Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise & the biggest stars of the longest international break ever

Lamine Yamal wasn't fully fit at the 2026 World Cup, and although he did play an important role in Spain's success, we didn't see the very best of him. The 19-year-old has looked back in optimum condition at Barcelona, though, having opened the campaign with 14 goal involvements in eight appearances for La Liga's champions.

He's transferred that form onto the international stage, first scoring in Spain's 3-2 win over England at Wembley, before putting on a masterclass in the 4-1 thrashing of Croatia. In addition to bagging a brilliant brace and an assist for Marc Pubill, Yamal posted 21 ball carries, 25 completed passes in the opposition half, four recoveries and four ground duel wins, running Croatia ragged in his 68 minutes on the pitch.

His team play was especially important in the eyes of Luis de la Fuente, who singled Yamal out for special praise after the final whistle: "Today we enjoyed [Yamal's] magic again, but he puts his magic at the service of the team. That says a lot about the player. In the future he'll be even more well known for what he does in his collective play. We're lucky to have him with us. Within the group, he's very loved."

Yamal scored his fourth goal of the break in trademark style, cutting onto his left foot at the top corner of the box before whipping home a lovely, curling strike as Spain eased past Czechia 3-1. When in optimal physical condition, Yamal is the best on the planet, and Spain will continue to be the team to beat as long he's front and centre.

Anthony Gordon has also impressed at Barcelona in the opening weeks of the season, hitting the ground running after his summer move from Newcastle with four assists in six La Liga appearances. His performances for England have been even more impactful, and it could even be argued that he outshone Yamal in the Three Lions' narrow loss to Spain.

England carried the most threat whenever Gordon broke into space, and he executed a fine side-foot finish to score their first goal after latching onto a Jude Bellingham pass. Thomas Tuchel wants the Three Lions to play fast, aggressive football, and no one embodied that style more than Gordon at Wembley.

Three days later, he got on the scoresheet again in a 2-0 win over Czechia, heading home a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross to break the deadlock in the 68th minute. Gordon came off late with four chances created, four shots and 10 touches in the opposition box, reviving his chemistry with ex-Newcastle team-mate Lewis Hall down the left to superb effect while earning the Player of the Match award.

England then proceeded to rout Croatia 7-0 in their third game, and Gordon shone again in the statement victory, setting up one of Bellingham's two goals while heading in one himself.

"Anthony Gordon plays with much more aggressiveness, with more confidence," Tuchel beamed when quizzed on the winger's progress. "I see a player full of confidence, he has reached another level."

Harry Kane started all four of England's opening Nations League fixtures, moving himself level with Peter Shilton as the Three Lions' most-capped player of all time. He also added six goals to his national record tally to pull 38 clear of second-placed Wayne Rooney on 91, and it surely won't be long before he reaches his century.

The 33-year-old has certainly shown no signs of slowing down over the last three weeks. After pouncing to score a pair of half-chances in the loss to Spain and away win at Czechia, Kane put Croatia to the sword with a magnificent display.

He opened the floodgates with an emphatic finish after being played in by Bellingham, slid in England's fifth, and unselfishly teed up Bukayo Saka to make it six. England then concluded the break by breezing past Czechia 3-0 at Wembley, which was an even greater showcase for Kane.

Just before the hour mark, the Bayern Munich frontman forced an own goal with a wicked flash across the penalty area, and he converted a similar ball from Morgan Rogers to ensure England went in at half-time 2-0 up. Kane eventually sealed the win with a simple header after eluding his marker on a looping Hall corner.

Bellingham paid special tribute to Kane after the game, telling ITV: "First and foremost, an unbelievable human being. As a captain, as a man, he looks after each and every single person, he's the one to always take responsibility when something needs doing off the pitch. Then on the pitch, you're running out of superlatives - he's the best England player that's ever worn the shirt and it's an honour to play with him."

Kane probably needs a major trophy to make that final statement true in the eyes of most England supporters, but his place in the Hall of Fame is already secure. If he keeps aging so gracefully, the former Tottenham star could remain his country's main man through to the 2030 World Cup.

