Amid potential coaching changes, player injuries and an underdog rising to new heights, Cristiano Ronaldo has once again grabbed the spotlight.
As international football returned to Europe just weeks after Euro 2024, the first round of Nations League matches offered plenty of drama.
And as usual, Ronaldo couldn’t stay out of the headlines.
The international break began with speculation about Ronaldo’s role with Portugal, especially after his lackluster performances at Euro 2024 and with his 40th birthday approaching early next year.
It ended with Ronaldo reaffirming his status as a key player for Portugal and proving he still has the scoring prowess to make a significant impact.
Ronaldo scored against both Croatia and Scotland, bringing his men’s record tally of international goals to 132.
He started on the bench against Scotland in Lisbon but changed the game as a second-half substitute.
Ronaldo might still make the 2026 World Cup, after all.
Meanwhile, Lee Carsley initially thought to be a temporary solution as England’s coach, may have proved himself as a strong candidate for the full-time role.
Carsley guided England to straightforward 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland, though the opposition was modest.
He demonstrated tactical acumen, made a surprising choice in young midfielder Angel Gomes that paid off and handled the pre- and post-match news conferences with confidence.
The FA may have initially sought a more high-profile successor to Gareth Southgate, but Carsley could be the best candidate.
After all, Southgate moved up from England’s under-21s to great success, and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente was also an internal appointment.
For some, the only criticism of Carsley was that he didn’t sing the national anthem before the games at Aviva Stadium and Wembley Stadium.
Georgia’s major tournament debut has been impressive and the feel-good story continues.
A 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic and a 1-0 win in Albania lifted coach Willy Sagnol’s team to the top of its Nations League group, which also includes Ukraine. All four teams from this group qualified for Euro 2024.
Georgia is maintaining the momentum from its exhilarating Euro 2024 games, despite losses to Türkiye and eventual champion Spain in the round of 16.
Star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli leads a promising group of young talents, including goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will join Liverpool from Valencia next season, and Lyon forward Georges Mikautadze.
The goal of the week might have come from Giorgi Kochorashvili, the 25-year-old midfielder with Spanish club Levante, who scored with a 22-meter (yard) chip against Albania.
Georgia has emerged as a poster child for the Nations League’s goal of providing more competitive matches against similarly ranked opponents.
The team, which started in the lowest-ranked fourth tier in 2018, is now targeting promotion to the elite level in November.
It was a challenging week for coaches still in place after their teams fell short of expectations at Euro 2024.
Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco seemed to be a target of some of Kevin De Bruyne’s comments expressing frustration after a 2-0 loss to France on Monday.
France coach Didier Deschamps, in his 11th season with the 2018 World Cup winners, faced pre-game boos in Lyon.
Tensions in the camp reportedly emerged after a 3-1 loss to Italy on Friday, with Kylian Mbappe criticizing the coaching staff.
Scotland now has just one win in 14 matches over the past year – a warm-up game against Gibraltar – increasing pressure on coach Steve Clarke, whose team was arguably the worst at Euro 2024.
Scotland gave up late goals against Poland and Portugal in a Nations League group that also includes Croatia.
Scotland is likely to face a tough World Cup qualifying group in the December draw, coming from the pot of third-seeded teams.
The two-week break wasn’t kind to Arsenal and Manchester City, England’s top two clubs, ahead of a congested few months in the domestic calendar.
Arsenal might have lost its captain, Martin Odegaard, to an ankle injury ahead of crucial fixtures against Tottenham and defending champion Manchester City, as well as a Champions League trip to Atalanta.
Odegaard was helped off the field after landing awkwardly in Norway’s win over Austria on Monday.
City then saw defender Nathan Ake carried off on a stretcher and in tears with what appeared to be a serious muscle injury sustained while playing for the Netherlands in a 2-2 draw against Germany on Tuesday.
Ake has become a key member of City’s squad in recent years, although he has only made one late appearance as a substitute in the Premier League so far.
