The first international break of the 2026-27 men's football season will stretch to three weeks — a full week longer than the standard two-week gaps fans are used to. At the same time, the traditional October break has been abolished entirely.

Why the change?

FIFA has historically scheduled five two-week international breaks per season, spread across March, June, September, October, and November. The new structure replaces the September and October windows with a single extended break spanning late September into early October.

One key driver is the calendar impact of the 2026 World Cup, whose final on 19 July was the latest finish date for a summer World Cup since 1966. That pushed discussions about how to restructure the season around it.

Player welfare was central to those discussions. Crucially, the change reduces the number of long-haul journeys players must make — a significant benefit for African and South American players based in European clubs, who currently travel across continents multiple times a season to fulfil international duties.

The FIFA Council approved the switch to the extended September break in March 2023, with the new calendar locked in until at least 2030.

What does the new calendar look like?

For the Premier League, the final round of matches before the break will fall on the weekend of 19-20 September 2026, with fixtures resuming on 10-11 October 2026.

During the extended window, nations will play four international matches rather than two. For European sides, those four matches will form the opening group stage of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign.

The removal of the October break also hands domestic leagues an extra week of football that was not previously available.

Will players face a heavier match load?

No. The total number of international matches each country plays across the season remains unchanged. Nations currently play six matches spread across the September, October, and November windows. Under the new structure, four of those six matches take place in the extended September break, with the remaining two scheduled in November — the same total, differently distributed.

The reform is designed to deliver fewer disruptions across the season while giving players and support staff longer, more manageable windows to prepare and recover.