When Is The Next International Break In Football?

When is the Next International Break?

The next international break won’t take place until September 1st, a month into the new domestic season. This break will last just over a week, with players returning to their respective clubs on the 9th of September.

Following that break, there will be another in the next two months, with international breaks taking place from the 9th of October until the 14th, and then the 13th of November until the 18th.

When are the International Breaks?

As previously stated, there are usually five international football periods per year, and when a major international tournament takes place, the June international break is extended from two weeks to over a month, in order to accommodate the large number of games.

These are two week periods that occur in March, June, September, October and November. June is the only break which occurs outside of the domestic season, meaning the four others have the ability to affect scheduling of some leagues.

These international breaks are planned well in advance, allowing both international and domestic players and coaches to prepare adequately for them.

Top divisions, such as the Premier League and La Liga, put their campaigns on pause so that teams missing players who have gone on international duty do not have to play games with a weakened team.

However, if a player is called up to represent their nation from a lower division, such as the English Championship, the campaign cannot be put on pause due to the increased number of games, meaning some sides will have to cope with a few absentees. With this potentially happening four times in a season, the international break has the ability to disrupt the progress of some clubs.

These breaks tend to be unpopular with clubs and coaches - some sides need to play games with a weakened squad, while on other occasions, a player can get injured, making them unavailable for the club upon return from international duty.

What Happens When A Major International Tournament Takes Place?

When a major tournament comes around, such as the European Championships or the World Cup, this poses as an additional, longer international break. With these tournaments usually taking place from June to July, the June international break is extended.

With these tournaments occurring outside of the regular club season, they do not disrupt domestic football, but they do affect players’ off-season, in which they train and play friendlies with their clubs.

However, there are exceptions - the 2022 Qatar World Cup was held from November to December, in the height of the club season. As a result, all top flight divisions were halted so as to allow clubs to play their league and cup fixtures with a full strength squad after the tournament had finished.

What Is An International Break In Football?

In football the International break is a two week period when domestic league and cup competitions are put on hold in order for players to leave their clubs to represent their nations in major tournament qualifying games and friendlies.

International football is awarded to only the very best players from any given country, and there are five international breaks throughout the year to provide form players and national heroes the opportunity to perform for their country.