France's completely new team lost 2-1 to Norway in a friendly on Wednesday with the ghosts of World Cup controversy and failure also hanging over England despite Steven Gerrard's brace in a 2-1 win over Hungary.
David Silva spared the blushes of world champions Spain with a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw in Mexico in a friendly almost no one in La Liga wanted just before the season, a common theme across the night with players keen not to pick up injuries.
World Cup runners-up the Netherlands were held 1-1 in their Euro 2012 qualifying warm-up in Ukraine but most of their World Cup squad were rested while third-placed Germany also put out a second-string side in a 2-2 draw in Denmark.
Exactly a month after the staging the World Cup final, South Africa beat Ghana 1-0 in a friendly at Soccer City to secure a winning start for new coach Pitso Mosimane.
Argentina are still without a permanent coach after Diego Maradona's dramatic departure but they still managed to win 1-0 in Ireland, whose own boss Giovanni Trapattoni missed the game because of surgery.
Hungary took the lead at Wembley when Phil Jagielka's deflection was wrongly adjudged to have crossed the line, in contrast to Frank Lampard's effort in the 4-1 World Cup last 16 defeat to Germany which was ruled out despite being a goal.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said earlier in the day that the possible use of goalline technology would be on the agenda at the International Football Association Board meeting in October and the Hungary goal only adds more weight to calls for change.
England coach Fabio Capello also opted for a minor revolution with Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott, left out of the World Cup squad, starting alongside Wayne Rooney in a new front three which became fashionable with teams in South Africa.
It only worked in patches in the first half though and the boos which rang out at halftime were only avoided at the final whistle by two contrasting pieces of brilliance by captain Gerrard on 69 and 73 minutes to overturn the 62nd minute opener.
"TOO OLD"
Capello brought on 18-year-old debutant Jack Wilshere late on as he edges towards a more youthful side for September's opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria, meaning the international career of 35-year-old David Beckham looks over.
Ahead of the game, Capello told ITV Sport the injured Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder was "probably a bit too old" to play for England again.
"Thank you, David," added Capello, who used England's most capped outfield player as part of his backroom staff at the World Cup.
New France coach Laurent Blanc has been busy with his own rebuilding job, picking a totally different squad for his first game in charge in Oslo following the debacle which engulfed Les Bleus during the World Cup.
Forward Nicolas Anelka was sent home from South Africa and the squad went on strike before their humiliating group stage exit, but things got little better on Wednesday.
Erik Huseklepp's two second-half goals cancelled out Hatem Ben Arfa's 47th minute opener and left Blanc with lots of thinking to do before their first Euro 2012 Group D qualifier at home to Belarus on September 3.
Estonia kicked off the whole Euro qualifying campaign on Wednesday by scoring twice in added time for a 2-1 home win over the Faroe Islands in Group C.
Italy, the 2006 world champions also in Group C, suffered more pain following their first round exit in South Africa when they lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast in a London friendly on Tuesday when a bright young Brazil side defeated United States 2-0.
