The Top Five Performers Over The International Break

The international break brought a raft of excellent performances from some of the best players from around the world, here were five of the best.

Erling Haaland

Haaland is arguably the most formidable striker in the world, but recently, concerns have arisen about his performance amid Manchester City’s struggles, having lost their last four matches. The international break, however, provided the 24-year-old with a fresh opportunity, allowing him to return to his impressive form.

The Norwegian has become the top scorer in the Nations League, scoring seven goals in six group matches.

His impressive tally includes a stunning hat-trick against Kazakhstan, as well as a brilliant strike and an assist against Slovenia, which helped his team secure promotion to the tournament’s top tier.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner maintained his outstanding international form for Portugal as they dominated Poland with a 5-1 victory.

He contributed two goals and one assist, capping off what has been a remarkable year for the winger, despite some calls for his exclusion from the national team.

His second goal, an astonishing scissor kick, has been hailed as the best of Matchday Five in the Nations League.

This spectacular finish highlights his remarkable abilities as a true athlete at 39 years old, as he continues to make an impact for both Al Nassr and the Portuguese national team.

Brahim Diaz

The Real Madrid attacker helped Morocco continue their form in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualification group in which they now sit top by some margin. Two games against Gabon and Lesotho saw Diaz bag five goals without playing a full 90 minutes in either game.

In just 62 minutes of play, he netted a hat-trick against Lesotho before being substituted. He then came back in the match against Gabon, where he scored another two goals before again being taken off.

The La Liga star has not registered a goal or an assist during the previous international breaks since March. This emphasizes his importance to his national team, as he continues to make an impact despite limited playing time with Madrid.

Chris Wood

Ahead of the Arsenal clash this weekend, Chris Wood has been on fire during the international break, scoring 5 goals in just two New Zealand games.

Wood scored two goals in a World Cup qualifier against Vanuatu and followed that up with a hat-trick in another qualifier against Samoa, capping off a remarkable week for him.

The 32-year-old has made an incredible start to the season for Nottingham Forest, scoring eight goals in 11 games this season, and will certainly be on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s radar after another week of relentless goalscoring.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Harwood-Bellis made a memorable debut for England this week, scoring only minutes after coming off the bench by soaring to deliver a powerful header past Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher.

This goal contributed to the Three Lions’ emphatic 5-0 victory and secured their promotion to the top tier of the Nations League.

What is even more impressive is that despite it being his debut, the Southampton defender also influenced the free kick, which set up Jarrod Bowen’s first England goal as he dictated where the set piece should be played something sure to impress future coach Thomas Tuchel.