International football once again takes the limelight as we are set for the second international break this season. This is always an opportune time for clubs and fans alike to support their homeland and their favourite players.
Obviously, it is with utmost pride when players get called by their national team to don the country’s uniform in hopes of bringing pride and glory to their motherland, but it’s not always that simple.
Most of the time, young studs and rising stars always grab the opportunity to commit to international duties as they are still young and full of vigour, but as the players get more seasoned, they start to deal with lingering injuries and load management. Some would even just rather take the time to rest and recover for the longevity of their career.
Read on below as SBOTOP recognizes three of the plethora of players who you should keep an eye on during the October international break.
Jude Bellingham, England
It has been a remarkable season for Jude Bellingham in La Liga. The Real Madrid hero has cemented his stardom playing for the Los Blancos, as he leads the club in both goals (10) and assists (3). The 20-year-old English stud is playing beyond his years and is comfortably leading one of the most prestigious clubs in the world atop the La Liga league table.
The Maestro of Madrid came from a brilliant performance against a striving Osasuna, scoring two goals en route to a clean sheet, bolstering Madrid’s lead in the league table. Bellingham scored the first goal of the match when veteran Modric delivered a slicing ball to Vini Jr. who immediately passed the ball to a cutting Bellingham for a calm strike that found the back of the net.
He then got his second goal from a give-and-go with Valverde. Bellingham slithered his way out of the sea of defenders and struck the ball between the keeper’s legs.
In his last outing for the Three Lions, the Madrid star, just like his outing against Osasuna, led his team to victory by providing an assist and scoring a goal of his own. England visited Hampden Park for an international friendly against Scotland. The Scottish side proved no threat against the Bellingham-led England squad as they flexed their form to a 3-1 victory.
Bellingham will likely do the same for England for their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign against Italy after their friendly bout against Australia in Wembley.
Kim Min-Jae, South Korea
Korean defender Kim Min-Jae has proven to be one of the best defenders in the world. His performance for his former club Napoli caught the eye of multiple suitors, and he was even nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or.
Now, he is having a stellar year for Bundesliga juggernaut Bayern Munich. He is the man-in-command of Bayern’s defence, and he’s been contributing in multiple aspects of the game with his high IQ, stern defence, and efficient passing.
Kim has been selected by South Korea to represent his country for their two friendlies against Tunisia on October 13 and against Vietnam on October 17. Expect Kim to bolster an already intimidating South Korean defence in their international friendlies and maybe even in their World Cup qualifying campaign next month.
Lionel Messi, Argentina
Controversies swirl around the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who headlined Football 2023 news after getting called up by Argentina. The MLS star had missed quite a few pivotal matches for Inter Miami due to injuries, which included the U.S. Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo, as the club is trying to make a run for the MLS playoffs, but with only a few matches remaining in the season, Inter Miami’s chances of making the postseason get thinner and thinner with every game that Messi is sidelined.
Ultimately, Inter Miami have just won one of the five games Messi had missed, and their recent defeat against the Chicago Fire has seen their play-off hopes dwindle. His decision to suit up for Argentina amidst his already long-time absence for Miami will unlikely sit well with Miami fans, who had big hopes that Messi would lead their club to a deep playoff run.
If ever the best player of the 2022 World Cup decides to suit up and boost Argentina’s chances to defend their World Cup title, there will surely be a great shakeup in the Football 2023 odds moving forward.
Now, Argentina national team manager Lionel Scaloni hopes that their golden boy will suit up for the defending World Cup champions for their World Cup qualifying matches against Paraguay on October 13 and Peru on October 18.
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