Super Eagles, Messi & Kane
The first international break of the 2026-27 season ended on Tuesday with teams from all the continents in action, some in friendly matches, and some in competitive games.
Most Football fans don’t like the international break especially so early in the new season but they are left with no choice than to follow their favourite national teams in action.
FirstDailySports takes a look at the five major talking points during the break.
1. Super Eagles’ Embarrassing Defeat to Guinea-Bissau
For many Nigerian football fans, the Super Eagles no longer carry the same importance since they failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Yet the team made matters worse with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match which followed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Madagascar.
Nigerians took to social media to express their disappointment with yet another poor showing from the national team, with some blaming the players while some criticising Eric Chelle for his selection.
The Super Eagles however bounced back with a 3-3 fighting performance in a friendly against Russia.
Read Also: INT’L FRIENDLY: Super Eagles force Russia to 3-3 draw
2. Ronaldo’s Clash With Portugal Coach, Jorge Jesus
Another major talking point from the international break was Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s camp after being an unused substitute against Norway and then finding out he would not start against Denmark.
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus asked Ronaldo to warm up in the clash against Norway but ended up not playing him, which drew the anger of the country’s top scorer.
The former Real Madrid star claimed that the coach made a mistake by asking him to warm up and not play him, in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday.
Football fans took to social media to criticise Ronaldo for being selfish while some blamed the coach for disrespecting the country’s greatest player.
Read Also: Ronaldo opens up on fall-out with Portugal coach, apologises for leaving camp
3. Messi’s Final Match For Argentina
The legendary Messi appeared in his last match for Argentina in a 3-0 win on his farewell appearance on Wednesday following a glittering 21-year spell.
Messi marked his final match with a goal and two assists in the encounter, drawing praises from far and wide for his contributions to the country’s successes over the years.
He bowed out of international football with the following impressive records.
207 caps — Argentina’s record holder, ahead of Javier Mascherano (147). 125 goals — The Albiceleste’s all-time leading scorer, ahead of Batistuta (56). 8 international finals — 3 titles and 5 defeats.
21 World Cup goals — The second-highest total in history, behind Mbappé (22). 3 World Cup finals — A record shared with Cafu of Brazil.
68 assists – The all-time leading assist provider in international football. 113 matches with Di Maria — His most frequent teammate in the national team.
Messi ended his Argentina career as the country’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer, with 208 appearances and 126 goals.
Read Also: Rohr disappointed Benin players didn’t get photos with Messi at farewell game
4. Michael Olise’s Growing Importance to France
Ballon d’Or contender Michael Olise produced a series of impressive performances for France in the international break, further establishing his growing influence in the team.
The Bayern Munich winger is pressing a strong button ahead of the Ballon d’Or award ceremony later this month following a stunning start to the season for club and country.
Olise scored the winning goal for France in the 1-0 win over Belgium before scoring in the 1-1 draw against Italy.
He then produced a masterclass performance in the 4-1 win over Belgium in the second leg with a late brace to blow the Red Devils away.
He scored in three out of four matches that the French national team played under Zinedine Zidane in the Nations League.
Olise has continued from where he stopped at the 2026 World Cup, where he recorded seven assists and created 21 chances for his teammates.
After a season with 25 goals and 28 assists for Bayern Munich, Olise is now seen as one of the world’s best players and a major contender for the Ballon d’Or award.
5. Kane Boosts Ballon d’Or Chances with Nations League Showing
Harry Kane is another Bayern Munich player, who is a strong contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, following his match-winning performances for club and country.
Kane followed up his performances in the World Cup, where he scored six goals and recorded one assist with an impressive showing in the Nations League.
He scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich last season and led them to a league and cup double. He also scored 12 goals for England last season.
He has started the new international season with a bang, scoring six goals in four matches for England in the Nations League to further establish his importance to the team.
Former England players have been tipping him as the Ballon d’Or winner following a record-breaking season for club and country.
Kane equalled Peter Shilton’s 125th men’s appearance record and went on to score his 90th and 91st international goals at Wembley against Czech Republic and he is targeting a century of goals for his country.
The 33-year-old will be hoping to move closer to the mark when England face Spain and Croatia in November in the Nations League.
