Another international break is upon us and 10 different New York City FC players received November call-ups from their national teams.
New York City's trip to Philadelphia to face the Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on the night of Sunday, November 23 comes after many potential international matches played by First Team members.
As with past international windows, we've collected all the details for each NYCFC player's national team service: The matches they'll be playing, plus all there is to know about those matches. These games start kicking off later today so catch up on every called-up NYCFC player's international schedule below.
Alonso Martínez, Costa Rica
Matches: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: at Haiti, Thursday, November 13, 9:00 pm ET, Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, Curaçao (on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network, Universo); vs Honduras, Tuesday, November 18, 8:00 pm ET, Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica (on Paramount+)
Fresh off playing hero for New York City FC during their playoff series win over Charlotte FC, Martínez heads into two hugely consequential qualifying matches with Costa Rica and will be expected to help guide the country back to the World Cup.
Costa Rica sits second in their Concacaf qualifying group, one point behind group leaders Honduras, and one point above their next closest rival for a possible qualification spot, Haiti – and Costa Rica faces both these teams to close out this round of qualifying. Martínez scored two goals and added one assist in Costa Rica's last qualifier, a 4-1 win over Nicaragua. In total, the New York City star striker has four goals and three assists in five appearances in World Cup qualifiers while Costa Rica has tried to nail down a spot in the 2026 field.
In the reverses of both these fixtures, Costa Rica only earned draws, a wild 3-3 at home against Haiti and a gritty 0-0 on the road against Honduras. The pressure will be on for Martínez and Los Ticos, but Alonso did just score two goals in three games in the MLS Cup Playoffs, so his national team coach Miguel Herrera will be hoping Concacaf World Cup qualifying arrives right when the streaky striker is hitting another patch of goals.
Glenn Crooks
Kevin O'Toole, Ireland
Matches: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: vs Portugal, Thursday, November 13, 2:45 pm ET, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland (on fuboTV, ViX); at Hungary, Sunday, November 16, 9:00 am ET, Puskás Arena, Budapest, Hungary (on FS1, fuboTV, Fox Sports App, ViX)
A truly wild time for Kevin O'Toole to get this first Republic of Ireland call-up. Ireland are set to play the two teams above them in their UEFA World Cup qualification group while still in touching distance of 2nd Place in the group and a spot in the next round of qualification playoffs.
They first face Portugal, the team sitting at the top of the group with a five-point cushion and the team at No 5 in the latest FIFA world rankings. Ireland lost 1-0 in Lisbon in October in the reverse fixture, but the match was 0-0 until Ruben Neves broke the deadlock at 90'+1' some 15 minutes after Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick. Ireland won't feel like they can't compete, but will they really throw Kevin O'Toole into the thick of the action for an international debut in this crucial qualifier?
They might have no choice, as two of the regulars for Ireland at left-back are injured (Robbie Brady, Callum O'Dowda), while a third, Ryan Manning, is serving a one-match suspension due to yellow cards. A trip to Budapest to face Hungary comes after the Portugal clash, and that game could have no significance, or all the significance in the world, depending on how the results go in this November window's first matchday.
Andrew Leigh
Matt Freese, United States
Matches: Friendlies: vs Paraguay, Saturday, November 15, 5:00 pm ET, Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania (on TNT, Telemundo, Universo); vs Uruguay, Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 pm ET, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida (on TNT, truTV, Peacock, Universo)
It now feels like the norm to see Matt Freese called up by the United States, a surprising thing to write given that his first call-up to the senior national team only occurred in January of this year. Freese went on to make 10 consecutive starts in goal under Mauricio Pochettino beginning with this summer's Gold Cup and is one of four goalkeepers summoned for the USMNT's final two friendlies of 2025 before they officially enter their "Hosting the World Cup" year.
Our final roster of the year is here! 🇺🇸⚽️ 25 players have been called up for matches against Paraguay on Nov. 15 and Uruguay on Nov. 18! 👇
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@usmnt.ussoccer.com) November 6, 2025 at 11:01 AM
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Freese now looks very clearly like Pochettino's No 1 goalkeeper, since he's gotten the long string of consecutive starts and since he hasn't done anything to warrant dropping him while serving as the USMNT's first-choice keeper. While former USMNT players still debate over whether or not any of the American goalkeepers have spots locked up for next summer's World Cup, Freese feels like a lock, barring an injury or a sudden, unexpected dip in performance.
Freese and his teammates will want to keep the positive feelings going after earning a solid 1-1 draw with Ecuador and beating Australia 2-1 during the October window. For those NYCFC followers and supporters watching Freese make a triumphant national team return to where he came up with the Philadelphia Union, they'll be hoping he avoids injury and saves his best saves for the Eastern Conference Semifinal at Subaru Park scheduled for eight days after this Paraguay friendly.
Matthew Mangam
Aiden O'Neill, Australia
Matches: Friendlies: at Venezuela, Friday, November 14, 9:00 pm ET, Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas (on Fox Deportes, fuboTV, Fox Sports App); at Colombia, Tuesday, November 18, 8:00 pm ET, Citi Field, Queens, New York (on Fanatiz USA/PPV)
The Aussies can't get enough of North America, which is likely great news for Aiden O'Neill and his time spent on airplanes. After playing friendlies in Montréal and Denver in October, the Socceroos are in Texas and New York City this November, meaning O'Neill gets to stay local while linking up with his international teammates from Down Under.
