It’s playoff season in MLS! Not so fast, though; we’ve got an international break to break things up a bit before we really get rolling. We’ll be back with your regularly scheduled postseason soccer in two weeks, but for now, let’s enjoy some international flavor to keep our appetite going.
Loons
The usual suspects are returning to international duty — plus a first-timer! Congratulations to all the Boys in Black and Blue that’ll be trading club for country this week, and a special congratulations to midfielder Nectarios Triantis for earning his first call-up to the Greek national team. As always, I’ve bolded each of the matches where you might be able to catch a Loon sighting.
- Robin Lod - Finland
- Nectarios Triantis - Greece
- Joseph Rosales - Honduras
- Carlos Harvey - Panama
- Dayne St. Clair - Canada
- Michael Boxall - New Zealand
World Cup Qualifiers: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, UEFA
With 28 teams already qualified and just 20 spots left to fill, this month’s international window is crucial for teams looking to either grab their automatic bids or secure a second chance in one of the play-off tournaments. We’ll see teams from Concacaf and UEFA grab the final remaining direct bids during this window, with group play in both regions coming to a close while the likes of the AFC and CAF begin play-off tournaments to determine who will get their FIFA Play-Off Tournament bids. Brutal, right? Win a play-off to get to … another play-off. Let’s check out who’s still fighting for their spot this month.
AFC:
In Asian qualifying, there are only two teams remaining. All eight automatic spots have been secured (Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan), leaving just one last chance for qualification via the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. The UAE and Iraq will be duking it out across two legs to keep their World Cup dreams alive, with the aggregate winner going through to join five other nations in March’s Play-Off Tournament.
How to watch: FIFA+
Leg 1 of 2
- United Arab Emirates vs. Iraq, Thursday, November 13, at 10:00 a.m. CT
Leg 2 of 2
- Iraq vs. United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, November 18, at 10:00 a.m. CT
CAF
Same drill here, but we’ve got twice as many teams to cover in Africa than we did in Asia. The CAF Play-Off Tournament pits the top-four runners-up from the group stage of qualifying against one another, fighting in a single-elimination, mini-bracket. MLS star Denis Bouanga will be hoping to fire Gabon to their first-ever appearance at the World Cup finals, but with traditional African powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon in the way, it’s going to be a challenging road.
How to watch: FIFA+
Semifinals
- Nigeria vs. Gabon, Thursday, November 13, at 10:00 a.m. CT
- Cameroon vs. DR Congo, Thursday, November 13, at 1:00 p.m. CT
Final
- TBD vs. TBD, Sunday, November 16, 1:00 p.m. CT
Concacaf
The final round of Concacaf qualifying is finally coming to a close this international window, and all three groups are still up for grabs. All three group-winners will snag direct qualification, while the best two runners-up will head to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament in March 2026. All four teams in Group A could still mathematically top the bunch, while Group B and Group C are both down to three-horse races. The favorites at this point have to be Jamaica (Group B) and Honduras (Group C), but in a region that’s notoriously difficult to predict, your guess is as good as mine regarding who will qualify from here.
How to watch: Paramount+
Matchday 5
- Trinidad and Tobago vs. Jamaica, Thursday, November 13, at 6:00 p.m. CT
- Guatemala vs. Panama, Thursday, November 13, at 8:00 p.m. CT
- Nicaragua vs. Honduras, Thursday, November 13, at 8:00 p.m. CT
- Haiti vs. Costa Rica, Thursday, November 13, at 8:00 p.m. CT
Matchday 6
- Panama vs. El Salvador, Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. CT
- Costa Rica vs. Honduras, Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. CT
- Guatemala vs. Suriname, Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. CT
The Europeans are following our lead during this break, wrapping up their final group stage and doling out a total of 11 guaranteed spots this month. That’s right; 11 nations will secure direct qualification to next summer’s tournament, while all the group runners-up (plus four more based on Nations League results) go into UEFA’s own little play-off tournament to determine who will get their remaining four spots. I’m sure FIFA doesn’t pick “favorite” federations, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the continent with 16 direct spots might be the favorite. Not sure, though. Be sure to watch Greece for a potential Triantis debut, and follow Robin Lod and Finland as they chase a play-off tournament spot. Beyond that, keep an eye on the races between Norway and Italy, Germany and Slovakia, and Denmark and Scotland. Lots of tight battles for top spot, lots of excitement in store.
How to watch: FOX Sports
Matchday 9
- Finland vs. Malta, Friday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. CT
- Poland vs. Netherlands, Friday, November 14, at 1:45 p.m. CT
- Greece vs. Scotland, Saturday, November 15, at 1:45 p.m. CT
- Switzerland vs. Sweden, Saturday, November 15, at 1:45 p.m. CT
Matchday 10
- Italy vs. Norway, Sunday, November 16, at 1:45 p.m. CT
- Spain vs. Türkiye, Tuesday, November 18, at 1:45 p.m. CT
- Scotland vs. Denmark, Tuesday, November 18, at 1:45 p.m. CT
- Belarus vs. Greece, Tuesday, November 18, at 1:45 p.m. CT
Friendlies
More and more nations will be playing friendlies in the lead-up to the World Cup, as spots are confirmed and qualifying wraps up. We’ve got two Loons already in friendly mode, with Michael Boxall’s New Zealand and Dayne St. Clair’s Canada both using this window to fine tune their squads. Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT will be doing the same, taking on a pair of South American teams that have already booked their spots at next year’s tournament.
How to watch: FIFA+, Peacock, OneSoccer (depends on the match, of course)
- Canada vs. Ecuador, Thursday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m. CT
- Saudi Arabia vs. Ivory Coast, Friday, November 14, at 10:30 p.m. CT
- Brazil vs. Senegal, Saturday, November 15, at 10:00 a.m. CT
- USA vs. Paraguay, Saturday, November 15, at 4:00 p.m. CT
- New Zealand vs. Colombia, Saturday, November 15, at 5:00 p.m. CT
- Mexico vs. Uruguay, Saturday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m. CT
- Finland vs. Andorra, Monday, November 17, at 11:00 a.m. CT
- Japan vs. Bolivia, Tuesday, November 18, at 4:15 a.m. CT
- South Korea vs. Ghana, Tuesday, November 18, at 5:00 a.m. CT
- New Zealand vs. Ecuador, Tuesday, November 18, at 5:30 p.m. CT
- USA vs. Uruguay, Tuesday, November 18, at 6:00 p.m. CT
- Colombia vs. Australia, Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. CT
- Mexico vs. Paraguay, Tuesday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m. CT
The craziness is starting to coalesce. With qualifiers wrapping up and play-offs taking center stage, we’re creeping ever-closer to the grand event itself, meaning it’s going to get harder and harder for me to plan day-long soccer binges for you. But, never fear; there’s still a binge to be had here. It looks like Tuesday, November 18, is our best bet for catching wall-to-wall soccer, starting of course at 4:15 a.m. with Japan vs. Bolivia. Then, another red-eye friendly when South Korea faces Ghana at 5:00 a.m. Take a quick power nap, then get up for Iraq vs. UAE at 10:00. That’ll get you ready for your pick of UEFA qualifiers at 1:45, then grab some kind of food and wolf it down before Boxy plays at 5:30, right before all of the Concacaf action starts at 7:00 p.m. CT.
November 18: and official international soccer sicko holiday. I’ll be celebrating; will you?
