Hello! The men’s international break is well and truly here, the focus squarely on the 2026 World Cup as qualification continues in a handful of continents and the rest keep busy with all-important friendlies. I’m Pardeep Cattry with an update before international matches come thick and fast.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, Sept. 3
🌎 CWCC: Washington Spirit vs. Vancouver Rise, 7 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🇺🇸 USL Championship: Hartford Athletic vs. Indy Eleven, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
Thursday, Sept.4
🌍 WCQ: Bulgaria vs. Spain, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🌎 WCQ: Brazil vs. Chile, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Universo
🌎 WCQ: Guatemala vs. El Salvador, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
⚽ The Forward Line
🇺🇸 USMNT’s striker contest takes center stage (again)
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U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino may have billed this international break as the last chance to vet inexperienced players before the World Cup, but the latest roster is headlined by a few familiar faces, and a years-old quandary — who exactly is going to be the USMNT’s starting forward at the World Cup?
The competition is likely down to four players — Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent — and while Agyemang recovers from hernia surgery and Pepi is in the early stages of a return from a knee injury, Balogun and Sargent will shoot their shot this month. Balogun has the chance to suit up for the national team for the first time after an injury-plagued year and may still be the frontrunner for the job, though Sargent theoretically poses a stiff challenge.
Sargent has five goals in four matches to start the season with Norwich City, sticking around at the Championship club after drawing interest elsewhere over the summer, including from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. The task in front of him now is translating that form to the national team – Sargent enjoyed a 15 goal season with Norwich last campaign but saw his USMNT opportunities come and go, missing out on this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup roster in what Pochettino described as a «football decision» at the time. This month’s friendlies, then, are the latest in a dwindling number of chances for Sargent to break an international goalscoring drought that dates back to November 2019.
- Sargent: «I’d probably be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. Of course, it’s been a while. I’m doing so well at the club level at the moment. I just keep reminding myself how well I’m doing there. I know I can score goals and I know it’s a matter of time that I’m going to score for the national team so I’m just going to put my head down and keep working hard. I know the goals will come. … I kind of just took [the Gold Cup omission] as rest up during the offseason and hit the ground running with Norwich to make sure that I’m back into the next camp and I think I’ve done a very good job of that at the club level and that’s why I’m here.»
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🌍 World Cup qualifying continues
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A handful of teams could book their spots at the 2026 World Cup this month as qualification tournaments continue, with many of the world’s national teams targeting the 35 spots at next summer’s competition that are still up for grabs.
South America’s qualification tournament comes to a close this month, with three teams still in the mix for one guaranteed spot at the World cup and an additional berth in the intercontinental playoff. Colombia are the favorites to take that guaranteed spot and could get across the finish line as soon as Thursday, when they host fellow contender Bolivia in Barranquilla. Los Cafeteros have a five point lead over Bolivia (and a four point advantage over Venezuela), a win enough to collect the last guaranteed spot at the World Cup. That would leave Venezuela and Bolivia to duke it out for a spot in the playoff when CONMEBOL’s qualification run concludes, each with an uphill battle of their own to climb – Venezuela will host Colombia, while Bolivia will welcome Brazil in the qualification finale.
Meanwhile in Africa, there are still four games to go in the first round of qualification but two regulars could get the job done this month if all things tilt in their favor. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists, are poised to be the first team from the continent to book their spot at the 2026 tournament with a win over Niger on Friday plus a Tanzania loss to Congo on the same day. Egypt could join them on Tuesday if they win the two games on their plate this month against Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
No spots are up for grabs in Europe or North America, though each continent kicks off major stages of qualification this month. A handful of heavy-hitters in Europe will actually begin their qualification journeys over the next couple of days, including the last three teams from the continent to win the World Cup – France, Germany and Spain – while Portugal also makes up the list as teams begin to compete for the 16 spots that are available to them. In North America, the third qualification round will begin this month and end in November with three teams booking their spots at the World Cup and two more playoff spots up for grabs later. After the three hosts, Costa Rica target back-to-back World Cup trips while Concacaf Nations League finalists Panama and regional heavyweights Jamaica are among the favorites to finish the job by November.
🔗 Top Stories
🇺🇸 USMNT players on the move: Here’s a look back at the transfer news from USMNT players this summer and where these players go from here as the countdown to the World Cup continues.
🏟️ Chicago Stars’ new home: The NWSL’s Chicago Stars will play their home games at Northwestern Medicine Field next season, moving away from SeatGeek Stadium.
✍️ Transfer window latest: The window is shut in Europe’s top five leagues, which means it’s time to decide who the winners and the losers were of the summer, hand out some superlatives … and pivot our attention to Turkiye?
1️⃣1️⃣ NWSL’s best: The Chicago Stars’ Ludmila and Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzalez earned a spot on the NWSL team of the week after some impressive work over the weekend.
👋 Managerial outgoings?: The Premier League season may be just three games old but with West Ham and Nottingham Forest already in crisis mode, it’s time to ask – are respective managers Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo on the hot seat?
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- World Cup qualifying: Bulgaria vs. Spain, Thursday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Over 3.5 goals scored (+134) – Spain kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday at Bulgaria, the lowest-ranked team in Group E of UEFA World Cup qualification. Away trips can sometimes become complicated but the reigning European champions have all the tools they need to overcome any bumps in the road, especially with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in the squad. Expect a commanding win for Spain in Eastern Europe as the road to the 2026 World Cup officially begins for the title contenders.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺What We’re Watching
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3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Sunday live streams on YouTube as soon as the last NWSL game of the weekend ends.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Tuesday and Thursday): Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the game in the United States as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
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