Troy Parrott became an instant hero at Real Betis after his summer move from AZ Alkmaar by scoring the winning goal against Real Madrid, and the former Tottenham striker arrived at Ireland's national team camp with a spring in his step. He drew a blank in a shock defeat away at Kosovo, but set Ireland on their way to a thumping 3-0 win over Israel on matchday two, turning home a first-time shot after good work from James Abankwah on the right flank.

Ireland should have picked up another three points against Austria in Dublin, but blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2. That wasn't for the want of quality from Parrott, though. The 24-year-old did his best impression of Lionel Messi when putting the home side in front, picking up the ball just outside the centre-circle before nutmegging one defender, leaving another for dead with a slick dummy, and sliding the ball under the Austria goalkeeper.

It was a remarkable solo effort, and Parrott doubled his account from the penalty spot to make it nine goals in his last six competitive international games, leaving Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson delighted: "He has a special gift. It is magical for Irish football to have him in a green shirt."

Unsurprisingly, Parrott added a 10th in seven games via another penalty as Ireland drew 1-1 with Israel in their 'home' fixture, which was held behind closed doors in Serbia.

Michael Olise is one of the best players in the world. The former Crystal Palace winger has cemented that fact with a blistering six-goal start to the season at Bayern Munich, and he continued his electrifying form in Zinedine Zidane's first France camp.

France beat Turkiye 1-0 after Olise executed a sublime turn and pass to tee up Kylian Mbappe's 54th-minute goal, and the Bayern star made the difference himself from the bench in a win by the same scoreline against Belgium. Olise sprinted with the ball at full pelt from well inside his own half all the way to the edge of the box, flying past three defenders on the way, before placing the ball into the bottom corner with unerring poise and accuracy.

Zidane was then compelled to restore Olise to his starting XI for France's encounter with Italy, and the former Crystal Palace winger added another incredible goal to his highlight reel. Rayan Cherki touched a 20-yard free-kick into Olise's path and the 24-year-old swept the ball in off the crossbar, again making the difficult look ridiculously easy.

"He's a bit reserved and shy off the pitch, but that's fine because on the pitch he's not shy at all – he's a natural leader with his game," Zidane told Telefoot after the 1-1 draw with the Azzurri. "He's showing all his talent with the ball."

Mbappe may be the captain, but Olise give France an X-factor and he's growing in stature with each passing game. That much was clear in France's final assignment of the break, a return fixture against Belgium at Stade de France.

Les Bleus were a goal down on the hour mark when Olise came on, and he sprinkled his magic to turn the tide. Desire Doue equalised before Olise played a pinpoint cutback for Cherki to give France the lead, and the super-sub then scored two goals himself to seal a dramatic 4-1 victory.

Olise now has 17 goal contributions from 16 appearances for France in 2026, and he's the first player in the nation's history to notch 10 assists in a calendar year. Towards the end of the Belgium game, the home fans chanted in full voice: "Olise, Ballon d'Or! Olise, Ballon d'Or!" He'd be a more than worthy winner.

Florian Wirtz is still struggling to live up to expectations in a Liverpool shirt, but he remains a reliable asset for Germany. The former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker was stifled as Jurgen Klopp suffered a 1-0 loss to Greece in his first home match in charge, but dazzled as Germany bounced back with a 2-0 victory over Serbia.

Tom Bischof smashed Germany into the lead after Wirtz had struck the post, and the Liverpool man made it two with a clinical finish after producing a fantastic first touch to deceive his marker in the box. Wirtz also recorded a 95 percent pass completion rate as all of Germany's best attacks went through him, prompting Klopp to deliver a strong message to the 23-year-old's critics.

"He was bursting with joy and worked incredibly hard," the ex-Liverpool coach told reporters. "That was exceptional; he played a fantastic game. Our style of play suits Flo Wirtz. I don't even know what Flo has to do right to make everyone happy. Everyone in Liverpool should be happy today."

Wirtz also deserved a goal in Germany's 0-0 draw with Greece on matchday four, racking up five shots, three key passes, and four successful dribbles in a virtuoso showing. Germany have a long way to go to return to the pinnacle of international football, but Wirtz's presence gives them hope.

