The Premier League is on a hiatus for three weeks until games return on April 10.
International football takes centre stage before the FA Cup and European competition return in early April, with teams competing for the remaining six places at the World Cup, or take part in friendlies.
We asked our club writers which players are off on international duty during the break.
Arsenal
Arsenal have 15 first-team players involved in international matches across senior and youth levels. Riccardo Calafiori, Viktor Gyokeres and Christian Norgaard have the most meaningful matches: World Cup play-offs. On Thursday in the semi-finals, Calafiori’s Italy play Northern Ireland in Bergamo and Gyokeres’ Sweden travel to Valencia in Spain to face Ukraine, while Norgaard’s Denmark host North Macedonia in Copenhagen, with finals to follow on Tuesday should their sides win.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Ben White are the four players named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Both of England’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan will be played at London’s Wembley Stadium, so the club will be pleased with the limited travel for them. At youth level, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Tommy Setford received England Under-21 call-ups, with European Championship qualifiers away to Andorra and at home in Norwich. Max Dowman is part of the under-19s squad, whose European Championship qualifiers are being played in Portugal.
Gabriel Martinelli has the most travelling of Arsenal’s internationals, with Brazil playing two friendlies in the United States: against France near Boston and Croatia in Orlando, Florida.
Gabriel Martinelli has two friendlies in the U.S. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
David Raya, Martin Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera will join their Spain colleagues in Villarreal to face Serbia, then travel on to Barcelona for a friendly with Egypt, while Kai Havertz’s Germany play neighbours Switzerland away before hosting Ghana in Stuttgart. Piero Hincapie will also stay in Europe rather than make the long trip to South America as Ecuador face Morocco in Madrid and the Netherlands in Eindhoven.
Eberechi Eze (England, calf), William Saliba (France, ankle), Gabriel (Brazil, knee), Leandro Trossard (Belgium, unspecified) are missing due to injury.
Art de Roche
Aston Villa
Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers have been named in England’s squad, with Villa team-mate Ollie Watkins a notable omission. They are playing Uruguay and Japan at Wembley.
Emiliano Martinez has home friendlies with Argentina against Mauritania and Zambia. Lucas Digne has been called up again with France, who are off to the United States to face Brazil and Colombia. Belgium duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans similarly face the U.S. and Mexico in America.
Victor Lindelof (Sweden) has a World Cup qualification play-off against Ukraine (winners to play Albania or Poland). So too does Matty Cash, with Poland playing Albania in their semi-final, and Leon Bailey (Jamaica) against New Caledonia, for the right to face DR Congo in the final. Captain John McGinn has already qualified for the summer’s tournament with Scotland, who take on Japan and Ivory Coast in friendlies.
Jacob Tanswell
Bournemouth
The future is bright for 19-year-old Rayan, who received his first Brazil senior call-up from Carlo Ancelotti. They face France and Croatia in friendlies in the United States.
Marcos Senesi will be kicking it with Lionel Messi and company for two friendlies back home in Argentina. Ryan Christie will be involved with Scotland as they warm up for the World Cup with games against Japan in Glasgow and the Ivory Coast on Merseyside at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Brooks will be hoping to play a part for Wales in their World Cup play-off semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the winners meeting Italy or Northern Ireland.
Amine Adli is part of the Morocco squad who will play Ecuador and Paraguay. Christos Mandas is on Greece duty and Djordje Petrovic with Serbia. Alex Toth was called up by Hungary. Meanwhile, Alex Jimenez is with Spain Under-21s and Junior Kroupi is with their France counterparts.
Caoimhe O’Neill
Brentford
The biggest news is Igor Thiago’s maiden call-up for Brazil for their friendlies in the U.S. against France and Croatia. Caoimhin Kelleher and Nathan Collins have joined up with the Republic of Ireland for their World Cup play-off semi-final away to the Czech Republic.
Should they win that game, Kelleher and Collins could go up against Mathias Jensen, rewarded by Denmark for his consistent performances in Brentford’s midfield with a recall after winning his most recent cap in March 2024, in their bracket’s final in Dublin. Denmark have also selected Mikkel Damsgaard, though he missed the goalless draw with Leeds on Saturday due to a knock.
