Eden Hazard has vowed he will return to his best form once his "delicate situation" at Real Madrid has been resolved.

The Belgium international showed flashes of quality during his 65 minutes on the field in his country's 2-1 Nations League win over Wales on Thursday.

That was the longest Hazard has played in a single match this season, having been restricted to just one start across Madrid's nine matches, each of those ending in victory.

Hazard's place in Belgium's line-up has been called into question ahead of the World Cup, and the ex-Chelsea forward acknowledged he needs to be playing more regularly.

"I was happy to start another match," he told RTL. "You saw that, I think. I'm happy when I play and it was nice to play for the supporters here [in Brussels] again.

"I know what I can do. Now I want to get in shape for the World Cup. We'll see what the coach [Roberto Martinez] decides, but I'm happiest when I play.

"When I play, I give it my all. It's a delicate situation at Real Madrid. I feel like playing more, but I can't do more.

"I've always said the old Eden Hazard will come back when he plays. I just need to get back into the rhythm."

Michy Batshuayi and Kevin De Bruyne both linked up with a goal and an assist each to give Belgium a 2-0 lead against Wales, who pulled one back through Kieffer Moore.

Martinez's side remain within three points of Group A4 leaders Netherlands ahead of travelling to Amsterdam on Sunday for their final game.

"We are going to try to play a good game there and prepare ourselves for the World Cup," Hazard said.

"I'm glad we played so well after the [Wales] goal. We can learn a lot from this for the next games."

Jamaica defender Curtis Tilt admits to being excited by the prospect of facing legendary Argentinian Lionel Messi and the rest of a start-studded South American squad, ahead of the team’s clash in New York next week.

The 31-year-old was a late addition to the team that will face the Argentineans on Tuesday.  The defender has not represented the team since June of last year against Serbia but will hope to make his case under new Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrímsson.  Tilt, who plays for English Championship team Wigan Athletic, is enjoying a whirlwind year having secured promotion from League One with the team at the start of the season.

Now he is excited at the prospect of not just returning to the country’s line-up, but also facing one of the best players in history and added to that a first-time trip to the Big Apple.

  "I'm buzzing to be fair, not only to be selected for my country but playing against the best player in the world really," Tilt told Wigan Today.

"I was called up late, so I've not had much to process it yet. I'm sure I'll get more anxious nearer the time, wondering what it's like to play against the very best,” he added.

"But New York as well...I've never actually been, I was thinking of going out during the winter break.

"It's come a little bit early, so hopefully we'll get a chance to have a look round at some of the sights."

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) says 15 players will resign from the women's national team due to the impacts on their "emotional state" and "health" while Jorge Vilda remains as coach.

Vilda has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024 and RFEF president Luis Rubiales has yet to dismiss the boss despite calls earlier in September for his removal.

A selection of Spanish players have now emailed the RFEF, refusing to play until the decision to keep Vilda is "reversed" due to a situation that impacts their "emotional state" and "health".

Despite the apparent disgruntlement with Vilda in charge, his side have already qualified for next year's World Cup.

However, a significant number of Spain players have now refused to play while he remains as coach.

The RFEF has responded by stating that the players, who remain unnamed, will not receive another call-up until they "have recognised their error and mistake".

"The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers," the statement read.

"The Federation will not admit any type of pressure from any player when adopting sports measures. These types of manoeuvres are far from exemplary and outside the values ​​of football and sport and are harmful.

"In accordance with current Spanish legislation, not attending a national team call is classified as a very serious infraction and can carry sanctions of between two and five years of disqualification."

Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal is doubtful that Memphis Depay and Steven Berghuis will be fit enough for Sunday's Nations League Group A4 decider against Belgium.

The Oranje cemented their position as group leaders on Thursday with a 2-0 win over Poland thanks to goals in each half from Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn.

That result means they only need to avoid defeat to Roberto Martinez's side to progress to the Finals next June.

Berghuis replaced the injured Teun Koopmeiners inside the opening five minutes at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, but the forward was later withdrawn for Kenneth Taylor, while Depay limped off in the 52nd minute to be replaced by Vincent Janssen.

Van Gaal had good news on Koopmeiners' condition, but the Netherlands boss was not optimistic about Depay and Begrhuis' chances of featuring against the Red Devils.

"I understand that Teun was already feeling a bit better, and I replaced Frenkie [de Jong] as a precaution. He had some tension on the muscles, but he expects to play, and he knows his own body," Van Gaal told NOS. 

"I don't think Memphis will play on Sunday and neither will Berghuis. It's a back injury and that usually lasts longer than a few days."

