A busy international break saw 10 Chelsea players called up for senior team duty. Here is a full round-up of how the Blues contingent got on while playing for their respective national teams.
Enzo Fernandez (Argentina)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | Argentina | 2–1 | Mauritania |
| 31/3/26 | Argentina | 5–0 | Zambia |
Enzo enjoyed a productive break with Argentina, starting both matches and getting himself on the scoresheet in the 2-1 friendly win over Mauritania. He followed that up with another solid display in the emphatic 5-0 victory over Zambia. To help manage his minutes, he was substituted after 56 minutes in the first game and 74 minutes in the second.
Off the pitch, some comments drew attention as Fernandez openly admitted that he would like to live in Spain and that Madrid reminds him of Buenos Aires. This interest in Real Madrid only sparked further speculation around his long-term future.
Joao Pedro & Andrey Santos (Brazil)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26/3/26 | Brazil | 1–2 | France |
| 31/3/26 | Brazil | 3–1 | Croatia |
It was a frustrating international break for Joao Pedro. He came off the bench in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to France before being handed a start against Croatia, but he struggled to make a major impact in either outing. Despite his strong club form, he is still searching for his first senior international goal and may find it difficult to establish himself as a regular starter heading towards the World Cup. The 24-year-old had a huge chance to open his account in the first half against Croatia but saw his effort saved.
Andrey Santos earned his fifth senior cap after starting in the defeat to France and later made a brief cameo from the bench in the win over Croatia. Having been an unused substitute during the previous international window, he will have been pleased to have been much more involved this time around. That said, his displays were steady rather than standout, and he probably did not do enough to significantly improve his position in the pecking order.
Moises Caicedo (Ecuador)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | Morocco | 1–1 | Ecuador |
| 31/3/26 | Netherlands | 1–1 | Ecuador |
Caicedo once again underlined his importance to Ecuador, playing the full 90 minutes in both 1-1 draws against Morocco and the Netherlands. The midfielder put in another excellent defensive shift, breaking up play effectively and covering huge ground throughout both matches. Ecuador were especially unfortunate not to beat the Netherlands after registering 17 shots. Caicedo now has 60 international caps, a remarkable achievement given his age, and no doubt there will be many more to come.
Cole Palmer (England)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | England | 1–1 | Uruguay |
| 31/3/26 | England | 0–1 | Japan |
It was something of a mixed break for Palmer. He looked bright after coming off the bench in England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay and brought some creativity in the final third. He was then given a start against Japan, but the game proved more difficult. Palmer was partly at fault for the visitors’ winning goal after being dispossessed in midfield and failing to track back. He was substituted before the hour mark in what was another slightly underwhelming display at international level, even if the quality is clearly there.
Malo Gusto (France)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26/3/26 | Brazil | 1–2 | France |
| 29/3/26 | Colombia | 1–3 | France |
Gusto played 89 minutes in France’s 2-1 win over Brazil and produced a composed defensive performance against high-quality opposition. He defended well in one-on-one situations and looked comfortable in possession, though he is still behind Jules Kounde in the race to be France’s first-choice right-back. The Chelsea man was rested for the following match against Colombia, which should help keep him fresh heading back into club action.
Jorrel Hato (Netherlands)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | Netherlands | 2–1 | Norway |
| 31/3/26 | Netherlands | 1–1 | Ecuador |
Opportunities were limited for Hato over the break. He was an unused substitute against Norway before featuring for just 13 minutes in the draw with Ecuador. With the Netherlands blessed with strength in defensive areas, chances have been hard to come by. Still only six caps into his senior career, the young defender remains a major talent and should have many more international appearances ahead of him.
Pedro Neto (Portugal)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28/3/26 | Mexico | 0–0 | Portugal |
| 31/3/26 | United States | 0–2 | Portugal |
It was a fairly quiet break for Neto overall, bar one off-the-ball incident. He played the second half of the goalless draw with Mexico and the first half of the 2-0 win over the USA. His most notable moment came in the former match when tempers flared and he clashed with Jesus Gallardo, an exchange that saw both players booked.
Mamadou Sarr (Senegal)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28/3/26 | Senegal | 2–0 | Peru |
| 31/3/26 | Senegal | 3–1 | Gambia |
Sarr enjoyed a strong international window with Senegal. He was solid in the 2-0 win over Peru, recording six defensive contributions, completing 96% of his passes, and winning three of his four duels. He followed that with another assured display in the 3-0 win over Gambia, playing the full match and helping secure a second clean sheet
Marc Cucurella (Spain)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | Spain | 3–0 | Serbia |
| 31/3/26 | Spain | 0–0 | Egypt |
A comfortable evening for Cucurella in Spain’s 3-0 home win over Serbia, where he was rarely troubled defensively and contributed well down the left side. He was then rested for the following friendly against Egypt, with Alejandro Grimaldo taking his place.
Off the field, Cucurella made headlines with comments suggesting Enzo Maresca’s departure, a decision he disagreed with, had a significant impact on the squad. He also admitted it would be difficult to turn down an approach from Barcelona if they came in for him.
Josh Acheampong (England U21)
| Date | Home | Result | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27/3/26 | Andorra | 1–1 | England |
| 31/3/26 | England | 4–1 | Moldova |
At under-21 level, Josh Acheampong played the full matches against Andorra and Moldova. Although the first game ended as a disappointing 1-1 draw, England improved for the second Euro qualification game to win 4-1. These appearances moved Acheampong up to six U21 caps.