The long international break has ended for PSG players, whose last club matches were played on October 5. Vitinha and Nuno Mendes reaffirmed their importance and Désiré Doué finished very strongly, while Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia disappointed. Paris also has two fitness issues to monitor following the early returns of Senny Mayulu and Ferran Torres.
France: Doué back on track, Dembélé still struggling
Results: Turkey vs. France 0-1, Belgium vs. France 0-1, France vs. Italy 1-1, France vs. Belgium 4-1.
- Désiré Doué
215 minutes, one goal, and two assists. After a lively cameo in Turkey, Doué put in a big performance in Brussels: driving runs, hitting the crossbar, and solid defensive work. Though more inconsistent against Italy, he finished with a decisive substitute appearance against Belgium: an equalizer followed by two assists for Olise in just 18 minutes. Two very strong performances against the Belgians and less consistent output elsewhere, but a genuine return to form.
- Ousmane Dembélé
Results: Turkey vs. France 0-1, Belgium vs. France 0-1, France vs. Italy 1-1, France vs. Belgium 4-1.
262 minutes without a goal or an assist. His pressing helped in Turkey, but his attacking influence remained limited. After a quiet introduction in Brussels, he failed to pose a threat against Italy. Against Belgium, a turnover led to the opposition’s goal, and he managed neither a successful dribble nor a shot on target before being substituted on the hour mark. Whether playing centrally or on the right, his position changed—but his output did not.
- Maghnes Akliouche
Results during his appearances: Belgium vs. France 0-1, France vs. Belgium 4-1.
Two starts, 136 minutes, and no decisive attacking contributions. Akliouche showed willingness to receive the ball and was active in the press in Brussels, but lacked precision. In the return leg, his work rate wasn’t enough to unlock the Belgian defense, and he was substituted after 60 minutes. He ran, made himself available, and put in the hard work. Now, he needs to translate all that effort into making a tangible difference with the ball at his feet.
Portugal: Vitinha and Mendes prove their worth; Neves waits for his chance
- Vitinha
Results: Portugal 1-0 Wales, Norway 1-2 Portugal, Denmark 2-4 Portugal, Portugal 2-1 Norway.
301 minutes and a first international goal—a header in Denmark that put Portugal 3-2 ahead. After playing the full match against Wales and coming on for 35 minutes in Norway, Vitinha played a more prominent role in the final two games. In the return match against Norway, he orchestrated play from a higher position and initiated the move that led to the winning goal. While he wasn’t officially credited with an assist for that play, his influence was undeniable.
- Nuno Mendes
Results: Portugal 1-0 Wales, Norway 1-2 Portugal, Denmark 2-4 Portugal, Portugal 2-1 Norway.
Approximately 348 minutes and two assists: one for João Félix against Wales, and another for Cancelo via a long throw-in against Norway. Even his throw-ins pay off. He also played a part in the build-up to the opening goal in Norway—though he didn’t get the final assist—and played the full 90 minutes in the victory over Denmark. A few imperfections, but he was highly effective for a Portugal side that won all four of its matches.
- João Neves
Results during his appearances: Portugal 1-0 Wales, Norway 1-2 Portugal, Denmark 2-4 Portugal.
Around 65 minutes, just one start, and no decisive attacking contributions. Neves came on right at the end against the Welsh, played 55 minutes in Norway, then nine in Denmark. He remained on the bench for the final match. It was an understated international break, frustrating primarily due to his limited playing time: it is hard to expect him to shine for long periods when he plays so little.
Belgium and Spain: partial confirmation
- Mika Godts
Results: Italy 0-2 Belgium, Belgium 0-1 France, Belgium 3-0 Turkey, France 4-1 Belgium.
267 minutes and a first international goal. Godts impressed in Italy, where he beat a defender before scoring past Donnarumma, all while working hard off the ball. Lively and disciplined again against the French in Brussels, he was less influential against Turkey and had little impact during his 20-minute cameo in the return match against Les Bleus. The potential was evident; consistency remains to be established.
- Fabián Ruiz
Results: England 2-3 Spain, Spain 4-1 Croatia.
127 minutes, with no goals or assists. Ruiz played 70 minutes at Wembley, followed by 57 against Croatia, where his contribution to Spain’s build-up play and combination passing was appreciated. He then left the squad for the birth of his first child. Two wins, a strong second performance, and a departure for a happy reason.
- Ferran Torres
Result during his appearance: England 2-3 Spain.
Just 55 minutes. A goal disallowed early on, followed by two significant missed chances: Torres found himself in good positions but lacked a clinical finish. He was unused against Croatia and subsequently returned to Paris due to persistent pain in his left ankle. The sporting record is disappointing based on a small sample size; the injury is a separate issue, with no confirmed timeline for his return.
Georgia and Ukraine: a difficult international break
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Results: Georgia 0-1 Northern Ireland, Georgia 0-0 Ukraine, Hungary 1-0 Georgia, Northern Ireland 0-0 Georgia. Four full matches as captain—360 minutes—with no goals or assists, plus a missed penalty in the opening game. Kvaratskhelia created chances against Ukraine without breaking the deadlock, then finished the matches in Hungary and Northern Ireland without a decisive contribution. Georgia failed to score a single goal. The burden doesn’t rest entirely on his shoulders, but PSG is getting back a forward who played a lot of football without finding his form.