Brentford are sitting fourth in the Premier League after an unbeaten start to the season, and Michael Kayode has played a key role in their success from right-back, creating chances at will in attack while excelling in one-vs-one defensive situations. Returning Italy manager Roberto Mancini was impressed enough to hand Kayode his maiden call-up, and the 22-year-old has seized the opportunity with both hands.

Kayode didn't play in Italy's disappointing 2-0 home loss to Belgium, but started in their subsequent clash with Turkiye. He played the full 90 minutes as the Azzurri romped to a 4-1 victory, and scored the pick of the goals, slotting into the bottom corner to cap a flowing team move.

Davide Frattesi's opener came about after Kayode had a shot parried, too, and the Brentford star was a bright spark throughout the contest. "I didn't expect my debut to go like this, so I'm really happy," he said after the game. No one who has watched Kayode closely over the last two months was surprised, though.

He retained his place in Mancini's line-up for a meeting with France in Paris, and registered nine defensive contributions as Italy battled to a 1-1 draw, before playing 35 minutes off the bench in a 3-1 home win over Turkiye. Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo remains in the picture under Mancini, but Kayode is the future, and Brentford will be delighted with how he has asserted himself on the international stage.

For the best part of four years, Goncalo Ramos has inexplicably had to play second fiddle to a well-past-his-best Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal national team, and it looked like that would remain the case when he started on the bench against Wales in Lisbon. However, Ramos came on for Ronaldo in the final 23 minutes of Portugal's 1-0 win, and gave them far more energy up top, leading new boss Jorge Jesus to switch their roles for a trip to Norway.

Ramos scored a lovely dink as Portugal won that game 2-1, with Ronaldo ultimately left on the bench throughout. The 41-year-old subsequently left the camp after being irked by Jesus' treatment of him, but the Portugal tactician only did what was best for the team - unlike his predecessor Roberto Martinez - and Ramos has since justified his promotion even more emphatically.

The AC Milan record signing scored again and set up another goal to help Portugal beat Denmark 4-2 on Thursday, with Ronaldo not missed in the slightest. When quizzed by RTP on the Ronaldo saga after the game, Jesus simply said, "I have a squad that believes in my vision", and Ramos was among those to back that up.

"The new manager is a great help, we have clearer ideas," he said. Sticking with Ramos as the lead No.9 is the best of them, and it could finally see Portugal unlock the potential that Ronaldo has been blocking for so long. Ramos strengthened his case again as Portugal took down Norway 2-1 on home soil, scoring a 79th-minute winner to book a place in the Nations League quarter-finals for Jesus' men.

Atletico Madrid flop Joao Felix has done a fine job of rebuilding his career at Al-Nassr. He deservedly beat Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League Player of the Year award last term, racking up 33 goal contributions in as many games to inspire Al-Nassr to the title, with Jesus recognising the No.10 as his best position.

Naturally, he has put Felix back in that slot since swapping the Al-Nassr dugout for Portugal, and it's paid off. The 26-year-old found the net in each of the wins against Wales and Norway, while his link-up play was superb and his elusive movement made him impossible to pin down.

After 120 minutes of action, Jesus gave Felix a rest against Denmark, but he still made a decisive impact from the bench, rounding off the scoring with a well-executed half-volley after a slick 22-pass Portugal sequence. Felix was then back in the line up for the return clash with Norway, and delivered again with a clever assist for Ramos' winner.

With Jesus on hand to mentor him once again, Felix might finally become the world-class player that was promised when he first broke through at Benfica.

The international break came at the ideal time for Viktor Gyokeres. The Arsenal striker has seen his minutes reduced significantly by Mikel Arteta, with Kai Havertz now firmly the first choice through the middle at Emirates, and has admitted he "expects more playing time".

Sweden boss Graham Potter has given Gyokeres exactly that, initially pairing him upfront with Alexander Isak for a home game against Romania. The former Sporting CP star proved his worth by scoring the crucial second goal in a 2-1 win, reacting quickest to convert a rebound from close range.

Those sharp predatory instincts were on display again when Sweden beat Poland 3-1 on matchday two, with Gyokeres volleying in the third after peeling away to meet a cross at the back post. "It's nice to have him, he gives you an opening," Potter has said of Gyokeres' importance to Sweden. "The opposing defenders have to be careful in being one on one against Viktor Gyokeres... good luck to them, because it's not easy."

