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- The Assist: Tuchel's first test and a Bigfoot sighting
The Assist: Tuchel's first test and a Bigfoot sighting
World Cup qualifying starts in Europe, Tuchel makes England debut, and Mexico back on top in CONCACAF?
England vs. Albania
The road to the 2026 World Cup starts for European nations this week. And a new era begins for England’s Three Lions as Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his first game in international football.
His initial squad raised eyebrows - a recall for Jordan Henderson, the initial lack of Morgan Gibbs-White, plus Dan Burn, who will become the oldest England debutant in 15 years, if he gets on the pitch.
Albania are the familiar visitors to Wembley on Friday, with the two drawn together just as they were in qualifying for the last World Cup. Harry Kane scored a first half hat-trick in their last meeting, with England running out 5-0 winners. The fifth goalscorer that day was Jordan Henderson, scoring the second of three international goals amassed across 81 appearances for his country.
Panama vs. Mexico
There’s silverware on offer during this international break, and it comes in the form of the CONCACAF Nations League Finals. And for Mexico, the top ranked nation in the region, it’s a chance to win the fledgling competition for the first time.
That is thanks, in part, to Panama’s Canal Men, who handed Mauricio Pochettino a first competitive defeat as coach of the USMNT in Thursday’s semi-finals.
Panama have developed a knack for beating the US, knocking them out of the 2023 Gold Cup as they themselves reached the final, and also in the group stage at the last Copa America.
Mexico vs. Panama is therefore a rematch of the Gold Cup final that Mexico won thanks to a solitary goal from Milan’s Santiago Giménez.
Netherlands vs. Spain
In UEFA, away from the World Cup qualifiers, there’s the small matter of the ongoing Nations League season to complete. And for the top sides, we’re halfway through the quarterfinal stage.
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino earned Spain a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands with a 93rd minute goal on Thursday night, setting up a showdown back at Valencia’s Mestalla on Sunday night.
The reigning European champions haven’t beaten the Dutch since the final of the 2010 World Cup, with their doomed title defence at the 2014 finals starting with a memorable Robin van Persie-inspired shellacking that ended 5-1 to the Netherlands.
Spain’s current generation may well be keen to exorcise that particular demon and move on to defend their Nations League title in this summer’s finals tournament.
Scotland vs. Greece
Further down the UEFA Nations League system, we’re also in the middle of the playoffs that decide promotion and relegation between the four leagues.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland are one of the nations involved, as they bid to avoid dropping out of the elite League A level. And they made a good start, beating League B promotion hopefuls Greece 1-0 away on Thursday evening.
As he so often has been for his national team in recent years, Scott McTominay was the difference maker, scoring from the spot, and continuing his solid club form as part of a Napoli side currently embroiled in the Serie A title race.
Scotland will look to back up that result in the second leg at Hampden Park.
Away from international football this week, we’ve been enjoying the first round of the 110th edition of the US Open Cup, the USA’s oldest club competition. This is an opportunity to shine a light on the lower league pros who, at this stage, face off against the amateur sides run by committed volunteers all around the country. One of our favourites is Appalachian FC, based in Boone, North Carolina. That’s bigfoot country.
Appalachian FC are believers. The Sasquatch can be seen on their club crest and roaming the stands during games acting as the club mascot. And now, for a limited time only, the playing side even have a bigfoot-inspired kit. That’s gotta itch.
While the Sasquatch supporters were knocked out on Wednesday, there are plenty of reasons to follow the rest of the cup — it features some of soccer’s best crests, club names like Portland Hearts of Pine, plus our favourite burrito shop is making another cup run.
Manchester City and Chelsea meet for a grudge match in the WSL on Sunday. Chelsea were also City’s previous opponents. And their last game before that? Also Chelsea.
Yes, these sides are halfway through a mini four-game series played against each other, in three different competitions, across just 13 days!
First, the Blues beat City to lift the League Cup. And then there came the midweek shock in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals tie.
Here, City won thanks to two second half goals from Vivianne Miedema, a result that ended a mammoth 31 game unbeaten run for the Londoners. A run that had spanned the entirety of this season and therefore the entirety of Sonia Bompastor’s reign as Chelsea boss.
Of course, Bompastor can exact swift revenge this weekend. And will be plotting the same in the Champions League, where Chelsea will be back on home turf in next week.
In the week that Thomas Tuchel selects his first England team, we asked 100 average football fans to select their best XI for the Three Lions using the FotMob line-up builder - and received 100 different answers!
Learn more about the upwardly mobile, Red Bull supported club that are moving in next door to the Parc Des Princes with the stated aim of challenging PSG’s hegemony in the French capital.
The Newcastle United supporting, 6”7’ defender got his first ever call-up to the England team last Friday, then scored a header at Wembley on the Sunday in the Carabao Cup Final — a goal that helped his beloved Magpies end a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.
Think you know better? Head over to the FotMob Lineup Builder and build out the XI you believe can bring your country glory this international break.
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