Gakpo, who was linked with a move to the Premier League during the transfer window, has started the season in fine form for PSV, scoring eight goals in seven Eredivisie games.

The 23-year-old continued his momentum on the international stage as well, stroking home his third goal for his country early on.

He played in a more central role than he is accustomed to at club level, and Van Gaal believes that is where his future might lay.

"I thought that Gakpo performed his duties well both in possession and out of possession," the head coach added.

"It was a good lesson for him and a good development. He wanted to play from the left, but for me, he has everything to become a good 10.

"He scored again, that's also important. It was a world-class goal. I jumped off the bench too. I don't normally do that. It was a top goal."

Roberto Martinez revealed Eden Hazard informed him he must "pay for a dinner party" following his red card in Belgium's Nations League win over Wales.

The Red Devils kept their hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals alive with a 2-1 victory in Brussels; Kevin De Bruyne and Michy Batshuayi on target at King Baudouin Stadium.

Martinez was given his marching orders by referee Ali Palabiyik after preventing Wales from taking a quick throw-in deep into stoppage time as his side remained three points behind Group A4 leaders Netherlands, with Kieffer Moore's goal proving to be in vain.

The Spaniard did not feel he should have been ordered from the touchline and says his dismissal will be costly.

"It may have been yellow, but never red," he told VTM. "I was just trying to slow down the game a bit. The captain told me that in Belgium, you have to pay for a dinner party with a red card. I will do that.

"You did see different halves. Before half-time, we found the spaces well, with many chances and two goals. After that, we tried to look for the one-on-one less, and we let the ball move less quickly.

"I'm glad we played it so well after the [Wales] goal. We can learn a lot from this for the next games."

Meanwhile, De Bruyne also took a swipe at officials following a penalty incident late on. Belgium were initially awarded a spot-kick after the Manchester City maestro was challenged by Rhys Norrington-Davies.

The decision was rightly overturned following consultation with the VAR, as the Wales defender clearly played the ball, but the referee subsequently pointed for a goal-kick rather than a corner.

Asked about Belgium's penalty shout, De Bruyne told S4C: "I was already running to the corner. The rules are so stupid though; it should then be a corner.

"I think we fully deserved to win, we dominated the first half and created a lot of chances. Wales were playing man to man, so there were more options in the first half.

"Then we started the second half poorly. We have to keep the ball - as Wales were playing so deep - and wait for the right moments."

Didier Deschamps hailed France for responding with a 2-0 victory despite having "little time to prepare" to face Austria in the Nations League.

Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante and Hugo Lloris were among the notable absentees for injury-hit France, while recent Barcelona recruit Jules Kounde limped off in Thursday's Nations League clash.

But Kylian Mbappe powered home in the second half to set Deschamps' side on their way to a win before Olivier Giroud – aged 35 years and 357 days – became France's oldest scorer.

The second-half double act from Mbappe and Giroud helped France to stave off Nations League relegation, picking up their first win to move a point clear of Austria with a game to play.

After Deschamps had to contend with a plethora of injury issues, the France head coach reflected on a job well done.

"I'm very satisfied with the way we played," he told M6. "The win is important, and we did everything we had to do, created a lot of chances and controlled the game with players who aren't used to playing with each other.

"We've had very little time to prepare, everyone has made an effort. There's a lot of positives."

Aurelien Tcouhameni benefited from the absence of Pogba, Kante and Adrien Rabiot, starting in midfield as France dominated Ralf Rangnick's side, and the Real Madrid midfielder felt his team showed their quality.

"We were determined to show a different face. We all wanted to show our true worth," Tchouameni said. 

"The conditions weren't optimal, but once you're on the pitch, there's nothing else that's important. Things went very well [with Youssouf Fofana]. You could see the understanding we have, I'm happy for him."

France will head into their final Nations League fixture with their fate in their own hands, facing Denmark on Sunday in Les Bleus' last outing before the World Cup starts in Qatar in November.

Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn were on target as the Netherlands ran out 2-0 winners over Poland in Nations League Group A4 on Thursday.

The Oranje dominated the first half at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw and went in at the break 1-0 up thanks to Gakpo's close-range finish after 13 minutes.

Poland threatened an equaliser at the start of the second period, but Bergwijn sealed all three points on the hour mark with a composed finish.

The result means Louis van Gaal's side just need to avoid defeat in their final group game against Belgium on Sunday to progress to the Finals next June.

The Netherlands lost Teun Koopmeiners to injury inside the opening five minutes, but they went ahead when Gakpo applied the finishing touch inside the six-yard box following a flowing move that cut through Poland's backline with ease. 

