Europe Flexes Before 2026: France, Belgium and Co. Shine in March World Cup Warm-Ups

The last FIFA international window before the expanded 2026 World Cup ended with a clear message from Europe: the continent’s heavyweights are rounding into form, while several South American, African and host-nation hopefuls still have gaping holes to plug.

France headlined the March friendlies with a pair of statement victories. Kylian Mbappé’s audacious lob over Ederson and Hugo Ekitike’s tidy finish from Michael Olise’s cut-back sealed a 2-1 win over Brazil in Foxborough, a result Les Bleus protected even after Dayot Upamecano’s red card forced a late defensive rearguard. Three nights later a largely second-choice side toppled Colombia 3-1; 19-year-old Désiré Doué’s double and Marcus Thuram’s header showcased depth that could prove invaluable across a seven-game sprint next summer.

Croatia, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany supplied further evidence of UEFA’s muscle. Luka Vušković’s deflected thunderbolt and Igor Matanović’s towering header flipped a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 win over Colombia in Orlando, reinforcing the Balkan side’s reputation as the tournament’s quintessential dark horse. Austria dismantled Ghana 5-1 in Vienna, Marcel Sabitzer orchestrating a rout that leaves the Black Stars searching for answers. The Netherlands recovered from Andreas Schjelderup’s early strike to edge Norway 2-1 in Amsterdam, captain Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders providing the decisive blows. Germany served up the window’s most dramatic storyline, scoring four unanswered goals to stun Switzerland 4-3; Florian Wirtz contributed to every goal, capping the comeback with an 85th-minute rocket into the top corner.

Spain, meanwhile, never broke stride against Serbia, monopolising 70 percent possession and riding Mikel Oyarzabal’s brace plus Víctor Muñoz’s debut strike to a serene 3-0 win.

The picture was murkier elsewhere. Colombia’s back-to-back defeats exposed familiar frailties—an ageing spine, inconsistent goalkeeping and over-reliance on James Rodríguez—while Argentina laboured to a 2-1 win over lowly Mauritania, managing no second-half shots on target even after Lionel Messi’s introduction. Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay produced mixed results, none dispelling doubts about CONMEBOL’s depth beyond the top tier.

Africa’s qualified nations offered flickers of encouragement. Senegal eased past Peru 2-0 through Nicolas Jackson and Ismaïla Sarr, Ivory Coast thumped South Korea 4-0 in a statement win, and Algeria routed Guatemala 7-0 in a second-half procession. Yet South Africa’s 1-1 draw with Panama and Morocco’s 1-1 stalemate with Ecuador felt like missed chances to build momentum.

For the 2026 hosts, the window sounded alarms. Canada clawed back a 2-2 draw with Iceland thanks to two Jonathan David penalties but finished with ten men after Tajon Buchanan’s late red card. Mexico’s goalless stalemate with Portugal at a reopened but sombre Azteca—marred by a fatal fan accident—showed familiar attacking bluntness. The United States suffered the harshest lesson, conceding five second-half goals in a 5-2 loss to Belgium that laid bare defensive disorganisation and transition woes Mauricio Pochettino must urgently address.

With 90 days until coaches must submit provisional rosters, Europe’s contenders have reason to feel bullish. France’s seamless squad rotation, Germany’s explosive midfield, Austria’s high-tempo pressing and Spain’s possession dominance all suggest tactical clarity and depth. For the rest of the world, the clock is ticking—and the answers are not yet obvious.