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The November international break is upon us. It’s the last of the year before domestic action really kicks up a gear. And managers are using the break to hand those who have started the season brightly a chance to stake a spot for their respective nations.
Here, we pick out 10 that are looking to make their mark on the international stage.
It wasn’t a surprise to see England head coach Thomas Tuchel bring in some fresh blood for upcoming UEFA Nations League meetings with Croatia and Spain. And with Alex Scott absent, Tuchel looked to Germany to bolster in the middle of the park.
Jobe Bellingham endured a disappointing debut season with Borussia Dortmund, but has gone on to establish himself as a key man under Niko Kovac. And his impressive performances for the Bundesliga giants have been rewarded with a first senior call up.
He’ll hope to share the pitch with brother Jude for the first time this month and given Jobe’s versatility, there is a strong possibility that both midfielders will feature at the same time for the Three Lions against either Croatia or Spain.
The younger Bellingham isn’t the only uncapped youngster in the England squad, with Josh King also earning a first call-up by Tuchel. It’s not undeserved either. King was part of the pre-World Cup training squad in North America earlier this summer. He’s been knocking on the door for some time.
And King has been rewarded for his solid club outings with Tuchel overlooking Chelsea’s Cole Palmer in favour of the Fulham star. While the Whites have made a stuttering start to the season, the 19-year-old has excelled, scoring two and providing one assist.
Of course, competition in the number 10 role for England is rife. Bellingham is first-choice in the position. Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White are further options. Palmer and Phil Foden both didn’t even make the cut. It’s not exactly make or break for King this month, but a strong showing or two would certainly aid his cause for future squads.
Jacobo Ramon earned a first Spain call-up for looming Nations League meetings with Czechia and England. The 21-year-old has been a star performer for Cesc Fabregas’ Como over the last 18 months, becoming a mainstay at the heart of the Italian side’s defence.
Como have the best possession return (61.5%) and the best pass success rate (90.2%) in Italy’s top tier this term. And it’s Ramon’s distribution that has been vital in Como’s dominance in the division.
Indeed, 797 passes is the second most in Serie A, while a 92% pass accuracy also ranks well. It’s this distribution that is engrained into all Spanish centre-backs. Chances are, Ramon makes the first of many international appearances this month.
Remaining in Serie A, and Monza haven’t made a great start to the season. 11 games into the campaign, and they sit 18th. However, one player striving to haul Monza away from danger is striker Gustavo Varela.
The 21-year-old has scored more goals (9) than any other player in the 2026/27 Serie A campaign. The former Benfica man is thriving on the frontline for Ivan Juric’s side, and a first Portugal call-up was more than deserved.
And with a Cristiano Ronaldo-sized hole as the focal point to Jorge Jesus’ Portugal side, Varela has the perfect chance to prove he’s the worthy successor to the Portuguese goal machine.
Back to Como now, with Mattia Liberali doing enough under Fabregas to earn a first international call up for Italy. Granted, the teenager has made just one start for Como this season, but the sporadic showings have caught the eye of head coach Roberto Mancini.
That he was directly involved in three goals, scoring once, in a recent 9-1 Champions League win over Lens certainly aided his cause. Even so, the 19-year-old has proven an effective attacking option for Fabregas.
A left-footed attacker, Liberali is comfortable either in the number 10 role or from the right, giving Mancini versatility in the final third. And with an average of 4.5 tackles per 90 in Serie A, the teenage forward is a hard worker that’ll certainly benefit the Azzurri.
Carlo Ancelotti has called up a number of uncapped stars for his Brazil squad to take on Japan and Singapore this month, with Manchester City youngster Allan one of the stand outs.
The 22-year-old departed Brasileirao side Palmeiras for the Etihad Stadium over the summer, though has found regular minutes tough to come by. That shouldn’t come as a surprise with Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo and Iliman Ndiaye ahead of the youngster in the winger pecking order.
Even so, Allan has scored one and assisted another in the EFL Cup this season, both of which came in a 5-0 win over Norwich City. The former Palmeiras man caught the eye on his Champions League debut, completing four take ons and two tackles against AEK Athens, and his driving ability from out wide is stand out quality.
Having been linked with a high-profile January move to one of Europe’s heavy hitters, Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp boosted Finn Jeltsch’s profile considerably by handing the centre-back a call-up for the November international break.
The ball-playing defender has been linked with a switch to Liverpool, who will need to address the Virgil van Dijk conundrum before long. The Dutchman turned 35 back in July and is in the final year of his contract.
While VfB Stuttgart would be reluctant to cash in on Jeltsch, the 20-year-old’s skillset is perfectly suited to a side that relies on centre-backs to set their team on the frontfoot. There is ample competition at the heart of the Germany defence, yet he’s one who, if given the chance, will prove why he’s highly sought after.
Ipswich Town may be struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table following their return to England’s top tier, yet summer signing Abdoul Ouattara is one who has quickly caught the eye.
He’ll hope to continue his bright start to the campaign with a first international cap for Ivory Coast for their upcoming AFCON qualifiers. The forward-thinking 21-year-old is a handy attacking outlet for Gary O’Neil’s side, evident in that he has two assists and one goal from just six league starts.
Brest star Luck Zogbe is his primary competition for the right-back spot for the Elephants, but if given the chance, then Ouattara should feel confident about usurping the former under Herve Renard.
Paris FC are absolutely flying in Ligue 1 this season. The capital outfit are third in France’s top tier, three points off rivals Paris Saint-Germain, following a 1-0 win at Auxerre prior to the international break.
Striker Lassine Sinayoko is the star performer for Liam Rosenior’s side, the 26-year-old having struck nine times and provided five assists this season. Pablo Pagis is another to have shone in the opening weeks of the campaign.
While the 23-year-old has been directly involved in just four goals, scoring twice, Pagis is more than capable of creating for others, evident in an average of 1.8 chances created per 90 in France’s top tier this term. Of course, head coach Zinedine Zidane has ample attacking options at his disposal. Pagis would need to make his opportunity count to nail down a spot in the France squad going forward.
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick is expected to use the November international break as the perfect chance to assess teenage midfielder Luca Weinhandl. The 17-year-old was named in his Austria squad for looming meetings with Republic of Ireland and Israel.
The Sturm Graz star has featured in 11 of 12 league games this season, and has started three of four Europa League matches. Standing at 6ft3in, Weinhandl is an intimidating presence in the middle of the park.
Weinhandl is the tempo setter for Sturm Graz, and his calmness and composure belies his tender years. And he puts his standing to good use, relying on his commendable reading of the game to snuff out opposition attacks. Premier League sides have been credited with an interest in the Austrian, who is well-primed to take the world by storm.
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