Best Moments Of The International Break
The international break is usually a period dreaded by club football fans who have to wait with bated breath and boredom as their club’s best players put themselves through grueling journeys to represent their national teams.
However, the final international break of the 2023/24 season had its fair share of thrills as there were a number of blockbuster matches between some of the best national teams in the world.
With that in mind, here are some of the best moments of the March 2024 international break.
England vs Brazil
The Three Lions of England had won their last 11 international friendlies at home going into a high-profile encounter against the five-time World champions, Brazil. England had in fact won all five of their home matches since the 2022 World Cup, scoring 15 goals and conceding just once.
Brazil, on the other hand, have had a disappointing run of results recently, with a four-match winless streak and three straight defeats. The Seleção were knocked out by Croatia on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinals and have struggled to find their feet since.
Thus, the friendly at Wembley set up an interesting occasion for both teams and a cagey game unsurprisingly had the intensity of a Premier League match given the number of England-based stars on both sides. The match was ultimately decided by Endrick’s tap-in from a deflected Vinicius shot to represent his first international goal on just his third appearance in the famous jersey.
It made the 17-year-old the third youngest player to score for Brazil and the youngest man to ever score a goal at the famous Wembley Stadium.
Toni Kroos Returns with a Vintage Assist
The Germany national team has been undergoing a painful rebuild over the last few years and a number of disappointing results have followed as they struggle with a change of identity.
Die Mannschaft had lost six of their last 10 matches, winning two and drawing two, while head coach Hansi Flick was replaced by Julian Nagelsmann as they gear up to host Euro 2024. A friendly date with France was not the best choice of opponent given the second-ranked side in the world are in impeccable form.
Les Blues had won three, drawn one and suffered one loss from their last five meetings but all of that changed only EIGHT SECONDS after kick-off as the returning Toni Kroos exquisitely found Florian Wirtz in space. The Bayer Leverkusen ace hit a wonderful strike for the earliest goal scored in Germany’s history, before Kai Havertz added another goal in the second half.
This victory is key for the Germans as it provided a timely boost of confidence and ensured they won back-to-back matches against Les Blues following their friendly win last September. Nagelsmann’s side were able to build on that impressive performance with another win and Kroos assist in a 2-1 win over the Netherlands to close out a positive international window.
Spain vs Brazil
The theme of high-profile friendlies continued across Europe as La Roja hosted the Green-Yellow at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. Rodri opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Dani Olmo added to the lead with a solo effort, but Rodrygo capitalised on Unai Simon’s error to halve the deficit before halftime.
Endrick also got in on the scoring act in his soon-to-be home to level the scores and set up a tense second half. This cracking affair was not done just yet as Rodri completed his penalty brace in the 87th minute, but Lucas Paqueta upstaged that effort with a calm finish from the spot for the last kick of the game.
It is pertinent to note that these games were not short on entertainment because instances of inter-continental friendlies have been replaced by a lot of continental competitions such as the UEFA Nations League recently. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to see two groups of the very best players in the world representing their countries with little at stake.
Nigeria vs Ghana
The big international games were not only taking place in Europe, as Nigeria also took on Ghana on March 22 for a fixture that is rich in history. This is a West African rivalry that is always hotly contested and there was little disappointment when they lined up for action at the Stade de Marrakech in Morocco.
The Super Eagles were playing for the first time under the caretaker charge of Finidi George, while Ghana were also welcoming Otto Addo back to the fold after leaving his post following the 2022 World Cup. Despite the experimental look to the lineups, the game was not lacking in end-to-end action and Cyriel Dessers duly opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Ghana’s chances at a comeback were compounded early in the second half when Jerome Opoku was sent off (an indication of how intense this game was), and Nigeria doubled their lead late on with Ademola Lookman’s fourth international goal of 2024.
The drama and excitement lasted right up to the very end, as Jordan Ayew found the net from a penalty in added time. However, it proved too little, too late for the Black Stars.
England vs Belgium
The third and fourth-best national sides in the world collided at Wembley for the final leg of the March international friendlies. It was anticipated to be just as competitive as the other glamour friendly fixtures, with two of the biggest teams in world football usually serving up a fast-paced, intensely contested game full of energy.
Things got off to an electric start with Youri Tielemans profiting from a costly Jordan Pickford error to slam the ball into the bottom corner of the net in the 11th minute. Ivan Toney was putting on an impressive showing on his first start for England and he cooly converted a spot-kick he had won only six minutes after the opening goal.
Belgium went ahead again with Romelu Lukaku’s wonderful outside-of-the-boot cross meeting the head of Tielemans who completed his brace. However, the Three Lions avoided a second straight Wembley defeat as Jude Bellingham netted a last-gasp equaliser to bring the international break to a close for the Albion.
Their pair of friendlies has left England fans with enough food for thought ahead of the start of EURO 2024 this summer.