At Least South America Has Some Proper Matches
The international break returns.
Club football has paused this week for an international break, and so shall The Football Weekend podcast. That’s not to say there are no games worth watching over this period — you can find a few below — but this is a fine time to step back and take stock of things. The flood of international breaks in the autumn was something between a joke and an atrocity, coming as they did so soon after EURO 2024 and Copa América, but this club intermission is (borderline) welcome after a relentless winter period.
We did fill the void a bit this week with the second edition of our CATHEDRALS series on the world’s great stadiums. It’s a deep dive on Anfield that traces the roots of the Kop’s unique cultural traditions back to some 1960s alchemy, when the Beatles and the Liverpool sound fused with Irish oral traditions to create a phenomenon. But the fundamental question throughout is whether the famous atmosphere under the lights on a Champions League night has changed, and whether Liverpool’s citadel is still a place apart from the rest.
Do check it out, and maybe send it to a Red you know? And if this kind of thing wets your whistle, have a look at the previous edition on Goodison Park as Everton prepare to leave after 133 years.
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LONG READS
⚽︎ The Athletic has a new series on club finances, beginning with Arsenal. But can I encourage you to stay with the OG, , a true Substack independent?
⚽︎ Speaking of Substack, I occasionally contribute to and they’ve got a story on “Today’s Perfect Midfielder” — PSG’s Vitinha, who was indeed fantastic against Liverpool last week.
⚽︎ If you’re wondering what the Thomas Tuchel era will look like for England, Henry Winter, Clive Tyldesley, and Barney Ronay all offer glimpses this week.
⚽︎ Japan have already qualified for World Cup 2026, and Dan Orlowitz has a story on their “increasingly multicultural” squad in The Guardian.
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MATCHES
URUGUAY vs ARGENTINA
Fri @ 7:30pm ET, 11:30pm UK
This is first against third in the South American World Cup qualifying table — and a rivalry for the ages. It goes back to the tournament’s first edition in 1934, when Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final. They last met in November 2023, when the Uruguayans won 2-0, a testament to how much they’ve narrowed the gap with the mighty Argentines over the last decade and a half. It’s the Albiceleste, though, who wear the World Cup crown at present.
WREXHAM vs STOCKPORT COUNTY
Sat @ 11am ET, 3pm UK
An international break is a fine time to have a look down the leagues in England, and here’s a League One bout with promotion stakes. The Welsh FC Hollywood, Wrexham, are already up to third in this division following last year’s promotion from League Two. Stockport came up with them, having actually finished four points clear of Wrexham despite the Dragons’ formidable resources under the new ownership. These are two clubs that are going places.
THE GLORIOUS NATIONS LEAGUE
Sun @ 3:45pm ET, 7:45pm UK
The Weekend’s feelings about the Nations League — UEFA or otherwise — are well-documented: It’s a bit silly. But when Europe’s great powers come together, perhaps it’s worth paying attention, even if the authorities did not consider these matches important enough to schedule them at different times.
Yes, all three of these matches kick off at once: GERMANY vs ITALY, SPAIN vs the NETHERLANDS, and FRANCE vs CROATIA. Pick your (mild) poison.
ARGENTINA vs BRAZIL
Tue @ 8pm ET
OK, here’s a proper heater. The South Americans aren’t messing about with any Nations League. This one’s a World Cup qualifier matching up the continent’s two greatest powers, and it should be a real bust-up full of spite and quality technical play.
After a poor start to qualifying, Brazil shot up to second in the table with a stunning late victory over Colombia on Thursday night. Nine minutes into stoppage time, Vinícius Jr. smashed in the winner from distance off service from Raphinha, who’s swiftly become one of the very best players in the world. The Seleção may finally be cooking. Argentina, meanwhile, is Argentina.
We’ve been denied a matchup of Lionel Messi and Neymar due to injury — they’ve both pulled out of national team duty this week — but there will be a lot of footballing ability on show here.
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GEAR
👕 This new “VRCT” drop from Adidas for the Jamaican national team is seriously strong. A varsity jacket, track jacket, hoodie, and more…
👕 This warmup was good enough for Spain when they won Euro 2024, so surely it’s good enough for your closet? Besides, it’s on sale at Classic Football Shirts for $45.⚽︎