Australia weren't the original opponents planned for Venezuela or Colombia: That was supposed to be Nigeria, but Nigeria canceled their plans for a pair of United States-based friendlies because they qualified for a World Cup playoff that takes precedence. Australia already qualified and now they get another chance to get comfortable in the United States, complete with a match on a converted baseball field in Queens, perhaps the most American soccer experience possible.
Lucky for the Australians, Aiden O'Neill will be there to get the squad up to speed with the quirks of kicking it across that Citi Field infield. O'Neill can't play in New York City FC's next playoff match following the international break due to a suspension, so you'd expect him to be involved as normal with Australia. New York City won't play another match at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium this season, but for one more night only, you can get a glimpse of Aiden O'Neill playing in New York City in the year 2025.
Mark Radigan
Tomás Romero, El Salvador
Matches: World Cup Qualifiers: at Suriname, Thursday, November 13, 5:00 pm ET, Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname (on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, Universo); at Panama, Tuesday, November 18, 8:00 pm ET, Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama (on Paramount+)
El Salvador sit at the bottom of their qualifying group and have lost to all three other teams they're looking up at as the final round of matches arrives. Tomás Romero fills the same role for El Salvador that he does for New York City: Backup, No 2 on the goalkeeper depth chart, as Romero hasn't started for El Salvador in any of the six World Cup qualifiers played this year – that job is reserved for Mario Gonzalez of Salvadoran club Alianza FC.
Two tough away trips this November to Suriname and Panama make it hard to see El Salvador finding a way back to contending for a World Cup spot this year, but Romero will be there in case a need arises, and maybe he'll get his shot to serve as the starter come the next World Cup cycle.
Máximo Carrizo, United States U-17
Match: FIFA U-17 World Cup: Round of 32 vs Morocco, Friday, November 14, 10:45 AM, Doha, Qatar (on Peacock, Universo)
The United States U-17s rattled off three straight wins to top their U-17 World Cup group, beating each of Burkina Faso, Tajikistan, and Czechia to set up a knockout-round meeting with Morocco, a familiar foe for the United States at youth levels. Máximo Carrizo was right in the middle of the win over Czechia and served as captain while starting two of three group games for the United States.
Carrizo got the assist on the match-winner scored by United States forward Mathis Albert, slipping the Borussia Dortmund winger in behind the Czech defense.
Carrizo struggled to make an impact in the World Cup-opening win over Burkina Faso, then didn't start in the comeback victory over Tajikistan – the star for the United States has been another young MLS Eastern Conference phenom, Cavan Sullivan of the Philadelphia Union, who played huge roles in all three USYNT wins.
Still, Carrizo will have a say in what happens against Morocco and in how far the United States makes it at this World Cup. If the United States gets past Morocco, they'd face the winner of Zambia-Mali in the Round of 16.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Zidane Yañez, Chile U-17
Matches: FIFA U-17 World Cup: Finished 4th Place in Group K (L vs France, D vs Uganda, W vs Canada)
Chile and NYCFC Homegrown prospect Zidane Yañez didn't get out of their group, but Yañez made his presence felt, especially in the third and final group-stage match, a 2-1 win over Canada. Yañez scored the equalizing goal in the 55th minute then got sent off with a straight red card in the 84th minute, an eventful day at the office for the 17-year-old attacker. The Chileans held on to beat Canada while down a player, but it wasn't enough to get them into the knockout rounds of the tournament. Still good experience for Yañez, especially because he hadn't played a competitive match for New York City FC II in MLS Next Pro since May 9.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Jonathan Shore, United States U-19
Drew Baiera, United States U-19
Matches: UEFA U-19 Youth Tournament: vs Germany, Wednesday, November 12, 11:30 am ET, Hops & Barley Community Stadium, Ryl, Wales; vs Wales, Saturday, November 15, 9:30 am ET, STōK Racecourse, Wrexham, Wales; vs Japan, Tuesday, November 18, 6:00 am ET, Hops & Barley Community Stadium, Ryl, Wales
Given the depleted state of the midfield, Jonny Shore will need to be sharp for that NYCFC-Philadelphia match in the MLS Cup Playoffs, so three international friendlies in Wales would seem like a decent amount of practice for the 18-year-old. Shore and defender Drew Baiera are staples with this age group and were called up to a similar camp held in Spain during the October window, so they'll be right at home playing these games in Wales – the United States already beat Germany, 2-1, in the opening game of this mini-U-19 tournament.
*Mitja Ilenič, Slovenia U-21
There's an asterisk because Ilenič, for a second straight international break, received a call-up to play for the Slovenia U-21 squad but did not join up with his national team despite that call-up. An article on the Slovenian soccer federation's official website says of the November absence, "Mitja Ilenič, who also missed the October campaign, gave priority to club obligations in the USA."
Seems like New York City's staff and front office no longer want Ilenič traveling to Europe to play for the Slovenia U-21s, though it hasn't corresponded with any added playing time at club level with NYCFC. Ilenič hasn't started a game since July 29 and has made only three brief appearances as a substitute since the end of Leagues Cup, logging 60 combined minutes of game action across NYCFC's last 13 matches played in the MLS regular season and playoffs.
