Sure, the season was just starting to really heat up, but why keep that momentum going? It’s the perfect time for some international soccer: right ahead of the final stretch of the MLS regular season! The boys will go off, get some competitive minutes with their national teams, and bring that vigor right back to the states when they return. Sure, it disrupts our flow, but a healthy dose of national team duty is pure medicine for any player in search of motivation. Check out my picks from what should be an extremely exciting window across the world!

Loons

We may have lost one of our international Loons during the transfer window (good luck at Villareal, Tani!), but the usual suspects are still kicking it for both the Black and Blue as well as their national teams. As always, look out for bolded matches in this month’s international guide to find every game that could feature an MNUFC player, and feel free to check out a few of my non-bolded picks while you’re at it:

• Dayne St. Clair - Canada
• Robin Lod - Finland
• Joseph Rosales - Honduras
• Michael Boxall - New Zealand
• Carlos Harvey - Panama

World Cup Qualifiers: CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, UEFA

We’re officially less than a year away from the World Cup coming to our shores, and that means it’s crunch time for everyone who hasn’t already booked their spot in next summer’s tournament. Just 13 of the 48 spots have been filled, leaving plenty of room for hopeful nations across the globe to either secure their spot or take a step closer during this international window. Check out some of the most exciting stories set to unfold during the next week of action:

CAF

Here’s the state of affairs in African qualifying: There are currently nine qualifying groups playing for their spots, with only the winners of each securing an automatic spot at the big dance. The rest will be fighting to be one of the best four runners-up, who will face off in a second round that offers one last shot. The likes of Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Ghana will all be looking to either mathematically seal their spots or push themselves to the very brink of qualification. Meanwhile, several groups will see some big-time matchups between first and second, meaning this window could determine who’s in and who’s out for Cape Verde, Cameroon, DR Congo, Senegal, Gabon, and Ivory Coast.

How to watch: FIFA+

Matchday 7

• Chad vs. Ghana, Thursday, September 4, at 8:00 a.m. CT
• Tunisia vs. Liberia, Thursday, September 4, at 2:00 p.m. CT
• Morocco vs. Niger, Friday, September 5, at 2:00 p.m. CT

Matchday 8

• DR Congo vs. Senegal, Tuesday, September 9, at 11:00 a.m. CT
• Cape Verde vs. Cameroon, Tuesday, September 9, at 11:00 a.m. CT
• Gabon vs. Ivory Coast, Tuesday, September 9, at 2:00 p.m. CT

Concacaf

In our neck of the woods, three groups of four remain in contention for a spot in next summer’s tournament, with the winners of each group securing an automatic bid. This window marks the start of this Third Round of Concacaf Qualifiers, meaning it’s anyone’s game at this point in time. Panama, Jamaica, Honduras, and Costa Rica have got to be among the favorites to go through, with the latter two facing off in what will likely be a very tight Group C.

How to watch: Paramount+

Matchday 1

• Panama vs. Suriname, Thursday, September 4, at 4:30 p.m. CT

• Haiti vs. Honduras, Friday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m. CT

• Nicaragua vs. Costa Rica, Friday, September 5, at 9:00 p.m. CT

Matchday 2

• Panama vs. Guatemala, Monday, September 8, at 8:30 p.m. CT

• Jamaica vs. Trinidad and Tobago, Tuesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m. CT

• Honduras vs. Nicaragua, Tuesday, September 9, at 9:00 p.m. CT

CONMEBOL

The pressure-cooker that is CONMEBOL qualifying picks up right where it left off last window, with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia all on the verge of booking their tickets to 2026. This is the final window for teams to secure an automatic bid, and with just three spots left to fight for, outsiders Venezuela and Bolivia may end up battling it out for the seventh-place spot that will get them into the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, a last-chance qualifier that pits teams that almost made the cuts around the globe against one another for the final remaining spots.

How to watch: DAZN

Matchday 17

• Colombia vs. Bolivia, Thursday, September 4, at 6:30 p.m. CT
• Paraguay vs. Ecuador, Thursday, September 4, at 6:30 p.m. CT

Matchday 18

• Chile vs. Uruguay, Tuesday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m. CT
• Venezuela vs. Colombia, Tuesday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m. CT

UEFA

Over in Europe, all twelve groups are set to take their next step toward qualification. Six have already started in a previous window, while six will be kicking things off this month. They’re all over the place organizationally, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not anyone can automatically qualify this week. Outside of watching Robin and his Finnish teammates, I recommend watching some of the usual suspects. If you can catch a Sweden game, take a look at two of the most expensive strikers in the Premier League. Maybe watch Norway to see if they can take that next step they’ve been looking for. I guess I’ll be watching mostly Scandinavian soccer; you should, too.

How to watch: Disney+, FOX Sports

Matchday 5

• Netherlands vs. Poland, Thursday, September 5, at 1:45 p.m CT
• Slovenia vs. Switzerland, Friday, September 5, at 1:45 p.m. CT
• Denmark vs. Scotland, Friday, September 5, at 1:45 p.m. CT

Matchday 6

• Poland vs. Finland, Sunday, September 7, at 1:45 p.m. CT
• Türkiye vs. Spain, Sunday, September 7, at 1:45 p.m. CT
• Greece vs. Denmark, Monday, September 8, at 1:45 p.m. CT

Friendlies

For nations already qualified for the World Cup — and some just looking to fill time — friendlies are always an option. Dayne St. Clair and the Canadian national team will be taking on a pair of European nations, while Mauricio Pochettino looks to lead his USMNT against Asian opposition. Boxy and his fellow Kiwis will be playing a home and away series against rival Australia, and plenty more fun friendlies will be sprinkled throughout this delightful international break.

How to watch: FIFA+, Peacock, OneSoccer (depends on the match, of course)

• Norway vs. Finland, Thursday, September 5, at 11:00 a.m. CT

• Australia vs. New Zealand, Friday, September 5, at 4:45 a.m. CT

• Romania vs. Canada, Friday, September 5, at 1:00 p.m. CT
• Wales vs. Canada, Tuesday, September 9, at 1:45 p.m. CT

• USA vs. South Korea, Saturday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m. CT

• New Zealand vs. Australia, Tuesday, September 9, at 2:00 a.m. CT

• USA vs. Japan, Tuesday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m. CT

I don’t know about you, but with the arrival of fall comes an increase in craziness. Schedules are getting packed, school is coming back, and soccer is kicking into overdrive. Can I afford to binge watch international soccer for a week? Probably not. Will I try anyway? No comment, of course.