- Ilya Zabarnyi
Results during his appearances: Hungary 0–1 Ukraine, Ukraine 0–3 Northern Ireland, Ukraine 1–2 Hungary.
270 minutes, with no goals or assists. After a clean-sheet victory in Hungary and a match on the bench against Georgia, Zabarnyi played in both of Ukraine’s defeats. The last one was particularly frustrating, as a goal was conceded just two minutes after the equalizer. The team’s defensive record deteriorated, but match reports do not attribute the goals conceded to him personally.
Brazil and Ecuador: defenders hold their ground
- Marquinhos
Results: Australia vs. Brazil 1–1, Australia vs. Brazil 2–4, India vs. Brazil 0–4.
150 minutes played and two starts wearing the captain’s armband. Marquinhos was solid in duels during the first match in Australia, stayed on the bench for the second, and then played a solid 60 minutes against India. While the latter match calls for a measured assessment, his overall record was clean and his workload reasonable. An international break that was neither spectacular nor overly taxing.
- Willian Pacho
Results: South Korea vs. Ecuador 3–0, Japan vs. Ecuador 0–0 (5–4 on penalties), Ecuador vs. Panama 1–1 (6–7 on penalties).
206 minutes played and a first start as captain against South Korea. Despite the 3–0 scoreline, Pacho made solid defensive interventions, and match reports did not directly attribute the goals conceded to him. He then played the full match without conceding against Japan, came on for 26 minutes against Panama, and successfully converted his penalty. Ecuador’s campaign ended poorly, but their defender deserves more than just a summary of the results.
Morocco and Russia: limited playing time
- Achraf Hakimi
Results: Morocco vs. Gabon 2–0, Lesotho vs. Morocco 0–2, Morocco vs. Mali 1–1.
Suspended against Gabon, Hakimi returned to the pitch against Lesotho for a 21-minute cameo, recording neither a goal nor an assist. He then remained on the bench against Mali. The main takeaway was his return to action following injury. Judging an entire international break based on just 21 minutes would require a great deal of imagination.
- Matvey Safonov
Result: Russia vs. Iran 2–0. A full match with no goals conceded, followed by an early release from his national team. Safonov is not taking part in Russia’s latest friendlies. The verdict on his solitary appearance is positive, but the available data suggests nothing more than a clean sheet.
The Youngsters: Mayulu Injured, U20s Struggle
- Senny Mayulu
Results: Iceland U21 vs. France U21 1–1, Estonia U21 vs. France U21 0–2.
131 minutes played before an abrupt end to the international break. In Iceland, his shot—cleared off the line—preceded Mathys Tel’s equalizer, though he was not officially credited with an assist. In Estonia, he left the pitch injured in the 41st minute; a left-thigh injury subsequently required several weeks of treatment. While this is bad news for Paris, it is no reason to label his performance a failure.
- Quentin Ndjantou
Results: Germany U20 vs. France U20 1–0, England U20 vs. France U20 2–1, France U20 vs. Italy U20 0–3.
Ndjantou played the full first match, came on in the 90th minute against England, and started—only to be substituted in the second half—against Italy. No goals or assists. The French team’s campaign was a collective failure, resulting in three defeats, but match reports do not provide enough detail on his performance to assign him specific individual blame.
- Dimitri Lucea
Results: Germany U20 vs. France U20 1–0, England U20 vs. France U20 2–1, France U20 vs. Italy U20 0–3.
Lucea started against Germany and was substituted ten minutes from time. He did not feature against England according to the substitution records consulted, but played the first half against Italy. No goals or assists. Here again, the team results were poor, but the available information does not allow for a sufficiently solid individual assessment. Players with no matches to evaluate
Dro Fernández attended a training camp with Spain U19 but had no scheduled matches. Alessandro Longoni withdrew from the Italy U19 squad before the camp began. Warren Zaïre-Emery also opted out of the France squad. None of the three has an international performance to rank for this period.
The “subjective” ranking of the Parisian players
This ranking focuses on on-field performances; an injury does not count as a poor performance. Hakimi is excluded due to insufficient playing time, as are Zabarnyi, Ndjantou, and Lucea due to a lack of sufficiently detailed individual data. Players who did not play any matches are not ranked.
Top performers
Vitinha: An important goal in Denmark and a strong influence against Norway. The most impressive overall record.
Nuno Mendes: Two assists and a tangible contribution to Portugal’s victories.
Désiré Doué: Two strong matches against Belgium, including a decisive substitute appearance to finish off the series. Inconsistency prevents him from ranking higher.
Mika Godts: An excellent start in Italy, followed by less consistent influence.
Mixed performances
Willian Pacho: More solid than Ecuador’s results might suggest.
Fabián Ruiz: A good match against Croatia and a camp cut short for a happy reason.
Marquinhos: Two decent performances and measured usage, without any particular standout moments.
Senny Mayulu: A positive contribution in Iceland, before an injury spoiled his return.
Matvey Safonov: One clean sheet, but too small a sample size to draw further conclusions.
Maghnes Akliouche: Active, but still lacking precision and attacking influence. João Neves: an understated international break, defined primarily by limited playing time.
The lows
Ferran Torres: missed key chances in England. Assessment limited to his 55 minutes of play, excluding the time lost to injury.
Ousmane Dembélé: 262 minutes with no goals or assists and several lackluster performances. Not enough given his status.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: 360 minutes without a decisive attacking contribution and a missed penalty. The most disappointing international break of the group.
