Top International Games to Watch out for in March
It is time for another FIFA international break! While it does mean that domestic competitions like the Premier League take a breather, this break comes with some very intriguing matches for football fans of all persuasions to look forward to.
This time, the FIFA World Cup qualifiers take centre stage across all confederations, with continents like Africa and South America being way into their qualifiers for the prestigious tournament. There is also the small matter of UEFA Nations League playoffs, which has some very high-profile games coming up.
There are loads of matches to look forward to across the confederations and all of them have the potential to be bigger than they are billed to be because of the stakes involved.
This will also be the last time that these teams will be facing each other until June and, for this reason, they will want to be in the best position going into their summer international breaks when they will most likely be tired from all the club football.
Here are our top five matches to look forward to during this March 2025 international break.
Netherlands v Spain – 20 March; Spain v Netherlands – 23 March
UEFA Nations League games will be played across Europe alongside the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for this confederation. Football giants Netherlands and Spain will be battling it out in the quarter-finals on 20 March and later on 23 March.
This is a match to look forward to because of the sheer number of Barcelona players called up to the side. Real Madrid-affiliated parties have complained bitterly about Luis de la Fuente’s favouritism of the Catalan side’s players, but this would mark the first time in almost two decades that a Spanish side was largely made up of Barcelona players.
There will also be big names that EPLNews fans are more accustomed to from the Premier League, especially in the Netherlands side.
Can anyone translate their impressive form from club to country? You have to watch to find out!
Uruguay v Argentina – 22 March
Argentina features twice in our list because of the calibre of matches they will play in their CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The current trophy holders are already a shoo-in to make it to the 2026 tournament, but it does not stop fans from enjoying their battles against their fellow South American sides.
First up for them in the March international break is Uruguay on 22 March at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, where the hosts will be hoping to get a second-straight win over the world champions in the qualifiers. This match could also see the return of captain Lionel Messi to the squad after he missed out on the November qualifier for fitness reasons.
England v Albania – 21 March
While this is not a high-profile match, or at least a match of the same calibre as the others on this list, it is one to watch because it is Thomas Tuchel’s England debut. The former Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund manager was a surprise choice to replace Gareth Southgate at the helm of affairs for the Three Lions of England.
He has had three months to build his team and scout the players. His selection raised eyebrows as expected and now he has exactly one match to show that he is the right man for the job or risk the infamous ire of the England fans and football media.
Argentina v Brazil – 26 March
Argentina will then host bitter rivals Brazil five days later in a match that will be followed globally. This rivalry is the El Clasico of international football but unfortunately, there will be no Messi vs Neymar showdown in this iteration of this classic fixture.
This is because the Brazilian football icon agreed to be withdrawn from the national team for fitness reasons after being included in the preliminary list to take on Colombia and Argentina in the qualifiers this March. Regardless, Argentina vs Brazil should provide incredible entertainment for fans of football the world over, as it almost always does.
Rwanda v Nigeria – 21 March
This is the must-see match out of the African continent in the March international break for a number of reasons. The primary one is the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s precarious position in their FIFA World Cup qualifying group.
Having missed out on the 2022 World Cup, they almost redeemed themselves with a magical run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they lost to hosts Côte d’Ivoire. They are now back in the same position they found themselves in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup and only a win against Rwanda can set them on the right path.
Two consecutive FIFA World Cup misses for Nigeria would do quite some damage to their international football reputation.