Kristoffer Ajer is with Norway, while Jordan Henderson has made Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Under-21s striker Michel Boni, 17, has been called up by Benin’s senior team too.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Brighton and Hove Albion
Losing multiple members of the squad involved for their countries in World Cup play-offs and friendlies is unfavourable timing for Fabian Hurzeler, a potential momentum-stopper after four wins out of five in the Premier League.
The exodus is expanded by Jason Steele’s England call-up and a Germany recall for Pascal Gross. Non-internationals have time off and will tick over with an 11 vs 11 game in-house, with younger age groups making up the numbers.
Jason Steele has been called up by England (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Where are Brighton’s lads playing? In short, all over the place. At least Kaoru Mitoma has not got far to travel this time for friendlies away to Scotland and England. The Japan international is just back from ankle discomfort. There will also not be long-distance travel fatigue for Diego Gomez, as Paraguay have friendlies against Greece in Athens and against Morocco in Lens, France.
Evan Ferguson, on a season’s loan to Roma in Italy, has been ruled out for the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-offs challenge after ankle surgery.
Andy Naylor
Burnley
Six of Scott Parker’s squad have been called up for international duty, four at senior level and two — midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu (France Under-21s) and goalkeeper Max Weiss (Germany Under-21) — at youth level.
World Cup qualification is on the line for three of the four. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (Slovakia) faces a home play-off semi-final against Kosovo (winners play Romania or Turkey), while striker Armando Broja’s Albania travel to the Warsaw Stadium to take on Poland, with Ukraine or Sweden awaiting in their final. Defender Axel Tuanzebe’s DR Congo are off to Mexico, where they will face the winners of Jamaica vs New Caledonia for a spot in the World Cup.
Elsewhere, Lyle Foster returns home for two friendly matches against Panama in Durban and then Cape Town. South Africa already have secured their place in the World Cup.
Hannibal Mejbri had been set to join up with Tunisia for a training camp in Canada, where they will also play friendlies against their hosts and Haiti. However, the midfielder came off against Fulham on Saturday due to a hamstring injury and is staying in England for treatment.
Andy Jones
Chelsea
Cole Palmer is one of several first-team regulars to go away with his country. He has earned just one cap under Thomas Tuchel due to injury. All but England Under-21 international Josh Acheampong of those called up are playing in friendlies. He has two qualifiers for that age group’s European Championship.
Moises Caicedo has looked flat lately, so the fact Ecuador are playing their friendlies in Europe (versus Morocco in Spain and away to the Netherlands) is a plus. Joao Pedro, Andrey Santos and Malo Gusto (all United States), Pedro Neto (Mexico and the U.S.) and Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) do have long journeys. One of Mamadou Sarr’s games for Senegal involves travelling to the African nation.
Reece James (hamstring) and Trevoh Chalobah could not be called up by England due to injury. Estevao was also not considered by Brazil as he has just returned from a hamstring problem.
Simon Johnson
Enzo Fernandez (Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace
England’s Dean Henderson and Adam Wharton will hope to feature in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan — who have called up Daichi Kamada — at Wembley.
Evann Guessand could play South Korea and Scotland in Ivory Coast’s two England-based friendlies; Kamada might also face the Scots in Glasgow. Wales’ Brennan Johnson is set to challenge Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup play-off in Cardiff, with Northern Irishman Justin Devenny also hoping to contest one away to Italy. The winners of those two semi-finals then meet to decide who goes to the finals this summer.
Chris Richards’ USMNT will face both Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta, while Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma are poised to feature for Colombia against Croatia and France, with those matches also in the United States. In the latter one, he could face Palace team-mate Maxence Lacroix, called up to the senior side for the first time to replace the injured William Saliba.