Memphis Depay squandered a golden opportunity to double the visitors' advantage, blazing over from a tight angle when a simple pass to Gakpo would surely have resulted in a goal, while Steven Berghuis curled narrowly wide. 

Poland were much brighter after the interval and twice went close to an equaliser through Arkadiusz Milik and Sebastian Szymanski. 

Their hopes of getting back into the game were ended in the 60th minute, though, when Bergwijn coolly slotted past Wojciech Szczesny after being teed up by Vincent Janssen. 

What does it mean? Oranje barely break sweat

The Netherlands were excellent value for their win, with the only disappointment for Van Gaal being that they did not beat a poor Poland side by a greater margin.

Now they just need to safely navigate Sunday's mouth-watering clash against their neighbours to book their spot in next year's Finals.

Gakpo's hot streak continues

Gakpo has scored eight goals in seven Eredivisie games for PSV this season and he continued that fine form on the international stage, stroking the Netherlands ahead early on with his third goal at this level.

Shot-shy Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski cut a frustrated figure up front for Poland. The Barcelona man has been one of Europe's most potent strikers for the past decade, yet he failed to have a single shot here as his side struggled to break down their opponents.

What's next?

Both sides wrap up their Group A4 campaigns on Sunday, with Poland visiting Wales at the same time as the Netherlands meet Belgium.

Kevin De Bruyne was on target as Belgium kept their faint hopes of progressing to the Nations League Finals alive with a 2-1 victory over Wales.

De Bruyne opened the scoring and set up the second goal for Michy Batshuayi at the King Baudouin Stadium, as the Red Devils remained three points behind leaders Netherlands in Group A4.

Kieffer Moore pulled one back for Wales, but the Dragons must now beat Poland on Sunday to have any chance of avoiding relegation from League A.

The Red Devils, whose head coach Roberto Martinez was sent from the touchline for time-wasting, need an emphatic win over the Dutch when they meet on Sunday to reach the Finals.

Belgium took just 10 minutes to break through as De Bruyne applied a wonderful first-time finish to Batshuayi's lay-off to the edge of the penalty area.

Youri Tielemans steered Yannick Carrasco's cross off target and Batshuayi fired over from a tight angle as the Red Devils continued to dominate, while the woodwork denied De Bruyne a second goal as he rattled the post from 20 yards out.

Eden Hazard then curled narrowly wide before the hosts doubled their lead in the 37th minute. This time, De Bruyne was the provider; sweeping in a pinpoint cross for Batshuayi to touch home.

Ethan Ampadu called Thibaut Courtois into action with Wales' first attempt on goal, while Wayne Hennessey denied De Bruyne at the other end.

The visitors halved the deficit within five minutes of the restart as Moore rose to head home Brennan Johnson's inviting cross.

Rob Page introduced Gareth Bale in the 64th minute and the Los Angeles FC forward went close soon after; Toby Alderweireld deflecting his header over from Dan James' centre.

VAR overturned a Belgian penalty later on, but the hosts held on for maximum points after Martinez was ordered from the touchline in stoppage time.

Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud were on target as France picked up their first Nations League victory of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Austria on Thursday.

Les Bleus faced serious injury difficulties heading into the international break, with Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante among the absentees, and often lacked fluidity at the Stade de France.

But Mbappe stepped up after 56 minutes to drive past numerous defenders and finish past Patrick Pentz before Giroud headed in to help Didier Deschamps' side to victory.

The winners of the last edition, France will now have their Nations League relegation fate in their hands, but cannot progress through Group A1 after leaders Croatia downed Denmark.

Mbappe thought he had curled France into a second-minute lead, only for the offside flag to deny him, before Jonathan Clauss forced Pentz to push over from range.

Jules Kounde was withdrawn as Les Bleus' injury woes continued before Benoit Badiashile's acrobatic effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Pentz, who denied Antoine Griezmann's close-range follow-up.

A smart passing move between Mbappe and Griezmann resulted in Clauss curling narrowly over after the interval, but France were soon ahead.

Mbappe received the ball from a driving Giroud run before powering forward into the area and firing a right-footed effort past the reach of Pentz.

Griezmann provided the second goal as his cross from the right wing found Giroud, who flicked a header into the top-left corner to secure the victory for France.

Gareth Southgate insists England "need commitment from everyone" ahead of their crucial Nations League Group A3 clash with Italy.

The Three Lions are on the brink of relegation from League A, having collected just two points from their opening four games, suffering a humbling 4-0 defeat to Hungary last time out.

