The Premier League is set to have its first-ever 16-day international break, following a decision to merge the traditional September and October international windows into one extended period.
According to the Premier League, the new international break will run from September 21 to October 6, 2026, with Premier League action scheduled to resume on October 10.
The league will complete Matchweek Five on September 20 before pausing for international fixtures, while Matchweek Six will resume after the break.
Previously, the Premier League had four nine-day international breaks during the season—in September, October, November and March—with countries generally playing two matches during each window.
However, under the new calendar, the September and October breaks have been combined into a single 16-day period. Countries will play four matches during the extended window instead of the usual two.
The Premier League explained that the change is aimed at reducing the number of times players, particularly those representing countries outside Europe, have to travel across continents for international duty.
“With many players in Europe representing countries in Africa and South America, the idea behind the new calendar is to reduce the number of separate periods in which players fly across continents,” the league said.
It added that the adjustment would reduce disruption by cutting the number of international breaks between the start of the Premier League season and the end of the year from three to two.
The changes were unanimously approved by the FIFA Council in 2023, with player welfare cited as one of the factors considered in the decision.
Despite the official length of the breaks, Premier League clubs can experience longer periods without domestic action because players returning from international duty normally do not feature for their clubs until the following weekend.
The Premier League noted that the breaks can therefore feel like two weeks, or about three weeks in the case of the new extended September-October window.
What happens during the September international break?
European nations will continue with UEFA Nations League fixtures, while African countries will compete in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
CONCACAF teams will feature in Nations League group-stage games and friendlies, while the United States and Mexico, already qualified for the relevant quarter-finals, will play friendlies.
Asian nations are also scheduled to play friendlies as they prepare for the Asian Cup in January 2027, while several South American countries will use the window for international friendlies.
November and March international breaks
The next Premier League international break will take place from November 9 to 17, between Matchweeks 10 and 11.
The final international break of the Premier League season is scheduled for March 22 to 30, between Matchweeks 30 and 31.
The November window will include UEFA Nations League matches and further AFCON qualification fixtures, while Asian and South American nations are expected to play friendlies.
The March window will feature the start of Euro 2028 qualifying for some countries, UEFA Nations League knockout fixtures and further AFCON qualification matches.
The Premier League said the international-break system was established in 2002 and was first used for qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The current system is expected to remain in place until at least 2030, despite previous discussions about reducing the number of international breaks further.
