International Break Survival Guide: What to Do When There’s No Football to Watch

International Break Survival Guide: What to Do When There’s No Football to Watch

Yes, it's here. The international break cometh, and with it goes the majority of the average football fan's range of interest in the sport itself for the next few weeks.

Of course, it would be silly to say that international football is pointless. But, as an Englishman who scarcely has to worry over whether or not my nation will take part in whatever tournament it is that comes up next, any qualifying fixture or, even worse, any friendly (shudders) bears a strikingly low amount of interest to me.

Why is there another international break. pic.twitter.com/xC3r3StoFt

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 6, 2025

And why does it always seem to be time for an international break? I swear it was only last week that England stuck five beyond Serbia (and my beloved Nikola Milenkovic), and now here we are gearing up for another instalment of unimposing fixtures and Thomas Tuchel's brand of football.

Though the club I support, Nottingham Forest, isn't exactly giving me much to be cheerful over at the moment in part thanks to a certain mate, at least they invoke some sort of emotion in me. I can't say much of the same about international football. Of course, when the World Cup rolls around at the end of the season, I will be first in line at the pub proudly singing the national anthem and cheering on Tuchel's selected squad like it is the most important thing I have ever witnessed in my life. As is the way of the England fan (not counting those who go to every England game, home and away. I have a severe amount of respect for all of them. Just your average fair weather fan like myself).

To the average Joe, though, the international break is mostly spent staring at walls waiting for club football to roll back around, unless you support a club un-affected by the constant breaks. So, to curtail the boredom, here are a few things you can do to try and stave off the wait for club football to come back around.

Actually Watch International Football

A simple suggestion, so to speak, but one to consider nonetheless.

For lack of anything else, international football is, at least, football. It's still the same sport you know and love, just with the added caveat of you potentially not caring in the slightest about the result.

Sometimes, though once in a blue moon, non-tournament international football can throw together some entertaining affairs. As an England supporter, I'm not too sure what they typically look like. I watch other international games and how entertaining they can sometimes be like a prisoner looking through his cell windows.

So, if you miss club football, maybe whet the appetite by watching the football in front of you? Besides, you can say what you like about England under Thomas Tuchel - they may not be fun to watch, they may not have been totally convincing under him thus far and they may be one of the most boring "top" national teams in the world... yeah, that's all.

Spruce things up by downing your drink for every half-hearted back-pass. That'll knock you out until club football comes back.

Regurgitate Lots Of Overdone Tweets

Luis Suarez had no right to put that into the top bins! This old-fashioned diner still makes their Coca-Cola the old fashioned way! This comedian's slow-mo impressions of goal scoring footballers is incredible!

Oh my stars above, SHUT UP.

I get it, there's nothing to talk about, apart from keeping an eye on your own club's players on the international stage, if applicable. But good grief, surely we've gone far enough down the years that there is at least some new content to recycle endlessly online? Not that it matters, the swarm of bot accounts on X will be desperate enough to earn their £3.46 from the app to keep the cycle spinning. Forever.

For Twitter Statsmen - Actually Talk to Your Family

Yes, that's right. Put away the xG charts. Stop trying to come up with new ways of saying that THIS year is your year. Stop trying to explain on X that Florian Wirtz has actually been worth the money when considering his "field tilt" and "expected possessions". Stop it all.

Your family miss you. Your child is hungry. Your mother hasn't heard from you in weeks. Reach out to them. Re-connect with them. Re-discover that life is so much more important than the 11 men on a pitch you worship.

And then you can go back to whatever it is you do all day when Arsenal are back on the telly.

Go and Watch Non-League

Okay, all jokes aside this is a pretty genuine suggestion.

There is nothing like non-league football. Up and down the country are swarms of little-known, little-covered clubs from all walks of life that still play out the same beautiful game as our £300k-per-week heroes, but they do it for the love of the game and little else.

These clubs are true communities, where you are far more than just a customer. Here, you are in many ways like family. Everyone in the stands knows everyone in the stands, and everyone else is welcome to join in on the fun.

And though it may lack in true quality, some of the football on display can genuinely thrill you. Maybe, just maybe, you will come away from the game proudly proclaiming that "Big Dave", the 47-year-old alcoholic who plays up front for The Dog and Duck, is the greatest athlete alive.

Completely Change Your Life

According to this article, it only takes 2 weeks to completely change your life! Who knew?

Change the Bovril for green tea. Change the lukewarm half-time pie for a bowl of quinoa and chia seeds. Make a point online that, actually, referees have got a really difficult job and even with VAR, you cannot expect them to consistently get things right 100% of the time with the weight and fortunes of two football clubs as well as the pressure from hundreds of thousands of fans, week in week out, resting on their shoulders. Go on to completely disregard that last notion.

If you don't fancy watching football for two weeks, why not use that time to become a pretentious arsehole instead?

In Conclusion

In truth, there is going to be very little that is going to be able to offset the gaping chasm left in our hearts left behind by the temporary omission of club football. They may irritate us weekly, and they may be one of the biggest catalysts of stress in our lives, but those qualities are exactly what endears club-level football to us.

It'll be back soon. Worry not, my friends.