Eagles, Messi, Ballon d’Or — Five major talking points from the int’l break
The first international break of the 2026-27 season ended on Tuesday with teams from all the continents in action, some in friendly matches, and some in competitive games.
Most Football fans don’t like the international break especially so early in the new season but they are left with no choice than to follow their favourite national teams in action.
FirstDailySports takes a look at the five major talking points during the break.
1. Super Eagles’ Embarrassing Defeat to Guinea-Bissau
For many Nigerian football fans, the Super Eagles no longer carry the same importance since they failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Yet the team made matters worse with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match which followed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Madagascar.
Nigerians took to social media to express their disappointment with yet another poor showing from the national team, with some blaming the players while some criticising Eric Chelle for his selection.
The Super Eagles however bounced back with a 3-3 fighting performance in a friendly against Russia.
Read Also: INT’L FRIENDLY: Super Eagles force Russia to 3-3 draw
2. Ronaldo’s Clash With Portugal Coach, Jorge Jesus
Another major talking point from the international break was Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal’s camp after being an unused substitute against Norway and then finding out he would not start against Denmark.
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus asked Ronaldo to warm up in the clash against Norway but ended up not playing him, which drew the anger of the country’s top scorer.
The former Real Madrid star claimed that the coach made a mistake by asking him to warm up and not play him, in a lengthy social media post on Tuesday.
Football fans took to social media to criticise Ronaldo for being selfish while some blamed the coach for disrespecting the country’s greatest player.
Read Also: Ronaldo opens up on fall-out with Portugal coach, apologises for leaving camp
3. Messi’s Final Match For Argentina
The legendary Messi appeared in his last match for Argentina in a 3-0 win on his farewell appearance on Wednesday following a glittering 21-year spell.
Messi marked his final match with a goal and two assists in the encounter, drawing praises from far and wide for his contributions to the country’s successes over the years.
He bowed out of international football with the following impressive records.
207 caps — Argentina’s record holder, ahead of Javier Mascherano (147). 125 goals — The Albiceleste’s all-time leading scorer, ahead of Batistuta (56). 8 international finals — 3 titles and 5 defeats.
21 World Cup goals — The second-highest total in history, behind Mbappé (22). 3 World Cup finals — A record shared with Cafu of Brazil.
68 assists – The all-time leading assist provider in international football. 113 matches with Di Maria — His most frequent teammate in the national team.
Messi ended his Argentina career as the country’s most-capped player and leading goalscorer, with 208 appearances and 126 goals.
Read Also: Rohr disappointed Benin players didn’t get photos with Messi at farewell game
4. Michael Olise’s Growing Importance to France
Ballon d’Or contender Michael Olise produced a series of impressive performances for France in the international break, further establishing his growing influence in the team.
The Bayern Munich winger is pressing a strong button ahead of the Ballon d’Or award ceremony later this month following a stunning start to the season for club and country.
Olise scored the winning goal for France in the 1-0 win over Belgium before scoring in the 1-1 draw against Italy.
He then produced a masterclass performance in the 4-1 win over Belgium in the second leg with a late brace to blow the Red Devils away.
He scored in three out of four matches that the French national team played under Zinedine Zidane in the Nations League.
Olise has continued from where he stopped at the 2026 World Cup, where he recorded seven assists and created 21 chances for his teammates.
After a season with 25 goals and 28 assists for Bayern Munich, Olise is now seen as one of the world’s best players and a major contender for the Ballon d’Or award.
5. Kane Boosts Ballon d’Or Chances with Nations League Showing
Harry Kane is another Bayern Munich player, who is a strong contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, following his match-winning performances for club and country.
Kane followed up his performances in the World Cup, where he scored six goals and recorded one assist with an impressive showing in the Nations League.
He scored 61 goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich last season and led them to a league and cup double. He also scored 12 goals for England last season.
He has started the new international season with a bang, scoring six goals in four matches for England in the Nations League to further establish his importance to the team.
Former England players have been tipping him as the Ballon d’Or winner following a record-breaking season for club and country.
Kane equalled Peter Shilton’s 125th men’s appearance record and went on to score his 90th and 91st international goals at Wembley against Czech Republic and he is targeting a century of goals for his country.
The 33-year-old will be hoping to move closer to the mark when England face Spain and Croatia in November in the Nations League.
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