International soccer is back! Again! It feels a bit excessive to me, but hey, more soccer is more soccer, and you won’t find me complaining about that anytime soon. We’ve got another exciting slate of matches across the globe, with more qualifiers, friendlies, and nations league matches to keep you entertained before Decision Day and the Playoffs send us into a postseason soccer frenzy. All times hereafter are listed in Central Time, naturally, but I’ve played with the idea of giving them to you in Alaska Daylight Time one of these months. Stay vigilant, folks; you never know when I might pull a fast one on you.

Loons

Eight Loons will be donning their national colors this break, and it's the usual suspects. Our pair of pairs, Canadian and Finnish, have been called up once again, with a friendly on the books for Dayne St. Clair and Tani Oluwaseyi while Robin Lod and Teemu Pukki will be playing in the UEFA Nations League. Michael Boxall begins another round of World Cup Qualifying with New Zealand this break, hoping to lead the only OFC nation to ever appear in the tournament back to the biggest stage in sports. Finally, Joseph Rosales returns to Honduras duty for some crucial Nations League matches.

• Dayne St. Clair - Canada
• Tani Oluwaseyi - Canada
• Robin Lod - Finland
• Teemu Pukki - Finland
• Michael Boxall - New Zealand
• Joseph Rosales - Honduras
• Carlos Harvey - Panama
• Enrique Nieves - Puerto Rico

I liked what I did last time, so I’m doing it again. Rather than listing the matches here, you can find all Loon-related games in bold throughout the rest of this guide; you’re so welcome!

USMNT Spotlight

I can’t NOT talk about the USMNT ahead of this break, you know? It’s Mauricio Pochettino’s first camp as the American skipper, and he’s called in an interesting group of players, including the in-form Christian Pulisic. We’ve got four MLS players in the fold (Zack Steffen, Patrick Schulte, Miles Robinson, and Tim Ream), along with two Liga MX representatives (Brandon Vazquez and Alejandro Zendejas). Beyond that, we’ve got many of the usual suspects playing across European club soccer.

Some relatively new faces have joined the fold, though, including a few surprise inclusions. Tanner Tessmann returns to the squad after finding form in France, and both Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio are likewise riding good form into this camp. Marlon Fossey and Auston Trusty were both fringe inclusions, but I’m excited to see how they fit with the rest of the team.

Do these upcoming friendlies matter very much in the grand scheme of the USMNT’s development? Not really. But, the first impression that Poch gives the fanbase will live long in their memories, and considering our history against Panama and the strength of this squad, anything but a win will be a huge disappointment. Likewise, our new manager’s first run-in with Mexico was always going to be a big deal, friendly or not. Are those matches EVER friendly, though? Pay close attention to the Stars and Stripes this break; it’s a new era, one way or another. All USA games are available for streaming on Max.

• USA vs. Panama on Saturday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m.
• Mexico vs. USA on Tuesday, October 15 at 9:30 p.m.

Concacaf Nations League

I’ll keep these intros brief; I don’t want this guide getting too long, though I know you’d love to read it even so. The Concacaf Nations League is back, and while none of our eligible players were called up for this edition, we’re still rooting for their nations. We’re getting closer to the quarterfinals, so teams playing this break will be fighting for a chance to compete for this year’s trophy. Here are a couple matches to catch if you’re looking for some classic Concacaf action, available on Paramount+:

• Jamaica vs. Honduras on Monday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m.
• Costa Rica vs. Guatemala on Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m.

UEFA Nations League

The Europeans are copying us again, how embarrassing! They just love our soccer ideas. The UEFA Nations League is back for match days three and four, and we’ve got some fun matchups, as always. I’m particularly intrigued by Spain’s games, but maybe that’s just because Lamine Yamal is electric. The heir to Messi that Barcelona has been waiting for? Maybe, just maybe. I won’t be committing to that hot take just yet, but my goodness, he’s special. Most of these matches will be available via Fox Sports, but I can’t guarantee you’ll see them all on there.

• Matchday 3
  • Finland vs. Ireland on Thursday, October 10 at 1:45 p.m.
  • Italy vs. Belgium on Thursday, October 10 at 1:45 p.m.
  • Croatia vs. Scotland on Saturday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Serbia vs. Switzerland on Saturday, October 12 at 1:45 p.m.
  • Spain vs. Denmark on Saturday, October 12 at 1:45 p.m.
• Matchday 4
  • Finland vs. England on Sunday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Belgium vs. France on Monday, October 14 at 1:45 p.m.
  • Germany vs. Netherlands on Monday, October 14 at 1:45 p.m.
  • Spain vs. Serbia on Tuesday, October 15 at 1:45 p.m.

World Cup Qualifying: CONMEBOL, OFC, and AFC

There’s a World Cup to qualify for, dang it! South American, Oceanic, and Asian nations will all resume their respective battles for a spot at the table during this break, and though the competition is expanding to 48 teams in 2026, that’s still not a whole lot of room. There’s always drama in these matches, so I’d recommend coming here if you’re looking for full-throttle excitement from your soccer viewing this break. Catch AFC and OFC qualifiers for free on FIFA+ and CONMEBOL on Fanatiz.

• AFC: Third Round
  • Uzbekistan vs. Iran on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Saudi Arabia vs. Japan on Thursday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m.
• CONMEBOL: Matchdays 9 and 10
  • Venezuela vs. Argentina on Thursday, October 10 at 4:00 p.m.
  • Chile vs. Brazil on Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Colombia vs. Chile on Tuesday, October 15 at 3:30 p.m.
  • Uruguay vs. Ecuador on Tuesday, October 15 at 6:30 p.m.
• OFC: Matchday 1
  • New Zealand vs. Tahiti on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 p.m.

AFCON Qualifying

More qualifiers! AFCON is fun, and the qualifiers are too. You never know who’s going to win these, and while the established powerhouses have earned their spots at the top, they don’t tend to stay there for very long. Morocco, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, and Nigeria have all climbed the summit, but I feel a crop of newcomers coming for the crown. It all starts here in qualifiers, so don’t miss out on the exciting developments in African soccer this international window. Check out beIN Sports or Fubo USA to catch select matches.

• Matchday 3
  • Egypt vs. Mauritania on Friday, October 11 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Tunisia vs. Comoros on Friday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m.
• Matchday 4
  • Tanzania vs. DR Congo on Tuesday, October 15 at 8:00 a.m.
  • Sierra Leone vs. Ivory Coast on Tuesday, October 15 at 11:00 a.m.

International Friendlies

My apologies to Hong Kong and Mauritius, but the only friendlies I’m really interested in during this window are being played by the USMNT, Canada, or New Zealand. That’s really it. If you’d like to watch India take on Malaysia, though, I’m sure it will be a compelling match to the right fanbase.

• New Zealand vs. Malaysia on Monday, October 14 at 1:00 a.m.
• Canada vs. Panama on Tuesday, October 15 at 6:30 p.m.

International soccer is always fun, but I know it’s kind of a bad time right now. The Loons were rolling before the break, and you hate to see that rhythm broken up. But, with the majority of the squad staying in town, a bit of rest might be the perfect thing to help them gear up for a long playoff run. Either way, you’ve got no Loons to watch this week, so WATCH INTERNATIONAL SOCCER.