WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THIS INTERNATIONAL BREAK IN FOOTBALL?
As all the major football leagues in the world take a well-earned break, the international competitions get fired up to showcase the best in the world turning up for their respective nations. This particular international break will be even more interesting, given that the first round of the World Cup Qualification competition will be played across the world. All major countries will be vying for top honours in this competition so that they can guarantee an easy pathway for themselves to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is slated to be held in Qatar.
This Qualification competition might throw up some minnows against heavyweight sides on occasion, but that does not take away the glitter and sheen of the tournament. All the major countries which will be vying for a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be going hammers and tongs in their approach to securing a confirmed berth. No side will take this competition lightly and that is precisely the reason why we are going to see a lot of action over the next week or so. Thus, it will not be wrong to suggest that although all the major leagues are on a break, the spectators or viewers are not going to find a lack of exemplary footballing action.
In this article, I will list down some important fixtures which will take place during the current international break and what we can expect from them. The European nations will be contesting under the banner of the UEFA, whereas those from Africa and the Americas will play in the segments organised by the CAF, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF respectively. The Asian nations come under the aegis of the ACF while those in Oceania are under the OCF. All of these associations come under the purview of the governing body of football, FIFA.
Country to watch out: England
England will kick off their World Cup Qualification campaign against minnows San Marino on 26 March. This game might give them a much-needed boost. The likes of captain Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden will be licking their lips in anticipation of facing the lowly placed side. The England side are predicted to score more than 3 goals at least in this game by our tipping experts at Mighty Tips. San Marino will not prove to be a tough challenge for England at all, nor should their next game, which is against Albania, which is slated to be held a couple of days later.
However, Gareth Southgate’s side will be put to task against Poland in their last match in this international break, which is supposed to be held on 31 March. The Polish side boast amongst others the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jan Bednarek and Lukas Fabianski, all of whom have quite a lot of experience against English clubs. Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world right now and it will be exciting to see him come up against England’s very own stalwart in that position Harry Kane.
Country to watch out: Italy
Italy, who had failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia, will be looking to put the past behind them as they gear up towards securing a berth for the 2022 edition of the tournament. They will take on the conflict-torn nation of Northern Ireland in their first game of this Qualification tournament, before moving on to play Bulgaria and Lithuania. It is safe to say that the Italian side are not likely to face any major challenges from any of the three countries who will play against them.
Although Northern Ireland is a good side made up more of individual brilliance than their teamwork, they will find dislodging Italy very difficult. Same goes to say for Bulgaria, who are not really well known for their exploits on the football pitch. Lithuania are the weakest in this group and Italy will find it very easy to get a few goals past them. Manager Roberto Mancini, who had most famously been in charge of Manchester City in the past, will like to ensure that there are no hiccups on the way to qualification for the World Cup competition this time around.
Country to watch out: Germany
Winners of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Germany have been in the news with manager Joachim Loew deciding to step down from his position after the conclusion of the 2021 UEFA European Championship, with a year still left on his contract. His side will take on Iceland in their first fixture of the World Cup Qualification competition, with the likes of Romania and North Macedonia coming up later. Although Iceland are no strongholds, Germany will not take them lightly. Iceland are perfect examples of why the sum is greater than the parts and their footballing strategies have caught the whole world by surprise sometimes.
There is no doubt that Germany will not find it too difficult to go past the likes of Romania and North Macedonia, both of whom will be hoping to not concede too many goals against the former world champions. Germany have a lot of big names in their squad like Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer, Serge Gnabry, Ilkay Gundogan and Joshua Kimmich. These players will be making sure that Germany qualifies easily for the World Cup finals. It will be interesting to see Germany’s passing and long ball game.
Country to watch out: France
Defending World Cup champions France begin their qualification for the 2022 World Cup by taking on Ukraine, followed by Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ukraine might put up a stiff resistance against the Frenchmen, but not a lot is expected from the likes of Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Managed by none other than Didier Deschamps, France have a host of top players within their ranks, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann. This is the best squad that France can possibly have, and we expect them to put up a stellar showing in this international break.
Country to watch out: Spain
The winners of the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, Spain will kick off their Qualification competition against Greece, which is to be followed by minnows Georgia and Kosovo. While the latter two teams are hardly expected to ruffle any feathers among Luis Enrique’s side, which consists of the likes of Alvaro Morata, Thiago Alcantara, Koke, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba and David de Gea, La Roja might have a tough time against Greece, who have some top players in their roster. This game between the two teams will be watched widely across the world and is expected to draw millions.
Country to watch out: Portugal
European side Portugal, who have been dubbed as being the most artistic and magically gifted side in the continent, will play Azerbaijan in their first match of the World Cup qualifiers. Their next match will come against Serbia, and the last against Luxembourg. There is no doubt that Portugal will come up trumps against the likes of Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, but it is the match against Serbia that will give their manager Fernando Santos some sleepless nights. Serbia are known to be a tough side who attack the ball as well as they defend it, and Portugal will have to play out of their skins to make sure that they do not succumb to the pressure. Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes are the players to watch out for.
Country to watch out: The Netherlands
The Netherlands were another country, alongside Italy, who had failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. Managed by the unassuming Frank de Boer, the Netherlands are a powerhouse consisting of players of the calibre of Memphis Depay, Donny van de Beek and Frenkie de Jong. Naturally, it was a big shock to all their fans when they failed to qualify for the 2018 edition of the tournament. However, these players will be trying to make sure that the same does not happen in this edition and that they go through with a breeze. The Netherlands will face off against Turkey, Latvia and Gibraltar in this current international break and it is not difficult to suggest that they might get the better of all three of their opponents. However, de Boer’s side can not take things lightly and need to work on maintaining possession better.
This international break will offer us a lot of spectacles and we are sure that the players involved in it will not disappoint us at all. The game of football will continue unabated even though all the major leagues around the world have taken a break. To keep up with the latest news from the world of football and other matches, go to the Mighty Tips website. All the big games, upcoming championships and the best leagues in one place