FEATURES

With the World Cup just eight months away, GOAL looks at how the U.S. squad might look next summer

There was more than just a hint of excitement in the air as the final stages of the match at Liberty Stadium approached in January 2013. The score was 0-0 between the home team Swansea City and Champions League holders Chelsea. But with the Swans having won the first leg of their League Cup semi-final 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, they were within touching distance of preparing for a final appearance at Wembley.

The end of the October international window is upon us, club football fans. Get ready for four more weeks of Premier League fun before we're lulled back into the November break. Fortunately, there's non-stop action before then to look forward to, beginning with some mouth-watering fixtures this coming weekend, including Manchester United's trip to Liverpool.

With two open-play goals in their last three games, a lot of the talk coming into Chelsea's Women's Champions League clash with Paris FC on Wednesday night was about the dominant force in English football, and one of the front-runners for this trophy, not being quite themselves in front of goal. But Sonia Bompastor's Blues were able to quieten those doubters in their final game before the international break, with a 4-0 victory over the Parisians at Stamford Bridge.

Hayes is using the October friendlies to form a side that more closely resembles the XI that will feature at the 2027 World Cup

The competitive La Liga fixture, to be held in Miami, comes after years of conflict over a possible match outside of Europe

Canada and Colombia played to a scoreless draw at Sports Illustrated Stadium, but on a weeknight in New Jersey, the score wasn't the point

The USMNT boss has a roster emerging that he can trust, with several playing their way into - or out of - World Cup contention

Thomas Tuchel has done the bare minimum expected of him when he was appointed as England manager one year ago: Qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel has done it with minimal fuss, too, as the Three Lions have won all six of their competitive games to top their qualifying group with two games to spare. It has not always been pretty, but that will count for little once the tournament gets going next summer.

When Chelsea signed Ellie Carpenter in the summer transfer window, one of the first thoughts for many was: What does this mean for Lucy Bronze? Eight years younger than the Lionesses star, Carpenter firmly established herself as a world-class right-back during a trophy-laden five-year stint with Lyon. Was she now moving to London to usurp one of England's biggest names?

England are going to the 2026 World Cup, and they are going there in style after another 5-0 win away from home as Latvia became the latest victims of a team that is well and truly taking shape under Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions have booked their place at next summer's bonanza in North America with two games to spare after winning their first six qualifiers, without conceding a single goal in the process.

The challenges of September are in the rearview mirror, as Wright scored twice and the U.S. dominated possession to beat Australia

The Coventry City striker took charge when his national team needed him most, scoring once in each half to seal important win

Portugal failed to wrap up 2026 World Cup qualification after conceding a late Hungary equaliser to draw 2-2 in Lisbon. Roberto Martinez's side had initially come from behind to get in front, courtesy of two Cristiano Ronaldo goals that set a new all-time World Cup qualifying record, and were on the brink of booking their ticket to North America thanks to Armenia's defeat to Ireland providing the extra nudge required. But Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai intervened at the death and it means Ronaldo and co. must now wait until November for their next chance instead.

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 14 teams across the National Women's Soccer League

A typically insatiable Harry Kane fired England to the 2026 World Cup as the captain scored twice in the 5-0 hammering of Latvia which extended the Three Lions' 100 percent record in qualifying. Kane, who had missed Thursday's friendly win over Wales with an ankle injury, returned to set a new England record by scoring more than once for the 13th time in international football to move on to 76 goals for his country.

The U.S. have been knocking at the door, but what needs to change to finally open it? That question remains after another exit

As Sarina Wiegman prepared to announce her first England squad since the Lionesses triumphed at the European Championship back in July, one of the biggest questions surrounded Millie Bright. After missing that triumph, citing physical and mental fatigue as she withdrew from selection, would the Chelsea captain be available again? Three months on, we have our answer.

Brazil surrendered a two-goal lead as a complete second-half collapse resulted in a humiliating 3-2 friendly defeat to Japan in Tokyo on Tuesday. Carlo Ancelotti's side had looked supremely comfortable at the break courtesy of fine strikes from Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli, but they conspired to throw away their advantage - crumbling under pressure from their spirited hosts. The second defeat of his tenure already, Ancelotti has his work cut out as preparations for the 2026 World Cup ramp up.

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

Of all the England players who were left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for their October fixtures, Jude Bellingham's omission seemed the most confusing. The midfielder has been one of the Three Lions' main protagonists ever since breaking into the starting XI post-Euro 2020 heartbreak and has long been heralded as a key player for whichever team he's representing.

GOAL US unpacks the main storylines from the international break and World Cup qualifying in The Euro XI

Didier Deschamps' men were held to a 2-2 draw by a brave Iceland side in Reykjavik, as an experimental XI floundered under the pressure of their bold opponents, who belied their pre-match underdogs tag. France did score twice, coming from behind in the process, but a lack of concentration allowed the hosts to take a well-deserved point from a breathless encounter.

GOAL US writers debate result against Ecuador and whether Mauricio Pochettino should make changes ahead of tricky Aussie match

EXCLUSIVE: With a unique career trajectory, Balogun just might be the player to define the USMNT run to the World Cup

Tactically, Mauricio Pochettino seems to have figured out the player pool - now it's about deciding who fits best in the system

Brazil endured their worst qualification campaign ever for the 2026 World Cup, finishing fifth in the CONMEBOL standings on just 28 points from 18 matches. The Selecao lost home and away to arch-rivals Argentina, with a 4-1 drubbing at the Estadio Monumental ultimately costing Dorival Junior his job as manager, and they were also handily beaten by Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay and Bolivia. But hope for the 2026 finals remains high, with Carlo Ancelotti now holding the reins for the most successful national team in history.

"We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else." If anyone was in any doubt as to whether England manager Thomas Tuchel planned to stick to his fairly unpopular selection policy with the World Cup fast approaching, those pointed words ahead of the friendly victory over Wales more or less confirmed it.

The USMNT boss largely stacked his lineup against Ecuador, and got a glimpse into what a successful World Cup run could look like