Chadi Riad’s Morocco face Ecuador in Spain and Paraguay in France, and Jorgen Strand Larsen’s Norway play the Netherlands away and Switzerland at home. Yeremy Pino’s Spain host Serbia and Egypt, and Ismaila Sarr’s Senegal meet Peru in Paris and Gambia in his country’s capital Dakar.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was left out by France as he continues to work back to full match sharpness after a knee injury.
Max Mathews
Everton
Midfielder James Garner received his first call-up to the senior England squad and will be hopeful of making his debut in Friday’s friendly against Uruguay. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was, of course, also called up by Thomas Tuchel.
Seamus Coleman, Jake O’Brien and Mark Travers are part of the Republic of Ireland squad for their play-off semi-final against the Czech Republic. They will host Denmark or North Macedonia should they win in Prague. Also in the UEFA play-offs, Vitalii Mykolenko’s Ukraine face Sweden in Valencia before a potential final against Poland or Albania in the same city.
Senegalese duo Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye play Peru in Paris before returning home to Dakar to face the Gambia, while Nathan Patterson could feature for Scotland against Ivory Coast at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, the first international fixture held there. The Scots also play Japan in Glasgow.
Everton have three weeks off between Saturday’s win against Chelsea and playing Brentford away on April 11 and plan to give the squad short breaks before that key game in the race for European qualification.
Patrick Boyland
James Garner has been called up by England (Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Fulham
As speculation swirls around his future, Fulham fans will be keeping an eye on Harry Wilson. Alongside his excellent club form, Wilson has developed into a key player for Wales, who face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday in a World Cup play-off semi-final. Win that one in Cardiff and they will also host a qualification decider against Italy or Northern Ireland. Joachim Andersen is also looking to earn a spot at this summer’s expanded tournament. He is expected to start in Denmark’s semi-final against North Macedonia in Copenhagen.
On the surface, there is less pressure on the three World Cup co-hosts’ friendlies, but Antonee Robinson could make his first international appearance since 2024, with the United States up against Belgium and then Portugal in Atlanta. Raul Jimenez’s Mexico face the same tests, hosting Portugal in Mexico City before heading to the U.S. and taking on Belgium in Chicago.
Nigeria internationals Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze are travelling to Turkey for a four-nation friendly tournament, where they are set to face Iran and Jordan. Oscar Bobb and Sander Berge also link up with Norway for friendlies against the Netherlands (away) and Switzerland (home).
Justin Guthrie
Leeds United
Thirteen Leeds players have been called away to play for their countries. Brenden Aaronson is with the United States, who host Belgium on March 28 and Portugal on March 31, both in Atlanta. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is with England for the first time in nearly five years. They host Uruguay on Friday and Japan on Tuesday, with the two games being played at London’s Wembley.
Netherlands-born Joel Piroe, who declared for Suriname in January, could make his debut against Bolivia in Monterrey on March 26 in an inter-confederation World Cup play-off semi-final. Gabriel Gudmundsson will be in the ranks for Sweden in a similar European play-off semi against Ukraine on March 26 in Valencia, Spain. Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Daniel James have a semi-final with Wales against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff on Thursday.
Ilia Gruev is with Bulgaria in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a friendly tournament, which takes in games against Solomon Islands and either the host nation or St Kitts and Nevis. Noah Okafor has been drafted into the Switzerland squad after injury to Filip Ugrinic. The Swiss will first face Germany on March 27 in Basel, then head to Oslo to take on Norway on March 31. Anton Stach is with the Germany squad for that Switzerland friendly, before they host Ghana in Stuttgart on March 30.
Ao Tanaka has joined the Japan squad bound for that Wembley date, but will first go to Hampden Park in Glasgow to play against Scotland on Saturday. Jaka Bijol and Slovenia will meet Hungary in Budapest on that same date, before travelling to Podgorica to take on Montenegro on Tuesday.
Beren Cross
Liverpool
Almost the entire first-team squad have left to join their respective nations, although there is no representation in the England squad, with Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones the only fit players staying home.
Kieran Morrison is part of the Northern Ireland squad hoping to pull off a shock by beating Italy away in their World Cup play-off semi-final.
