Four matches in sixteen days. That is what national teams face as the September and October FIFA windows, normally separate, were merged into a single block this year. USA TODAY described it on September 24, 2026 as the longest men’s international break that does not include a tournament, and it runs through October 6.
The Premier League explains the change in plain numbers. Under the old calendar there were four breaks of nine days each, in September, October, November and March, and countries played two matches in each. This season the September and October breaks are joined into one 16-day period beginning on 21 September, with four matches rather than the standard two. The English league played through Matchweek 5 on 20 September, then stopped. Matchweek 6 does not restart until 10 October.
Why FIFA did it
The FIFA Council unanimously approved the change in 2023, and the league says player welfare was a factor. Many players in Europe represent countries in Africa and South America, so the idea is to cut the number of separate periods in which they fly across continents. The number of breaks between the start of the season and the end of the year drops from three to two. The league adds that the current system stays in place until at least 2030.
FIFA itself framed the project as building a calendar that is “fit-for-purpose” for modern needs. USA TODAY reported that the organization took input from other stakeholders and found top clubs and players preferred fewer interruptions in the fall. National team coaches, who have long wanted more time with their squads, may welcome the longer camp. It gives them room to work on tactical ideas, get to know their players and collect data from up to four games.
Fans may feel differently, the paper noted, depending on whether they follow a club or the international game.
What gets played
In Europe, UEFA stages Nations League fixtures, four per team across the extended window. African sides play Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, two matches each. In North and Central America, CONCACAF teams play a mix of Nations League group games and friendlies. The USA and Mexico, already through to the quarter-finals, play friendlies. Asian Cup qualifying has finished, so Asian nations use the dates for friendlies before that tournament in January 2027, and several South American sides also have friendlies on the schedule.
The rest of the calendar
Once players are back with their clubs, the next international dates are November 9 to 17, 2026, with two matches. European teams continue in the Nations League then, and African teams play two more qualifiers. A shorter break follows from March 22 to 30, 2027, also with two matches. By the Premier League’s account, that window brings the start of EURO 2028 qualifying for some countries, along with Nations League knockout matches. The CONCACAF Nations League final is held in the same March window.
Between those dates, club football runs largely uninterrupted, from the November break until March.
Sources
- Why is September-October FIFA international window extra long?
- When are the international breaks in 2026/27 Premier League season?
