FC Barcelona contributed a total of eight players to their respective national teams during the last FIFA date in November 2024, the final one of the year. This number could have been higher, but it is important to note that both Lamine Yamal (Spain) and Robert Lewandowski (Poland) were left out of their national teams' call-ups due to physical problems. Below, at FCBN, we explain how the Barça players fared during this international break.
Spain
Pedri González
Pedri González was one of the standout players for the Spanish national team that participated in both matches for 'La Roja' against Denmark and Switzerland, respectively. In the match against the Danes, his participation was brief, as he came on as a substitute in the 80th minute, replacing Mikel Merino, and played the rest of the match without particularly standing out.
In the clash against Switzerland, Pedri had more prominence as he was included in the starting eleven by Luis de la Fuente and remained on the field until the 79th minute. During the match against the Swiss, in the 34th minute, the player from Tegueste received a strong blow to his right knee that left him visibly in pain, requiring medical intervention. Despite this, he was able to continue playing regularly. It is worth noting that he missed a penalty in that match.
Dani Olmo
Dani Olmo returned to the Spanish national team call-up after missing the October FIFA date due to an injury. His return was positive, as Luis de la Fuente included him in the starting lineup and he played 70 minutes in the Spanish national team's 1-2 victory over Denmark.
During this match, Dani Olmo provided an assist that led to the 0-2 goal, scored by Ayoze Pérez. In the match against Switzerland, the player from Terrassa was not a starter and remained on the bench.
Marc Casadó
The midfielder from Barcelona, Marc Casadó, had a standout debut with the Spanish national team during this November FIFA date. The player from Sant Pere de Vilamajor shone in the matches of the fifth round against Denmark and the sixth against Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League.
In the match against the Danes, Casadó came off the bench as a substitute and was on the field for 20 minutes, while against the Swiss, he started and played the full 90 minutes. As a result, the midfielder had the opportunity to showcase flashes of his play, just as he has been doing with the Blaugrana team, proving to be a powerful and confident option in the midfield of 'La Roja'.
Pau Cubarsí
Pau Cubarsí was called up to the Spanish national team due to the last-minute absence of Aston Villa defender Pau Torres due to injury. Although he did not have the opportunity to be part of the squad available for the match against Denmark, he was a starter in the clash against Switzerland and played the full 90 minutes.
Spain U-21
Pablo Torre
Pablo Torre was called up to join the U-21 team led by Santi Denia for a series of friendly matches. In the first of them, against the U-21 team of England, the player from Soto de la Marina could only play 27 minutes after coming off the bench.
In the following 2-1 victory of 'La Rojita' over Denmark, Pablo Torre was a starter and captain of the team. During this match, in which he faced 58 minutes of action, he contributed with a key assist for the goal that opened the scoring, putting the scoreboard at 1-0 in favor of Spain.
Brazil
Raphinha
Raphinha had a FIFA date in November where he showed two contrasting facets. While he was the standout figure for 'La Canarinha' in the match that ended in a draw against Venezuela (1-1), scoring a stunning free-kick, his tenth goal with the 'Seleção', in the match against Uruguay, which also ended in a 1-1 draw, he did not manage to be as influential or accurate as in other matches. In both games, he played the full 90 minutes.
The Netherlands
Frenkie de Jong
On the other hand, another player who had a somewhat 'bittersweet' return to his national team was Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman was included by Ronald Koeman in the starting eleven for the first match of this FIFA date with the Netherlands, which was against Hungary.
However, Frenkie de Jong had to be substituted in the 68th minute after not showing his best level on the field, despite the 4-0 victory for 'Oranje' in a match that was a true celebration for the Dutch national team. After the match against the Hungarians, the native of Arkel expressed that he was not in optimal physical condition, which led his national team to let him go early, withdrawing him from the squad for the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
France
Jules Koundé
Regarding Jules Koundé, the defender who has been converted to right-back, he continued his good performance with the French national team. Didier Deschamps once again trusted him as his undisputed right-back, playing 90 minutes in the surprising 0-0 draw for the French team against Israel and another 82 minutes in the French victory over Italy by 1-3. The '23' from Barça continues to establish himself as a reliable right-back defensively, and his offensive contributions are steadily increasing.