, but only the direct qualifying spot is really up for grabs because the even distribution of points makes it unlikely for the second-placed team to be among the four best runners-up across the groups. Better yet, Nigeria vs Benin and South Africa vs Rwanda are set to kick off simultaneously on the final matchday next Monday, only after the group leaders take on Rwanda this Friday.

There are a total of nine such groups, all of whose final standings will be decided by next week. Morocco and Tunisia have already booked their tickets to North America, while the likes of Egypt, Algeria and Senegal are primed to join them.

Elsewhere, Cape Verde are on the verge of history. They are just one win away from becoming the second-smallest nation (by population) to ever reach a FIFA World Cup, and their final opponents are Eswatini. They are in this position thanks to an unforgettable 1-0 win over Cameroon at home last month, but have been building towards this achievement over a number of years under head coach Bubista.

Group I leaders Ghana are in a good position as they are three points clear of the chasing pack. Having watched the Black Stars fail to qualify for the last AFCON, though, the fans will not be satisfied until they see their side get over the line.

In Group F, continental champions Ivory Coast have a one-point buffer over Gabon, who should at least make it to the play-offs. The battle for the remaining three spots is set to be extremely tight and will almost certainly produce some drama on the final day.

Asia: New head coaches galore in the final round

Six Asian teams – Iran, my boys from Uzbekistan, South Korea, debutantes Jordan, Japan, and Australia to be exact – have already qualified for the World Cup, but six others remain in contention as they head into the fourth and final round of AFC qualifiers.

They have been divided into the following two groups of three, in which the teams will face off against their rivals just once, all in centralised venues over the next week. The group winners go straight to the World Cup, while the runners-up get a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.

AFC thought it right to give the hosting rights to – you guessed it – Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Those two will naturally be the favourites, while Indonesia will likely miss their home crowd the most having come away with points against third-round opponents such as Australia and Saudi Arabia in Jakarta. Even as their team will be thousands of kilometres away, Indonesian fans are sure to go crazy if recently-appointed head coach Patrick Kluivert and his heavily naturalised squad upset the odds.

The other Group B visitors Iraq are seeking their second World Cup appearance, having previously made it to Mexico in 1986. They too have a fresh head coach in Australia’s Graham Arnold, who could well put together a team solid enough to challenge the hosts.

Oman are the clear underdogs in the all-Gulf Group A as they had the lowest points tally among all the teams to advance from the third round. So, the main battle will be between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Julen Lopetegui will be looking to lead the hosts to their first World Cup qualification and finally make his coaching debut on the greatest stage, having previously been removed from his position as Spain’s head coach on the eve of the 2018 World Cup. The visitors’ new coach is Cosmin Olăroiu, whose squad is almost evenly divided between foreign-born players and local-born Emiratis. Among them are eight former Brazilians as well as ex-Fleetwood Town wide man Mackenzie Hunt.

Elsewhere: CONCACAF third round, UEFA qualifiers and more

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying has perhaps been the most interesting this time around because the confederation’s three dominant forces have not been involved – USA, Mexico and Canada all got automatic bids. We will cross the midway point of the final round in this international break, which will feature some pivotal games such as Curaçao vs Jamaica and Honduras vs Haiti. All the matches are broadcast for free on the CONCACAF YouTube channel in most parts of the world, so you know what to do if you find yourself getting bored.

There isn’t a lot of intrigue in UEFA since as many as 16 spots are up for grabs, but there are a couple of interesting stories to follow. Germany are currently third in Group A after losing their opener in Slovakia, while Italy have once again made matters complicated for themselves with a six-point deficit to Norway in Group I. Over in Group B, Sweden’s chances of missing out on the World Cup for the fourth time in five editions have grown significantly as they picked up just one point in two games. North Macedonia are top of Group J with a one-point lead over Belgium and Wales, though the Red Devils have a game in hand.

There is much more for the true sickos including the Under-20 Men’s World Cup knockouts, the second qualifying round of the first-ever UEFA Women’s Europa Cup and the Copa Libertadores Femenina, but this should be enough for these two weeks.

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