When are the next international breaks, then?
It's never long until the next one after all, with every single break in the football calendar already pencilled in up until World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
There's plenty of domestic football to play – but here's when you can expect the Premier League to take a break in the next 12 months or so.
When is the next international break?
The next international break is scheduled for the weekend of September 1-9 2025.
During that period, the England squad will host Andorra at Villa Park on September 6, before heading away to Serbia three days later, as their quest to qualify from Group K for North America continues.
The full list of international breaks up until World Cup 2026
When are the international breaks this season?
Dates | Fixtures |
|---|---|
1–9 September 2025 | World Cup qualifying |
9–14 October 2025 | World Cup qualifying |
13–18 November 2025 | World Cup qualifying |
26–31 March 2026 | World Cup qualifying play-offs / friendlies |
With 54 nations looking to qualify from UEFA for the World Cup, they've been split into six groups of four and six groups of five.
World Cup qualifying for four-team groups (A-F) will commence in September 2025. This staggered start accounts for teams also participating in the final four matchdays of the Nations League, while the five-team groups (G-L) will recommence their World Cup qualifying journey in March 2025.
The 12 direct qualifiers for the World Cup will be confirmed by November 2025, with the 12 second-placed teams entering a play-off round: they'll be joined by the four best Nations League group winners (based on their overall ranking) who haven't already qualified via the top two spots in their World Cup qualifying groups.
These 16 teams will compete for the final four World Cup berths, with the 2026 edition of the tournament beginning on June 11, 2026.
FAQs
What is an international break?
An international break is a gap in the domestic footballing calendar – usually just consisting of a single weekend – in which club football pauses to allow countries to play.
Why are there so many international breaks?
Given that there is a lot of international football to be played, there are regular breaks across the season for international managers to call up players based on how they're performing at club level. Qualification for an international tournament is undertaken during these breaks throughout the season – as is UEFA's Nations League competition, which has been running since 2018.
Can players opt out of international breaks?
Yes, players can always opt out of international football – but most will jump at the chance to represent their nation at any given opportunity. Plenty, however, choose to withdraw from international squads in order to nurse injuries that they've sustained prior to callups, in order to maintain their fitness.
Which leagues pause for an international break?
In England, only the Premier League and Championship stop for the international break. League One and League Two both continue during the international break.
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