The Premier League is set to experience its first ever 16 day international break this season, with domestic football scheduled to pause from September 21 to October 6 as part of a major change to the international football calendar.
The extended break will begin after Matchweek 5, which is scheduled to be completed on September 20. Premier League action will then resume with Matchweek 6 on October 10, giving clubs and players an unusually long period away from domestic competition.
The change comes after FIFA merged the traditional September and October international windows into a single extended period. Rather than having two separate international breaks, national teams will have a combined 16 day window during which they can play four matches...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Previously, the Premier League calendar featured separate international breaks in September, October, November and March. Each of those windows generally lasted about nine days and allowed national teams to play two matches.
The new arrangement means that players selected for their countries will have a longer period of international duty, but there will be fewer interruptions to the Premier League season between the beginning of the campaign and the end of the year.
The decision is also expected to affect clubs with large numbers of international players, particularly teams whose footballers travel long distances to represent countries outside Europe.
Several African and South American players in the Premier League regularly make lengthy journeys during international windows. Combining the September and October periods is intended to reduce the number of times such players have to travel across continents during the first part of the season.
Player welfare was also considered when the revised international calendar was approved. The changes were unanimously endorsed by the FIFA Council in 2023 as part of wider efforts to organise international football more efficiently.
The extended break comes at an important point in the 2026/27 Premier League season, which began on August 21 and is scheduled to run until May 30, 2027.
For supporters, the lengthy interruption means there will be no Premier League fixtures for more than two weeks. Clubs will instead turn their attention to training, player recovery and preparations for the demanding period that follows the international window.
National teams, meanwhile, will use the period for competitive fixtures and friendly matches. Asian nations are expected to play preparation matches ahead of the Asian Cup scheduled for January 2027, following the completion of their qualifying campaigns.
Several South American countries are also expected to take advantage of the window to arrange friendly matches.
The Premier League will have another international break in November, scheduled to run from November 9 to 17 between Matchweeks 10 and 11. European nations will continue their Nations League campaigns during that period, while African teams will also be involved in qualification fixtures for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The final international break of the Premier League season is scheduled for March 22 to 30, coming between Matchweeks 30 and 31.
The new calendar therefore reduces the number of separate international interruptions during the first half of the Premier League season, although the individual September and October window will be significantly longer than previous breaks.
Premier League clubs will now have to manage the unusual scheduling carefully, particularly as players could return from international duty shortly before domestic fixtures resume.
The extended break is expected to generate considerable interest among fans as clubs navigate the balance between international commitments, player workload and the demands of the Premier League campaign.
With the domestic season paused after September 20, attention will temporarily shift from club football to international competitions before Premier League action returns on October 10.
