Despite all the doom and gloom of no Premier League football this weekend, there were some entertaining match-ups across the world during the first international break of the season. Here’s five things we’ve learned so far.
Embed from Getty ImagesCarsley unlocks Trent in an England shirt
After a summer of misusing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midfield under Gareth Southgate, Lee Carsley has helped the right back reach his brilliant best in an England shirt.
Although it’s only been one game, it’s clear Alexander-Arnold is far more suited to Carsley’s possession-based, high tempo style of play. He was man of the match after having the most touches in the match, making 10 passes into the final third (including one that led to the opening goal), seven ball recoveries and completing 87% of his passes.
Ronaldo continues to make history
Cristiano Ronaldo reached 900 goals on Thursday night as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1. The Al Nassr forward’s close range strike was his 131st for Portugal and it prompted an emotional celebration, as he fell to his knees by the corner flag in tears.
The goal marked Ronaldo’s 437th goal since turning 30, which is more than Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney managed across their entire careers.
San Marino finally win a game
After 20 years of waiting, San Marino finally won a competitive game of football. They beat Liechtenstein 1-0 as Nicko Sensoli scored the historic goal, 140 matches after their previous victory. Their last win came in April 2004 against Liechtenstein where the final score was 1-0 again, talk about deja vu! Next up they face Moldova, can they do the impossible?
Haaland in human after all
Despite a stellar start to the Premier League season, scoring two hat-tricks in his first three matches, Erling Haaland couldn’t find a way through Kazakhstan’s defence. The Norwegian striker failed to hit the target with any of this four shots against Kazakhstan. It’s the first time he has failed to score in a game since the 2024/25 season began. The game ended 0-0, a very quiet night for a usually ruthless Haaland.
Embed from Getty ImagesGermany adapting post Toni Kroos
After Toni Kroos’ retirement after the European Championships, there were concerns as to who would fill the void in the midfield. The answer against Hungary was Borussia Dortmund’s Pascal Gross. The former Brighton man hasn’t enjoyed the same career as Kroos but with him in the middle, Germany were impressive. They were decisive and dangerous with the ball – more effective, more varied and more fluid.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
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