Four England Games, No Premier League for Three Weeks – Football’s New Calendar Starts Now

Premier League football is about to disappear for nearly three weeks as FIFA’s new consolidated international window takes effect for the first time.

After next weekend’s league programme, the traditional September and October international breaks will effectively become one.

The new window runs for 16 days from September 21 to October 6, allowing national teams to play as many as four matches during a single extended break.

For England, that means four Nations League games in 11 days.

Thomas Tuchel’s side face Spain at Wembley on September 26 before travelling to Czechia on September 29 and Croatia on October 3. They then return to Wembley to face Czechia again on October 6.

Only after that will Premier League football resume.

The change was approved by FIFA in 2023 as part of its revised international match calendar, but the 2026-27 season is the first in which supporters will experience the new arrangement.

The logic is straightforward.

Instead of repeatedly releasing players for separate international periods, FIFA has combined two windows into one longer block. The intention is to reduce interruptions to domestic competitions and, particularly for players travelling between continents, cut the number of international journeys.

There is a trade-off.

Clubs now lose their internationals for a much longer uninterrupted period, with players potentially contesting four matches before returning to domestic football.

José Mourinho is among the managers to have questioned the impact of surrendering players for such an extended spell.

For supporters, the effect will be considerably more obvious.

The Premier League has long been accustomed to international breaks interrupting its opening months.

This one effectively removes the competition from the calendar for nearly three weeks.

FIFA has reduced the number of interruptions.

It has done so by making one of them much harder to miss.

Sources

• FIFA – International Match Calendar decision
• England Football – 2026-27 Nations League fixture dates
• talkSPORT – Why the three-week international break is happening