New Delhi: The 2024/25 season heads towards its first International break of the season where 54 European countries take part in the 2024-25 edition of the UEFA Nations League. The defending champions, Spain, will have their work cut out for them as there are some serious contenders for their title this time around. An international tournament offers a good platform for players to perform for their nation and help them achieve quantifiable success, which is a rarity as these tournaments don’t take place that often.
Making your debut for your national team is one of the proudest feelings one can have as a footballer and doing so in a major tournament is the icing on the cake. The UEFA Nations League kicks-off on Thursday night when matchday one takes place and this time managers have given maiden call-ups to quite a few players. These players have gotten the call-ups due to their impressive showings for their club side and also their form and class shown at various youth levels. Here’s a list of five players who can make their debut for their national side during this current International break.
5) Jan Paul van Hecke
Jan Paul van Hecke controls the ball during a pre-season friendly match between Queens Park Rangers and Brighton & Hove Albion at Loftus Road on August 03, 2024, in London, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Brighton have had a bright start to life under Fabia Hurzeler as they’re undefeated after the first three games of the season, drawing with Arsenal and beating Manchester United. One player who has cemented his place under Hurzeler, so early into the season is Dutch centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. He’s started all three Premier League games till now and has played every minute of these games, proving himself to be a vital part of the Brighton defence.
Van Hecke hadn’t been called up for any of his nation’s senior team games before but a strong start to the season saw him being named in the initial squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures. He was left out of the final squad for the games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany but was called up as a replacement for Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, who withdrew due to injury. With Van de Ven out, Nathan Ake being played as left-back and Mathias De Ligt not as favoured by Ronald Koeman, Jan Paul van Hecke could make his debut and receive some minutes against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the very least.
4) Renato Veiga
Renato Veiga steals the ball from Alexis Antunes after he tripped during the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Offs Second Leg match at Stade de Geneve on August 29, 2024. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Chelsea’s new signing Renato Veiga joined the club from Swiss side FC Basel in the summer and is expected to be a useful player for the club in the season. Capable of playing either as a centre-back, left-back or defensive midfielder, Veiga is the Marc Cucurella backup at the club and faces no competition for that spot. With Ian Maatsen being sold and Ben Chilwell not expected to be part of Maresca’s plans, Veiga has acted as a solid deputy, starting both of Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League games against Servette.
His performances in the new season have caught the eye of Portugal boss Roberto Martinez who decided to call him up for Portugal’s UEFA Nations League games against Croatia and Scotland. Veiga is already a Portuguese youth International having represented the side at the U19, U20, and U21 level and he could be in line for his first team debut against Scotland, where Martinez can afford to start a rotated side.
3) Marco Brescianini
Marco Brescianini celebrates after scoring the goal of 0-1 during the Serie A football match at Stadio via del Mare. Lecce (Italy), August 19th, 2024. (Photo by Massimiliano Carnabuci/Insidefoto/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Italian manager Luciano Spalletti faces the big task of building his reputation with the national team after the UEFA Euro 2020 holders were knocked out of UEFA Euro 2024 in the first knockout round under Spalletti. The attacking midfielder just moved from Serie B outfit Frosinone to the current UEFA Europa League holders Atalanta in the summer. Brescianini has had a great start to his Atalanta career as in just his first three matches for the club, he’s already scored twice for his new club.
Italy struggled for goals in their failed defence of the UEFA Euro crown and it was visible that they needed goals from anywhere as their attack wasn’t clicking. With Barella not called up to the squad, Brescianini looks like the only midfielder who can provide them with the goals from midfield if the attack flounders once again. The Azzurri take on France and Israel in their games and Brescianini might make his debut in the game against Israel.
2) Noni Madueke
Noni Madueke during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Crystal Palace FC at Stamford Bridge on September 01, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has had a good start to the season under new manager Enzo Maresca. The winger recently scored his first senior team hattrick against Wolves and was involved in creating Chelsea’s only goal in the draw with Crystal Palace. He even scored in Chelsea’s first-leg win over Servette in the UEFA Conference League and this kind of form at the beginning of the season earned him a first call-up to the national team.
England interim manager Lee Carsley knows Noni well as he was a part of Carsley’s 2023 U21 European Championship-winning team and must’ve certainly played a part in calling him up for the senior team. England will take on Ireland and Finland in their first two games of the UEFA Nations League and both these games make for a good opportunity for Madueke to make his first-team debut.
1) Michael Olise
Michael Olise gestures during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Bayern München at Volkswagen Arena on August 25, 2024 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
It is baffling to see that Michael Olise is yet to make his debut for the French senior team but that also goes to show how ridiculously talented France’s International pool of players is. Olise has just completed a big-money move to German giants Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window and even notched an assist on his Bayern debut in the DFB-Pokal game against Ulm.
Before the season began though, Olise was starring for the French U21 team at this year’s Summer Olympics, helping his country win a silver medal at the sporting event. He contributed to seven goals at the Olympics, scoring twice and assisting another five for his side. France take on European heavyweights like Italy and Belgium in their first two games of the UEFA Nations League and Olise possesses enough skill and talent to start against both of those sides.
As we head into the first International break of the season, we have the first matchday of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League ahead of us and there are some interesting call-ups who can debut for their national teams in the tournament. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
