When are the International Breaks?

International breaks can be frustrating for fans of club football, but they are a necessary evil in the context of the wider football world.

With the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada now completed, attention in the global football calendar now switches to other tournaments.

Resd on as we take a closer look at the upcoming FIFA International Match Calendar (details updated September 16, 2026).

When are the 2026 international breaks?

The final international breaks of 2026 will take place in September, October and November.

• September 21 – October 6: Four matches
• November 9-17: Two matches

The previous September and October international breaks have been merged into one 16-day period, running from September 21 to October 6.

The changes were unanimously approved by the FIFA Council in 2023, with player welfare a primary factor in the decision.

The idea behind the new calendar is to reduce the number of separate periods in which players fly across continents to international matches.

It will also reduce disruption by cutting the number of breaks between the start of the season and the end of the year from three to two.

There have been discussions about reducing the number of international breaks further, but the current system will remain in place until at least 2030.

UEFA European Championship 2028 Qualifiers

Qualifying for the 2028 UEFA European Championship will start in March 2027 and culminate with the play-offs the following year.

The national teams will be divided into twelve groups, with each section containing four or five teams.

The group stage draw is expected to take place following the conclusion of the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League in November 2026.

Teams which have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Nations League will be drawn into a group of four teams.

The qualifying group stage will be played in a round-robin format in 2027. Twenty teams will qualify directly for the final tournament – the 12 group winners and eight best-ranked runners-up.

The remaining spots – between two and four, depending on host nation qualification – will be determined through play-offs in March 2028.

Spain are the defending champions having defeated England to lift the trophy in 2024.

UEFA Nations League

The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League will be held from September to November 2026 to June 2027.

Portugal are the defending champions, having won the 2025 final.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be the 19th edition of biennial national team tournament. It will be played in June and July 2027.

The CONCACAF Nations League will determine eight direct Gold Cup qualification slots. The winners of seven Gold Cup preliminary series will also qualify.

Saudi Arabia are set to return to the tournament following their participation in 2025.

Africa Cup of Nations

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be the 36th edition of the biennial tournament.

It will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Qualifying will run from Match to November 2026.

Morocco are the defending champions after being controversially awarded the 2025 title after an appeal. Senegal originally won 1-0 in the final.

When are the 2027 international breaks?

• March 22-30, 2027
• June 7-15, 2027
• September 20 – October 5, 2027
• November 8-16, 2027

When are the 2028 international breaks?

• March 20-28, 2028
• May 29 – June 6, 2028
• September 18 – October 3, 2028
• November 13-21, 2028

When are the 2029 international breaks?

• March 19-27, 2029
• June 4-12, 2029
• September 24 – October 9, 2029
• November 12-20, 2029

When are the 2030 international breaks?

• March 18-26, 2030
• June 3-11, 2030
• September 23 – October 8, 2030
• November 11-19, 2030

FIFA World Cup 2030

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will honour the 100th anniversary of the showpiece international tournament.

It will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Matches are also scheduled to take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay have automatically qualified for the tournament as hosts.

Spain will become the first ever defending champions to host the tournament after winning their second World Cup in 2026.