The other players on international duty are Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Hugo Ekitike, Ibrahima Konate, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Cody Gakpo, Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch. Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha are also with England Under-19s.
Alisson (Brazil), Federico Chiesa (Italy) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) are missing international duty this time due to injury.
Gregg Evans
Manchester City
City have 20 players away representing 12 countries.
James Trafford, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Nico O’Reilly and Phil Foden are all in the senior England squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley, while Rico Lewis and Max Alleyne are with England’s under-21s.
Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki and Matheus Nunes will be in action in friendlies in the United States (Nunes’ Portugal are also playing in Mexico City), Abdukodir Khusanov will represent Uzbekistan in the nation’s capital of Tashkent and Omar Marmoush’s Egypt play Saudi Arabia in Jeddah and Rodri’s Spain in Cornella, near Barcelona.
The rest of the players are staying in Europe, with Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Algeria, for example, playing two friendlies in Italy.
Ruben Dias (Portugal, hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (Croatia, leg break), Mateo Kovacic (Croatia, ankle) are missing from their squads due to injury.
Sam Lee
Phil Foden and James Trafford are both with England (Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Manchester United
Twelve United players have been called up for international duty, not counting the out-on-loan quartet of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and James Scanlon.
Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo have both returned to England duty for games against Manuel Ugarte’s Uruguay and Japan. Casemiro is expected to captain Brazil in a pair of friendlies against France and Croatia being played in the United States. He will be joined by Matheus Cunha for the games near Boston and in Orlando. Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes will also be travelling to North America as Portugal face Mexico and the USMNT. A muscle injury to Thibaut Courtois means Senne Lammens has a greater chance of representing Belgium, as they also play Mexico and the Americans.
Morocco’s game against Paraguay on March 31 could see United full-backs Noussair Mazraoui and Diego Leon facing off. Amad is likely to feature for the Ivory Coast’s friendlies against South Korea (in the English city of Milton Keynes) and Scotland (at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium).
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is in the Turkey squad for their World Cup play-off semi-final against Romania. Victory would set up a game away against Slovakia or Kosovo to decide who qualifies for the finals this summer.
Benjamin Sesko, who was a second-half substitute against Bournemouth on Friday night, will miss Slovenia’s fixtures against Hungary and Montenegro to “ensure that he fully recovers from an issue that United have been carefully managing”, according to a club statement on Monday.
Carl Anka
Newcastle United
Six Newcastle players have been selected for England, with Harvey Barnes, Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall, Aaron Ramsdale and Tino Livramento called up for friendly matches at Wembley against Uruguay and Japan.
Sandro Tonali missed Sunday’s derby defeat to Sunderland with a groin injury but is expected to link up with Italy for their World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday, while Sweden’s Anthony Elanga and Denmark’s William Osula also have play-off fixtures that day against Ukraine (in Valencia, Spain) and at home to North Macedonia, respectively, and will hope to have finals to play on the following Tuesday.
Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw have two friendlies for Germany — away to Switzerland in Basel and at home to Ghana in Stuttgart — while Yoane Wissa is set to feature in DR Congo’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Bermuda in Guadalajara before their World Cup play-off final against either Jamaica or New Caledonia, which is also being held in Mexico.
George Caulkin
Nottingham Forest
Forest have 11 players who will represent their nations. Elliot Anderson joins up with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for friendly fixtures against Uruguay and Japan — although he will be given a rest and will only feature in the second game on Tuesday.
Neco Williams’ Wales face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup play-off semi-final. Dan Ndoye has been named in the Switzerland squad for their games against Germany and Norway. Nikola Milenkovic’s Serbia will face Spain and Saudi Arabia. Matz Sels’ Belgium have friendlies against the U.S. and Mexico. Angus Gunn is in the Scotland squad for games against Japan and Ibrahim Sangare’s Ivory Coast, both to be played in the United Kingdom.
Zach Abbott (England Under-20s), Matthew Orr (Northern Ireland Under-21s) and Kalum Thompson and Blaine McClure (Northern Ireland Under-19s) have been called up at age-group levels.
