Ronaldo’s two-edged impact on Portugal, USMNT brace for reset

Welcome to a new season of Onside/Offside! Luis Miguel Echegaray shares his point of view on the latest headlines in the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed, what to keep an eye on in the coming days and of course, what deserved extra love and criticism. This week, it’s an international break special with 2026 World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Nations League and international friendlies.

ONSIDE

USMNT players audition with new leadership incoming

Before Tuesday’s friendly against New Zealand, the U.S. men’s national team will play against its northern neighbor Canada on Saturday. Two co-hosts of the men’s 2026 World Cup, fresh from a summer of Copa América, face off at Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park and since they don’t have to qualify for 2026, these friendlies may not have much significance on the surface level.

But with a closer look, the reality is that these exhibition matches — though absent of footballing importance — still provide us with an important question: In 21 months, when the eyes of the soccer world center on North America, can these teams be ready to not just compete, but win against the very best?

Let’s answer Canada first. Jesse Marsch’s team, who had a tremendous summer in their Copa América debut after finishing fourth, have an identity and a project worth supporting, all guided by an American manager with experience. If the trajectory continues, there is hope and optimism for a historic run in two summers’ time. Canada’s men’s side has never made it out of the group stage at the World Cup. That could change in 2026.

For the USMNT, things are different after it crashed out in the Copa América group stage — making it the first time the U.S. failed to make the knockouts of a tournament it hosted. After the disastrous result, former manager Gregg Berhalter was fired and now there is a new dawn and a new chapter ready to be written.

Some of the quandaries other national teams deal with are already answered: the talent is there, the growing support from a country that continues to embrace the sport is also present. But what they need is a leader. Someone who can take the players to the next level whilst simultaneously challenging them to be stronger, tougher, more resilient on the international stage.

I believe Mauricio Pochettino — who is reportedly finalizing his contract with the USMNT — is that man. With his experience, expertise and gravitas, the former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss is an excellent acquisition. He may not be in charge yet as the official announcement looms (Mikey Varas is interim manager) but his presence alone on Saturday will ignite the fanbase and most importantly, every member of the squad, including their star player Christian Pulisic, will see it as an audition.

Pochettino may not be making the decisions in this window, but his message will be clear: friendly or not, the time to relax or settle for mediocrity on the world stage is over.

Argentina win big without Messi, a preparation for what’s to come

After Argentina legend Ángel Di María was given a goodbye (he retired from the national team this summer) at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, La Albiceleste came out victorious against Chile thanks to an easy 3-0 win. For the World Cup and Copa América champions, it was yet another three points in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, further cementing their lead at the top of the South American table.

But as the tribute to Di María showed, it was also a night of saying goodbye to the past and waving hello to the future: life without Lionel Messi. This is obviously a loaded sentiment.

Paulo Dybala, who scored the third goal, wore the No. 10 shirt on Thursday night and clearly felt its weight. “I know it’s not my shirt, we all know it belongs to Leo. I tried to represent it in the best way possible. Some of the guys said I should wear it. I wasn’t sure if I should accept it, but it’s a very nice responsibility.”

Messi stayed in South Florida during this international window due to his continued rehabilitation from an ankle injury he suffered during Copa América’s final in July. He has not played for club and country since then and the national team, like Inter Miami, are accepting the reality that one day, they will be without their captain.

I know what you’re thinking, Argentina fans. This sounds like an “offside,” and clearly, as Dybala suggested, even when he’s not there, Messi is still there. Even his absence creates a presence. But one day he will retire. And as I have said over and over again, as much as he has done for the national team, his departure has a cushion landing because the key to everything is manager Lionel Scaloni.

Argentina showed their defensive might at Copa América (they did not concede in the group stage and only once in the knockouts) and in World Cup qualifiers, while last night they illustrated their offensive creativity. The first goal was a perfect example of this point as the ball seamlessly moved from one end to another before Julián Álvarez placed in a low cross into the box. Lautaro Martínez dummied it and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister scored the opener. It was a fluid, team goal, made by almost every Argentinian on the pitch. And that’s all down to Scaloni.

There will be tougher battles ahead, but this international window shows how Argentina has a bright future ahead without Messi.