England would drop into League B if they fail to win at San Siro, where Southgate says it will be a "great honour" for his squad to play as they look to build momentum ahead of the World Cup.

"This is a very important tournament, and we have already faced two very strong teams," he said. "We have already played against Italy, we know how formidable the players are.

"We need to improve after the latest results and in view of the World Cup, doing it here at San Siro - in an iconic stadium - will be a great honour.

"We analysed everything and tried to understand why there were these bad results after 22 games without a defeat. We need commitment from everyone, and we are focusing on this; we are making sure that the team can train in the best possible way."

Southgate, who revealed Jordan Henderson would be available to face the reigning European champions, also underlined his stance on the OneLove initiative.

Qatar has faced external criticism for its treatment of migrant workers, as well as its record on women's rights and treatment of LGBTQ people.

Human rights campaigner Amnesty International has called for migrant workers to be compensated for "suffering endured" in Qatar during preparations for the World Cup, calling for FIFA to support a 'remediation programme' and warning of the prospect of the tournament being "indelibly tainted by human rights abuses".

Southgate said: "I have observed and studied this situation closely. I have documented myself with experts who deal with this and the FA has also done a lot.

"Some demands have been made, there are already some hypotheses on the table and there is already an agreement with seven European nations to maintain this debate.

"I know that there is a need to talk about these issues, after all we hope for a change in that country even if everything is not under our control.

"We will not be able to do everything we want, there are limits, but talking is important. The criticisms are there, we must accept them, but we are doing our best."

Roberto Mancini believes reaching the Nations League Finals could help to ease the "suffering" coming Italy's way when the World Cup begins.

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in succession, with their disappointment magnified this time after they won the delayed Euro 2020 in July 2021 but then flopped in the final stages of Qatar 2022 qualifying.

On Friday, the Azzurri tackle England in Milan, a repeat meeting of the European final that Italy won on penalties at Wembley.

The teams have met since that occasion, slogging out a goalless draw at Molineux in June in their initial Nations League clash.

Mancini is hoping this latest reunion stirs something in his players that carries them to victory, given they have ground to make up on Hungary and Germany in Group A3, where England sit surprisingly bottom after four games. The Finals will be contested next June.

“There is enthusiasm for such a beautiful match and something that gives us a reminder," Mancini said. "I think winning the European Championship after 50 years was quite important.

"Getting to the Finals would give us joy, since from mid-November to mid-December there will be suffering.

"Tomorrow we have a very tough match against one of the best teams in the world, full of talents. We will need that team spirit that has always distinguished us. And then we will have to try to play well. Playing in a simple way is always the best thing."

Italy are without the injured Marco Verratti, Sandro Tonali, Matteo Politano and Lorenzo Pellegrini, but even with his midfield resources stretched, Mancini seemingly ruled out a change of system.

"If changing the game system ensured victory, then we would always change it. I don't think it changes much," he said. "Our national team has an identity that is what has led us to do well for a long time."

The game will see Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci line up against England once more, having scored the equaliser that preceded Italy's penalty shoot-out success at Wembley in last year's Euros.

Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England have only lost two of their past 26 matches, both against Hungary in June 2022 (W18 D6). The Three Lions are winless in four matches, however (D2 L2), last having a longer winless run in June 2014 (five matches), with one of those games being a 2-1 defeat to Italy at the World Cup.

Bonucci is hoping Italy can harness memories of Wembley to boost their prospects at San Siro.

The Italians need a pick-me-up after conceding 13 goals in their previous seven matches, including a 5-2 mauling by Germany last time out, the first time the Azzurri had shipped five in a game since a 1957 game against Yugoslavia. Italy had conceded only 15 goals in their previous 40 games before the recent sharp decline.

Bonucci said: “We must not forget the beautiful emotions we experienced. I believe that this national team does not lack enthusiasm, even if it must be amplified with victories.

"Tomorrow is an important match to understand where we are on this new path. There is no better match than this to build something important."

England captain Harry Kane hopes to spread a "broader message" to make a "step forward" at the Qatar World Cup, where the striker and nine other skippers will wear anti-discrimination armbands.

The Three Lions forward has joined with captains from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales as part of the OneLove initiative.

As England prepare to face Italy and Germany in the Nations League, Kane's decision to promote the movement to empower inclusion and diversity was the main talking point.

A distinctive heart-adorned armband will show England's stand against discriminatory practice in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised. 

"I talked to some captains on the human rights issue in Qatar, surely if we act together we can bring a broader message," Kane told reporters.

"The players can do a lot given the importance of the World Cup, we hope to make a step forward on this front."

