GM football fans. It’s Tuesday, Mar. 24 - A look at the international break, the first football fan has been arrested for alleged tailgating, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals, leg 1, (Mar 24): Arsenal vs. Chelsea, 20:00 GMT / 16:00 ET. Chelsea Women finished third in the UWCL league phase with four wins and two draws from six matches and remained unbeaten. However, the last time these sides met was in the WSL in January, where Arsenal won 2-0 away from home. Wolfsburg vs. OL Lyonnes, 17:45 GMT / 13:45 ET. While Wolfsburg are on course for a second-place finish in their domestic league, Lyon are sitting 16 points clear at the top of the Premiere Ligue after winning 17 and drawing just one of their 18 league games. Lyon, who are eight-time UWCL champions, have already beaten Wolfsburg 3-1 in November’s home meeting in the league phase. See every Women’s Champions League quarter-final fixture here and fixture projections here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
International Break Returns
The international break is now underway, running from 23 to 31 March, pausing domestic leagues as national teams assemble for qualifiers, play-offs, and international friendlies worldwide.
Perhaps the most important matches this week are the European World Cup qualification play-off semi-finals, where 16 nations compete in four paths for the final four European places at this summer’s tournament. Each team must win two consecutive knockout matches in its path – a single-leg semi-final (with seeded teams at home) followed by a final – and any defeat means immediate elimination. See the fixtures here, which will be played on the 26 and 31 March.
In Mexico, six nations from across the world are taking part in the inter-confederation play-off tournament for the final two World Cup spots. Higher-ranked DR Congo and Iraq have been seeded directly into next week’s path finals, where they will meet the winners of this week’s semi-finals: New Caledonia vs Jamaica and Bolivia vs Suriname.
Elsewhere, teams that have already qualified for the World Cup will play international friendlies this week. Among the top-seeded teams, Argentina will play Mauritania and Zambia; Spain will face Serbia and Egypt; England will play Uruguay and Japan; and France will play Brazil and Colombia. See all the international friendlies this week here.
Zidane’s Next Role
Zinedine Zidane has reportedly verbally agreed to become the France national team head coach after this summer’s World Cup. He will take over from Didier Deschamps, who has been in charge of the national team for 14 years, having led them to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final.
Speaking in an interview with Le Figaro, French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo confirmed that the identity of the next national team manager is already decided. Another French outlet, Le Parisien, later confirmed that Zidane would be the successor, as Diallo was looking for a coach who commands national respect and can handle the unique pressure of the position.
Zidane has not been in management since his second stint at Real Madrid, which ended in 2021. He won 11 major trophies during two periods at the Spanish club, most notably winning three consecutive Champions League titles and two La Liga titles.
See France’s new kits for the World Cup here.
First Fan Arrested for Tailgating
A man has been charged with allegedly entering the EFL Cup final at Wembley without a ticket, becoming the first fan to be arrested since tailgating* became a criminal offence in England and Wales. Tailgating, whereby someone walks closely behind a ticket holder at the turnstiles to gain entry, became a criminal offence ahead of the match on Sunday. If found guilty, the 27-year-old man faces a football banning order of up to five years and a fine of up to £1,000 ($1,329).
The new law was introduced after a review found that 2,000 people gained entry to Wembley without tickets ahead of the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy. Attending a match without a valid ticket previously did not have a legal penalty.
In general, there was a 78% reduction in offences at this year’s final, the Met Police said. A total of 20 arrests were made on Sunday, compared with 91 at the same fixture last year. Offences ranged from affray (threat of violence), an assault on an emergency service worker, to one for racially aggravated assault.
*The term Tailgating has a different meaning in the US, where it refers to a social event usually in a parking lot.
POLL
Do you need to be actively playing for your club team to be selected for the national team?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> This year’s Community Shield won’t be held at Wembley Stadium due to a clash with a concert, and instead will be played at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium (More) | England have added Ben White and Harvey Barnes to the squad following Eberechi Eze and Jarell Quansah’s injuries (More)
> Six Arsenal players — Gabriel, William Saliba, Ebere Eze, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, and Leandro Trossard — have withdrawn from international duties (More) | Tottenham’s head coach Igor Tudor found out his father passed away immediately after the club’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday (More)
> Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of their squad for friendly matches against Mexico and the United States as he deals with a hamstring injury (More)
> Paris Saint-Germain have asked for their Ligue 1 away game to RC Lens to be moved as it’s sandwiched between their Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool (More); some reports suggest second-place Lens will reject the request (More)
> Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise finished the regular season top of the country’s top-flight standings, and Anderlecht just made the cut for the play-offs (More)
Americas
> Antoine Griezman is set to join MLS side Orlando City with a verbal agreement set for July 2026 (More) | Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge has been named MLS Player of the Matchday for Matchday 5 (More)
> NWSL’s Kansas City Current have signed forward Penelope Hocking to a new three-year contract through 2028 (More)
Rest of the World
> Newcastle Jets strengthened their grip on top spot in the A-League with a 2-1 win over Sydney FC that extended their lead to four points with four matches of the regular season remaining (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think Arsenal's EFL Cup loss will impact their Premier League title run?
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 😬 Yes (33%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (65%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
😬 J.E: “Yes, I believe the bridesmaid will once again fall at the last hurdle! Remember, they still have to face Man City away, so when City win their game in hand, then beat Arsenal, once again, the wheels will definitely fall off the bus!”
🙅♂️ G.G: “We (Arsenal) have yet again suffered a crucial couple of injuries, and City took the chances. But there are still nine points between us, and I think the margin will be enough to see us over the line.”
✍️ T.P: “Pep showed every club how to play against Arsenal. Don’t press Arsenal’s back line, and they don’t know how to advance up the pitch. But I still think they’ll win the league, but the elite clubs in the Champions League will now know what to do to stop their European run.”
EXTRA TIME
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Meet the 82-year-old playing goalie for six-a-side.
Ekitike rates British and French food.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Only two players have scored a Premier League penalty with both their left and right foot. One is Bobby Zamora; who is the other?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
If my father was God, [Scott] McTominay is Jesus.
Answer
Obafemi Martins.
