The first men’s international break of the 2026-27 season will be a week longer than usual, with the traditional October window removed. Instead of the recent pattern of two-week breaks, countries will have a three-week gap across late September and early October, during which they will play four international matches rather than two. The change was approved by the Fifa Council in March 2023.
Fifa had used five primary international breaks in recent seasons: March, June, September, October and November, each providing a two-week gap in the calendar. Exceptions were made when major tournaments such as the World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations or European Championship fell in the schedule. Under the new arrangement, the number of breaks drops from five to four, and the international calendar is locked in until at least 2030.
The shift was made for several reasons. The 2026 World Cup final was played on 19 July, the latest date for a summer World Cup final since 1966. Player welfare was part of the discussions with stakeholders and all Fifa confederations before approval. Travel was another consideration: reducing the number of breaks is intended to cut the number of cross-continent journeys for players, such as African or South American footballers based in Europe who travel for international fixtures.
For domestic football, scrapping the October break creates an extra week in the calendar. The Premier League will pause after the weekend of 19-20 September and resume on 10-11 October. For European nations, the longer break will include the first four group matches of the 2026-27 Nations League campaign, and all four home nations will be involved in Nations League fixtures during the break.
The total number of matches countries play will not increase. Nations currently play six matches across the September, October and November windows. That remains six in 2026, but four will take place in the extended first break and two in November, replacing the previous three windows of two matches each.