Paul Taylor
Neco Williams is with Wales (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Sunderland
Trai Hume will doubtless feature in Northern Ireland’s crucial World Cup play-off with Italy on Thursday. Noah Sadiki is with DR Congo for their friendly against Bermuda and subsequent World Cup play-off final in Mexico against either Jamaica or New Caledonia.
Derby-day hero Brian Brobbey is in the Netherlands squad for home friendlies with Norway and Ecuador. Club captain Granit Xhaka will also take on the Norwegians for Switzerland, albeit away from home. Xhaka’s national team host Germany on Friday, too. Habib Diarra links up with Senegal for friendlies against Peru in Paris and Gambia back home in Dakar.
Recently-signed goalkeeper Melker Ellborg has received his first senior Sweden call-up. They play Ukraine in another World Cup play-off semi this week. Meanwhile, French-born forward Wilson Isidor has just declared his decision to represent Haiti, who have already qualified for the World Cup. He’s in the squad for their friendlies with Tunisia and Iceland.
Chris Rigg is in the England Under-19s squad for their trio of Euro 2026 qualifiers, Dan Ballard will miss Northern Ireland’s play-off in Italy plus any final against Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina with a hamstring injury.
Chris Weatherspoon
Tottenham Hotspur
Dominic Solanke and Djed Spence are in the England squad, competing to face Uruguay in a friendly on Friday evening. Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven are in the Netherlands squad for home friendlies against Norway and Ecuador. Kevin Danso’s Austria have home friendlies against Ghana and South Korea.
Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero were due to be on opposite sides of the ‘Finalissima’ between Spain and Argentina in Qatar, but that has been cancelled. Spain have home friendlies against Serbia and Egypt instead. Argentina have theirs in Buenos Aires against Mauritania and Zambia.
There is also a long journey for Randal Kolo Muani as France have friendlies in the United States: against Brazil near Boston and then Colombia outside Washington DC.
Lucas Bergvall is in Sweden’s squad for their play-off against Ukraine in Valencia on Thursday. Radu Dragusin’s Romania play Turkey in Istanbul on Thursday. Winning teams go into play-off finals on Tuesday. Pape Matar Sarr’s Senegal play Peru in Paris, before flying back to Senegal for a friendly against Gambia.
Archie Gray is with the England Under-21s. Mathys Tel was due to join up with their French counterparts but has pulled out after suffering a suspected groin injury in the loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Lucas Bergvall has a World Cup play-off with Sweden (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
West Ham United
Jarrod Bowen (England), Mateus Fernandes (Portugal), Mads Hermansen (Denmark) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal) have all received call-ups to their national teams. Academy prospects Ezra Mayers (under-19s), Airidas Golambeckis (under-19s) and Finlay Herrick (under-20s) will link up with England’s junior teams.
Bowen, who has scored once in 20 caps, could feature in the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Fernandes is celebrating his first involvement with the Portuguese senior side and will travel to North America for friendlies against Mexico and the United States. Diouf’s games are against Peru (in France) and the Gambia (in Dakar, Senegal).
Hermansen will hope to play a key role in Denmark’s World Cup semi-final play-off against North Macedonia and any final, where they would meet the Czech Republic or the Republic of Ireland.
Roshane Thomas
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves will go 24 days without a game, because their March 22 fixture against Arsenal was moved forward into February due to the Londoners being in the Carabao Cup final on that date. But a host of their players will be on international duty over the coming week, with Cameroon’s Jackson Tchatchoua making the longest journey to play away friendlies against Australia (Sydney) and China (Melbourne).
Hwang Hee-chan is spared a flight back to the Far East as his South Korea side’s first friendly, against Ivory Coast, is taking place on English soil in Milton Keynes and the other is away to Austria, and the others — Jose Sa (Portugal), Mateus Mane (Portugal Under-21s), Santiago Bueno (Uruguay), Ladislav Krejci (Czechia), David Moller Wolfe (Norway) and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Haiti) — have slightly shorter trips.
Steve Madeley