There's certainly been a hunger to Gyokeres' play that bodes well for his chances of turning things around at Arsenal. Crucially, he's taking responsibility for his situation, too, as he told reporters after the Romania game: "I obviously need to do better and I'm willing to do it."

Gyokeres backed up those words with his best goal of the break, smashing an unstoppable shot high into the net in a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and scored another as Sweden ended the break with a 1-0 win in Romania, meaning he has found the net in each of last seven Nations League appearances.

Greece have a new golden generation of talent on their hands that is causing some fans to dream of a repeat of their fairy-tale success at Euro 2004. With burgeoning Premier League talents to call upon like Christos Tzolis, Christos Mouzakitis, Konstantinos Tzolakis and Charalampos Kostoulas, the future certainly looks bright.

However, it is a man currently plying his trade in the Championship who has provided the foundation for Greece's unbeaten start to the Nations League. West Ham's Konstantinos Mavropanos was colossal at centre-back as Greece pulled off wins against Serbia and Germany and held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw, dominating in the air and reading the game superbly.

He was especially effective in Greece's stunning with over Germany, winning 15 duels and making 12 clearances to secure the Player-of-the-Match prize by a landslide, and came close to matching that display when the two teams played out a 0-0 draw in Thessaloniki.

Once a failed signing at Arsenal, Mavropanos also offers a genuine goal threat, as evidenced by his four goals in seven games for West Ham this season, and the 28-year-old is a stellar role model for Greece's crop of gifted youngsters.

Argentina are about to enter a new era without their beloved captain, Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner played the final game of his glittering international career against Benin on Tuesday, and was given a hero's send-off befitting the unforgettable memories he has given to Albiceleste fans over the last 20 years.

Suffice to say, replacing Messi will be impossible. It has still not been decided who will inherit his iconic No.10 shirt, and no one will ever be truly worthy. All that being said, Argentina do still have plenty of attacking firepower, with Nico Paz the most promising option when it comes to filling the void left by Messi.

Paz struggled to stand out when playing alongside Messi because they are so similar in style, but has shown in this international break that he can also deliver as Argentina's chief creator. Operating from the right wing, the Como ace delivered four goal contributions across thumping wins over Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin, including a stunning curling strike from 18 yards in the latter game.

Paz was particularly brilliant in the 4-0 thrashing of Bolivia, ghosting in behind to dink home Argentina's second goal before sending in a perfect free-kick for Cristian Romero to nod in their third. In his 56 minutes on the pitch, Paz registered three shots, four accurate crosses, nine ball carries and three duel wins, showing the same innovation on the ball and work rate off it that he does on weekly basis at Como.

Messi was a prolific goal-scorer as well as orchestrator, and though Paz is not as clinical yet, he is only 22. Expectations must be measured accordingly, but Argentina definitely have another star on their hands.

The memory of the United States' disastrous 4-1 loss to Belgium in the World Cup round of 16 still lingers, and it will for some time. Mauricio Pochettino's men had looked like like a formidable force in the earlier rounds, but didn't show up when it really mattered, ultimately squandering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on home soil.

However, none of the means the future isn't bright; on the contrary. There are several youngsters coming through who could push the U.S. to greater heights. One of those is New York Red Bulls forward Julian Hall, who was called up for the first time for friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada, and the 18-year-old defied all expectations.

Hall came on for the final half-hour of the 4-1 win over Peru and grabbed a goal and assist, which earned him starts against Chile and Mexico. He scored in those respective 4-2 and 3-0 victories, too, with a superhuman leaping header against Chile the biggest highlight, and went on to play 45 minutes of the 1-0 win against Canada.

This has been a breakout year for Hall, who has hit 10 goals in 26 MLS matches, and, on this evidence, he could provide very strong competition for Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi up top as the U.S. begin a new cycle. Hall can bring natural poacher's instincts, clever movement, searing pace and versatility to Pochettino's ranks, and we're only just scratching the surface of what the teenager could become as he matures physically.