For the first time in a long time, we won't be seeing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo patrolling the pitch for their respective countries. With both icons now retired from international duty, we close out the calendar year that saw Spain lift the 2026 World Cup with a final November window that will feature some top-bill matches, especially in Europe. Several heavyweight squads — Spain, England, and Portugal – dropped their rosters for the final matches of the UEFA Nations League group stage. That includes a contest between Spain and England on Nov. 17 in Madrid that will now carry some emotional weight. Here are my takeaways from some of the more notable roster decisions: Two recent tragedies in Spain – one off the pitch and one on it – reminded us that there are things in life much bigger than football. Against that backdrop, the defending World Cup champions will use the upcoming matches against Czechia and England to help their nation heal. Last Wednesday, a train collision in Urda killed 69 people (and injured 200) on a Madrid-Sevilla high-speed line, making it one of the worst transportation tragedies in European history and the second one in Spain this year. Days later, Jesús de Miguel Alameda, the 30-year-old striker from CD Tenerife, the second-division club from the Canary Islands, died after a collision with Andorra's goalkeeper Jesús Owono in the middle of a match. As Spain’s squad was announced on Friday, manager Luis De La Fuente and the country's federation honored the victims of both tragedies. "Football must unite us today more than ever. We share the grief of the families of the victims from Urda, and we mourn the irreparable loss of Jesús de Miguel," he said before announcing his 27-man list. Alameda's funeral was held on Thursday at his family’s village as the insurmountable pain was felt across the country, with Spanish and European clubs paying tributes to him throughout the week. De la Fuente, who has created a family-based environment on and off the pitch for Spain, was present at Alameda's funeral alongside Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. "We wanted to be close to his parents, his wife and daughter. In moments of pain, football comes together more than ever," said de la Fuente on the day of mourning. It was a touching moment as Spain will undoubtedly use this international window to unite the country during a period of mourning, especially in the second match against England, held at Atlético de Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium. The squad list from Spain, now 42 matches unbeaten and 11 straight victories, comes with a few new additions amid some injuries. World Cup winners Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí and Fermín Lopez are back alongside goalkeeper Joan García to make it five Barcelona players in the squad. There could have been more but Rodri, Dani Olmo and Eric García are injured and there’s no space for Gavi once again as De La Fuente feels the 22-year-old is not quite up to speed. Tottenham defender Pedro Porro, who missed the World Cup due to injury, is notable returnee. There will be other fresh faces such as Como defender Jacobo Ramón, who has been instrumental for Cesc Fàbregas’ side (fourth in the Champions League table and Italy's Serie A), as well as Real Betis duo of Marc Roca and goalkeeper Álvaro Valles. Atlético Madrid's extremely talented midfielder Pablo Barrios comes back to the squad, alongside Ander Barrenetxea from Real Sociedad. Harry Kane is back, fresh off winning the Ballon d'Or. But the intrigue in this squad lies elsewhere, most notably whether we see the latest set of brothers share the pitch for England. It certainly wasn't surprising that Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel called up Jude Bellingham to his 26-man roster for the games against Croatia and Spain. Bellingham was a breakout star during the World Cup and the Real Madrid midfield dynamo has kept that form going. But the inclusion of the 21-year-old Jobe Bellingham was a pleasant surprise. Jobe has been captain of the Under-21 England squad, and like his older brother did before his move to Madrid, is turning heads at Borussia Dortmund. "He found his way, he found his rhythm with Dortmund. He's had an excellent start to his season, is a regular starter and influential," said Tuchel, himself a former Dortmund manager. In case you are wondering, the Bellinghams wouldn't be the first brothers to share the pitch for England. Gary and Phil Neville both shared the pitch for England (and Manchester United) during the 1990s and 2000s, while Bobby and Jack Charlton were part of the 1966 World Cup-winning side. More recently, Nathaniel and Trevoh Chalobah both played for England, but never alongside each other. And while the Bellinghams' England outlook appear to be hitting a second gear, you can't say that for Cole Palmer. The Chelsea playmaker seems to be at an impasse with Tuchel after not getting a call for the upcoming matches. He wasn't included in the 2026 World Cup squad and withdrew from last month's batch of matches due to injury. That means the next chance for Palmer to impress Tuchel will be during the March 2027 window, but with just three appearances in the last two seasons, don't hold your breath on a reunion. "The door is always open, but nothing has changed, and we decided to do this camp without him," Tuchel said. There is a message about what Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international football should mean for Portugal. It reminds me of what Michael Jordan once said, "I want to be the bridge to the next generation." This is why I think Portugal’s window is key, because it’s finally an opportunity to showcase the team’s attacking fluidity without prioritizing the country’s most illustrious player. I understand there is an emotional connotation that comes with Ronaldo’s departure. It is obviously the right thing to do for the entire nation to pay homage to the man who did so much for them, including 146 goals, a Euros title in 2016 and so many other memories. These need to be the moments of reflective change for Portugal, from idea to execution. This isn’t a criticism of what this team looked like with their greatest ever player, but rather this is a call to arms to declare what it can finally be without him. In his 28-man roster, manager Jorge Jesus has called for new blood as the 78-year-old has seven new faces ahead of Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales – including five players from the squad who are entering this team from the under-21 setup. Gustavo Varela, the 21-year-old Monza striker who is currently leading Serie A’s top scoring list with nine goals from nine league appearances. In all competitions, Varela — who is attracting a lot of attention from major European sides, has 11 goals and his inclusion is another reason why Portugal is ready for a new chapter. There is also the introduction of 19-year-old Rodrigo Mora, who has been a fantastic addition at Roma. He has been called up before but never featured, so now this is a great chance for the young attacker to make a name for himself. With PSG's Nuno Mendes out with an injury, Nuno Tavares has been an absolute weapon for Serie A-leading Lazio. Then there is the case of familiar names such as Gonçalo Ramos, who joined AC Milan from PSG this past summer, breaking the club’s transfer record. Ramos has scored three goals and one assist for Milan but this window right now, this return to Portugal, is pivotal for him because he will no longer be the shadow of Ronaldo. But this is a new dawn for Portugal, and it’s important for the likes of Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Félix, Rafael Leão and other members to take this national team to a new level. This is a team that can genuinely win the European Championships in 2028 and perhaps even a first-ever World Cup in 2030.
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