OFFSIDE

For Brazil, the time to reset is now

After failing to impress in this summer’s Copa América (one win in the group stage, which eventually ended in a quarterfinal loss to Uruguay) head coach Dorival Júnior and his squad now have to return to another headache: getting out of their precarious situation in World Cup qualifiers.

Brazil — who are the only men’s national team to have participated in every World Cup and won it more times (5) than anyone else — are currently sixth in standings with seven points from a possible 18 after six matches. The optimist can look at this scenario and attest to the fact that there are still more matches left to be played, and sixth is still good enough to qualify for the tournament, due to the 48-team expansion with CONMEBOL being awarded six and a half spots for 2026.

But come on, now. This is Brazil we’re talking about. Sixth? That’s just not acceptable.

The reasons for their situation are simple. For one, South America is changing and so is the football hierarchy. After Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia are showing they’re the real deal. Second: comparatively speaking, this Brazilian side is one of the weakest in recent history — both in terms of experience and depth. The talent across the squad is not there and star player Vinícius Júnior cannot fix everything on his own.

Neymar, who is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered last October, will turn 33 in February, and he is not the answer in the future. The midfield is adequate but not world class, the defensive line and goalkeeping unit are probably the strongest assets but as we saw this summer, they struggle to play from the back, which has been an archetypal characteristic of the Brazilian ethos.

The presence of teenagers Endrick (18) and 17-year-old Estêvão (his first call-up, nicknamed “Messinho,” so no pressure) who arrives at Chelsea from Palmeiras next year, is exciting, but they’re still a work in progress.

This is about Dorival Júnior. He has to press the reset div but most importantly, as they face Ecuador at home and a weaker Paraguay in this window, he must lead them to six points. Anything less will only raise more questions.

What’s more is that the excitement around the Brazilian national team might also be dwindling. Kickoff was originally set for 9:45 p.m. local time, but it was moved to 10 p.m. local Brazilian time by the network Globo to make room for the final episode of an extremely popular soap opera. Now, this isn’t something new in South America, but it does speak to the overall excitement, or lack thereof, for the Seleção.

Ronaldo claims an incredible record, but what does it mean for Portugal?

Let’s immediately get this out of the way for the Cristiano Ronaldo super fans. To make history and become the first men’s player to score 900 goals is absolutely incredible. He is the greatest goal scorer in the history of the game.

“I want to reach 1,000 goals,” he said to his former Man United teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel. “If I don’t have any injuries, this for me is the most important [thing], I want that. For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After [that], my challenge is to reach 1,000 goals.”

Earlier in the week, Ronaldo also discussed his intent to stay with the national team, stating that retirement — or being a bit player — never crossed his mind. “Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter.”

Again, this is remarkable. It’s what makes Ronaldo, Ronaldo. A man so focused towards his personal pursuit of perfection that nothing else matters.

But it’s this individualism that I think could slow down Portugal’s collective journey in major competitions if he sticks around. No, I don’t include the Nations League as a major competition. It’s a good one. It makes friendlies more interesting, but it’s not the World Cup or the Euros. Portugal has never won the former and the latter was achieved in 2016, back when Ronaldo was 31 (in the final, he came off injured in the 25th minute).

So my point is this. Ronaldo’s objectives — scoring 1000 goals — are about Ronaldo and there is nothing wrong with that, but as we saw this summer in Germany, when it comes to major tournaments, his presence in the lineup could hinder the opportunities for younger teammates.

Manager Roberto Martínez will never not call him up. Ronaldo will never admit he’s a liability in major competitions. The goals will continue to come in lesser ones. But Portugal’s progress? And the chances for them to win the World Cup in 2026? That’s the big question.

Ronaldo’s impact and attention is so massive that in the end, it could affect what should be the most important talking point: Portugal.

Final word

Make sure to read FIFPRO’s recent report, which states the ever-growing issue of an overloaded schedule causing increased levels of mental and physical stress for professional players. It notes how lightening the fixture list not only decreases these issues, but actually helps the player’s performances. It’s something I have repeatedly written about.

There’s a reason why Erling Haaland has started so brightly this season. He had a summer off.