England cannot reach the Nations League finals after disappointing in Group C1, with Gareth Southgate's side having gone winless in their first four games.

Defeat to Italy, who played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture at Molineux, would condemn England to relegation on Friday and Kane knows it is vital his side must return to winning ways.

"Certainly determination characterises us, we have to get back to playing well," he added. "For four years we have been formidable and we know that the last few matches in June were not positive, but we are preparing to better manage the two months remaining until the World Cup.

"Tomorrow's match will not be easy at all, but we want to win this race to also improve for the World Cup."

Italy will not feature at the World Cup in November after missing out on a second straight edition of the global competition following play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

With Germany to follow for England after their clash in Milan, Kane insists the challenges against Roberto Mancini's side and Hansi Flick's team will provide a marker for the upcoming World Cup.

"We played against the best teams and tomorrow we will play again against one of them," he continued.

"Tomorrow's match will be very useful for the World Cup, we must try to impose our game and it will help us to practice at our best.

"We talked within the team about this possible relegation, but there are still two games. Relegation is possible, but it must not affect the determination with which we will take the field."

Germany boss Hansi Flick has told his players to be cautious about socialising ahead of the World Cup to reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and missing games.

Midfielder Leon Goretzka and captain Manuel Neuer have been ruled out of the Nations League games against Hungary and England after testing positive.

Those results followed their visit, as members of the Bayern Munich squad, to Oktoberfest celebrations last weekend.

It is unclear whether that was where the players caught the coronavirus, but social occasions give Flick cause for concern, albeit he is adamant that "life should also go on".

The Qatar 2022 World Cup is coming up in November and December, and Flick wants everyone available.

"This can also affect us in Qatar," said Flick. "We have to react to it and deal with the situation as best we can.

"It's not quite as easy as [saying] you should behave. We in the coaching team are also on the road a lot. Such cases are always annoying, but it's also become a normal situation.

"With a normal flu you also miss out. Covid is of course a bit more aggressive. Of course you have to reduce your contacts a little before the World Cup and consider, should I go there or not.

"You're on the road a lot. Life should also go on. We have to see that we keep it under control. But a certain normality with common sense, I think, is the right way."

Germany play Hungary on Friday and England on Monday, and Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen will get a chance to impress in the Hungary game in the absence of Neuer.

"I don't need to keep a secret about the goalkeeper position, Marc will be in goal," Flick said in Thursday's press conference.

Ronald Koeman claimed an attempted move to bring Georginio Wijnaldum to Barcelona fell through after president Joan Laporta delayed a deal.

The Dutchman, who was fired by the LaLiga outfit last October after 14 months in charge at Camp Nou, struggled at times on the Barcelona bench and was replaced by Xavi.

Koeman, who will embark on a second spell as Netherlands head coach after the World Cup in Qatar, has confirmed he attempted to bring in compatriot Wijnaldum during the final transfer window of his Barcelona tenure.

However, Koeman contends that president Laporta, then recently returned to the position as Josep Maria Bartomeu's successor, stymied any move by dragging his heels.

"I tried to sign Wijnaldum for Barca, but I failed because the president wanted to play with me more than bring in a player," Koeman told Dutch newspaper AD.

"That delayed the operation, and for that reason, he opted for PSG. Otherwise, he would have played for Barcelona."

Wijnaldum left Liverpool in June 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, but he struggled across a dismal first season, resulting in him being loaned out to Roma for the current campaign.

A serious leg injury has since left Wijnaldum sidelined, however, making it highly unlikely he will be included in the Netherlands' squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Awer Mabil's fine strike gave Australia a 1-0 win over New Zealand in the final home game for the Socceroos before their World Cup trip in November.

The Cadiz winger struck in style in the 32nd minute at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Jackson Irvine won possession in midfield before feeding Mabil, who cut in from the left flank and fired into the bottom-left corner from 22 yards.

These teams meet again at Eden Park on Sunday, and New Zealand, who missed out on World Cup qualification when they lost in a play-off to Costa Rica, should take heart from Thursday's display.

The visitors almost snatched a 10th-minute lead when Chris Wood's flick-on put Andre de Jong in on goal, and he jabbed a foot wide of the left post after getting behind the Australia defence.

Irvine missed the target from a big chance for Graham Arnold's Australia, and was then penalised for a questionable push when the hosts got the ball in the net in the 28th minute.

Mabil's goal four minutes later meant that was soon forgotten, with Australia settling for a narrow win in the end after Mathew Leckie shot against the outside of the left post late on, via a faint touch from New Zealand goalkeeper Oliver Sail.