International break round-up
Men's football•
Let's take a look at how Paris Saint-Germain's players fared on duty for their respective countries during the November international break.
Les Bleus booked their place at next year's FIFA World Cup by beating Ukraine 4-0 at the Parc des Princes before running out 3-1 winners over Azerbaijan in Baku, where Lucas Chevalier was given his very first senior France cap.
João Neves, Gonçalo Ramos and Vitinha had to wait until the final round of UEFA qualifiers to officially seal their spot at the World Cup with Portugal. Having lost 2-0 away to the Republic of Ireland, A Seleção das Quinas made amends three days later by thrashing Armenia 9-1, thanks in part to a hat trick from Paris's no. 87.
The reigning European champions needed to beat Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's Georgia to qualify for the World Cup, and that's exactly what they did as La Roja recorded a comfortable 4-0 win in Tbilisi, before drawing 2-2 with Turkey on Matchday 6.
The Jvarosnebi followed up their chastening defeat at home to Spain with a 2-1 loss away to Bulgaria.
After being beaten by France at the Parc, Illia Zabarnyi's Ukraine earned a 2-0 win over Iceland in the final round of UEFA qualifiers. The Paris defender played the entirety of both encounters and will now be looking ahead to the UEFA play-offs in March.
Ibrahim Mbaye was given his first-ever Senegal cap this month as he came off the bench in a prestigious friendly against Marquinhos's Brazil in London. Although the Teranga Lions lost this game 2-0, Mbaye not only started but also scored his first goal for Senegal in his country's next game, an 8-0 demolition of Kenya.
On his return to international duty, Marquinhos featured in two friendlies: the aforementioned 2-0 win over Senegal in London as well as a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Lille.
Willian Pacho was also involved in a double header of friendlies with his Ecuador side: a 0-0 draw with Canada – one of the three hosts of next year's World Cup – and a 2-0 win over New Zealand.
The Taegeuk Warriors earned two wins from their two friendlies this month, beating Bolivia 2-0 and then Ghana 1-0, with Lee officially receiving his 2025 AFC Asian International Player of the Year award in the latter of the two fixtures.
Matvey Safonov played in the first of his country's two friendlies this month, a 1-1 draw with Peru, but took no part in the second encounter, a 2-0 defeat to Chile.
As part of Les Bleuets' bid to qualify for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Senny Mayulu was named in France's starting XI for a 1-1 draw with Switzerland before coming off the bench in a 1-0 win over the Faroe Islands. With four games played and two in hand over their closest competitors, Gérald Baticle's men are currently top of Group C.
Just like Paris Saint-Germain U19s' defender Dimitri Lucea, Quentin Ndjantou was called up by the head coach of France's U19s, Bernard Diomède, for the first round of qualifying for the 2026 UEFA Under-19 European Championship, which will take place in Wales next summer. Having started off with a dominant 4-0 victory over the Faroe Islands, Les Bleuets then ran out 2-1 winners over Bulgaria before beating Hungary by the same scoreline, which saw them finish top of their group and thereby make it through to the second and final round of qualifying.
