08 November 2021
The final international break of 2021 is upon us, with 17 players from the Juventus first team called up for national team duty.
Qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is at stake for several sides, starting with Italy who take on Switzerland (12 November) and Northern Ireland (15 November). Currently topping Group C, the Bianconeri’s Italian contingent of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Federico Bernardeschi, Manuel Locatelli and Federico Chiesa will look to help the Azzurri secure their spot at next year’s spectacle.
Elsewhere in Europe, Dejan Kulusevski has been called up for the Swedish team who will be in action against Georgia (11 November) and then Spain (14 November), where he will meet club teammate Alvaro Morata. The Spanish striker’s prior appointment will be against Greece on 11 November.
Wojciech Szczesny will look to don the gloves for Poland in their qualifiers against Andorra (12 November) and Hungary (15 November), while Adrien Rabiot’s France are scheduled to take on Kazakhstan (13 November) and Finland (16 November).
Matthijs de Ligt will be available for the Netherlands as they line up against Montenegro (13 November) and Norway (16 November), while Aaron Ramsey will look to aid Wales in their qualifiers against Belarus (13 November) and Belgium (16 November).
Several Bianconeri are set to collide in South America, starting with a clash between Brazil and Colombia (11 November) in which Selecao duo Alex Sandro and Danilo will line up against teammate Juan Cuadrado. Colombia will then play again against Paraguay on 16 November, while Brazil will continue their rivalry against Argentina on the same day, as Paulo Dybala prepares to come face-to-face with his club defenders. Also available for Argentina will be Juventus U23 player Matias Soule, who was called up for the first time. Soule and Dybala will also meet a familiar face in Rodrigo Bentancur in Argentina’s qualifier against Uruguay (12 November), following which Bentancur’s side will take on Bolivia in their second fixture of this FIFA break (16 November).
In central America, Weston McKennie’s USA also have two fixtures scheduled, the first against Mexico (12 November) and then against Jamaica (16 November) as they look to continue their qualification path towards Qatar.
