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The March international break is here but there has been no letup in soccer stories with crunch FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Europe and North America on the horizon. On top of that, the Qatar event made an announcement this week while a former England international has retired and a Norwegian superstar has made her return from the international wilderness.

We catch you up with the stories you might have missed.

Defoe calls it a day

Jermain Defoe has retired from professional soccer at the age of 39 with the former England international calling time on a career that has seen his score 304 goals from 762 career appearances at club level.

"It has been a really tough decision," read Defoe's statement. "I made my professional debut at 17-years-old in 1999, and I feel now is the right time to bow out."

Why it matters: The former Sunderland, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers, Toronto FC, and Bournemouth man also scored 20 goals from 57 outings with the England national team. He also ranks ninth for all-time Premier League goals with 162 and 15th for appearances with 496 in the English topflight.

Hegerberg back for Norway

Ex-Ballon d'or winner Ada Hegerberg has returned to the Norwegian national team after five years away after being named in the group for World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Poland this April. The 26-year-old stepped away citing a lack of respect for female players in Norway but is now back on the international stage.

"It feels incredibly good to be back," said the Lyon star. "I will do my part to help us achieve great things, both on and off the field - for football, for Norway, but not least for the next generation."

Why it matters: With 38 goals from 66 games with Norway, Hegerberg is one of the greatest to grace the women's game. Coming off the back of a lengthy absence with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and ahead of this summer's Euros, her return is a boost for the sport.

FIFA's Crypto World Cup deal

FIFA have agreed a sponsorship deal with Crypto.com ahead of the World Cup later this year with the rapidly growing cryptocurrency platform joining the likes of traditional sponsors Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Visa with marketing rights to international soccer's largest event.

Why it matters: If it had not be made clear already, FIFA's announcement emphasizes the developing bonds between the global game and the relatively new world of digital assets like cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

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Fenerbahce drop Ozil

Mesut Ozil has been moved out of Fenerbahce's senior squad along with Ozan Tufan just over a year after he joined the Turkish giants after leaving Arsenal: "Our Football A-Team players Mesut Ozil and Ozan Tufan have been excluded from the squad as per the decision taken," read a club statement.

Why it matters: The former Germany international helped Fener to third in the Super Lig last season but suffered from injury earlier this campaign before finally returning to the squad. Could this be the end of the road for the 33-year-old?

Aguirre takes Mallorca hot seat

Real Mallorca have parted ways with Luis Garcia Plaza as they bid to escape LaLiga relegation and Javier Aguirre is the man selected to replace him  

Why it matters: The island club are now in the relegation places and the Mexican has not exactly had the best of times of late having been sacked by Monterrey.

Turkgucu go under

Turkgucu Munchen have withdrawn from the 3 Liga in Germany with the club's matches annulled and points removed from other clubs with only three more teams facing relegation as a result but teams at both ends affected.

Why it matters: Turkgucu's bankruptcy has been brewing and their time in the third professional tier of German soccer has acted as a good case study for the 50+1 investment regulation as the club's rise was effectively bankrolled by Hasan Kivran who has since distanced himself.

Gladbach awarded win

The DFB sports tribunal has already ruled that Borussia Monchengladbach's 2-0 win over VfL Bochum last week will stand after the game was abandoned after 71 minutes when a linesman was struck by a plastic beer cup.

Why it matters: Not only does this one count towards the battle against Bundesliga relegation, it underlines the risk of the ugly scenes we have seen in France already this season spreading elsewhere in Europe.