PREMIER LEAGUE CALENDAR SET FOR MAJOR MID-SEASON CHANGE WITH EXTENDED INTERNATIONAL WINDOW

The Premier League will experience its first 16-day international break this season after FIFA merged the traditional September and October international windows into a single extended period. The break will begin on September 21 and run until October 6, meaning Premier League clubs will complete Matchweek 5 on September 20 before domestic action resumes with Matchweek 6 on October 10.

The change is part of a revised international football calendar approved by the FIFA Council in 2023. Instead of having separate nine-day breaks in September and October, national teams will now have one longer window in which they can play up to four matches. The adjustment is intended partly to reduce the number of occasions players have to travel long distances between their clubs and national teams during the early part of the domestic season.

The extended window will involve different competitions across the footballing world. European countries will continue with UEFA Nations League fixtures, while African nations will begin or continue their preparations and qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Teams from the CONCACAF region will combine Nations League matches with friendlies, while several Asian and South American nations are expected to use the period for friendly matches and preparations for upcoming competitions.

For Premier League clubs, the change means there will be fewer international interruptions between the start of the campaign and the end of the year. The league previously had four international breaks during the season, but the revised calendar reduces the number of breaks before the end of the year from three to two. The next Premier League international break after the extended September window is scheduled for November 9 to 17, while another will take place from March 22 to 30.

The longer break could nevertheless feel like an extended absence for clubs because players representing their countries will spend several weeks away from their teams before returning to domestic action. The Premier League has said the revised arrangement is aimed at reducing disruption and long-distance travel while taking player welfare into account. The new international-break structure is expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future as part of FIFA's international match calendar.