The 2026-2027 season marks a major change in the international schedule as FIFA reduces the number of times national championships have to be temporarily suspended in the first half of the season.
Club-level tournaments have only gone through a few rounds of the season and have to prepare for the first national team gathering. However, this national team gathering has a difference when it lasts up to 16 days, from September 21st to October 6th.
This period is between rounds 5 and 6 of the Premier League, and allows national teams to play up to 4 matches. For those who regularly watch the Champions League, Premier League or La Liga, not being able to watch clubs play for more than two weeks can create a rather long feeling.
However, this change is part of FIFA's plan to adjust the international schedule. Previously, the first half of the season usually had three national team gatherings in September, October and November, each gathering for about 2 matches. Along with the gathering in March, the international schedule has caused national championships to be suspended many times for a short time.
FIFA has approved changes to the international schedule since 2023 to limit disruptions to club-level tournaments. The 2026-2027 season is the first season these adjustments are applied.
According to the new schedule, the number of national team gatherings coinciding with the time national championships take place is reduced to three. In this season, those gatherings take place from September 21st to October 6th, from November 9th to November 17th and from March 22nd to March 30th.
The new arrangement helps reduce the total time national championships have to be temporarily suspended in the season, from six to five weeks. In return, the first break is longer than the previous organization.
The rest of the international schedule is scheduled for June and July, after the club-level season ends. This period is reserved for summer tournaments.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup, African Cup and UEFA Nations League are all among the tournaments held in the summer. The Asian Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5 next year.
The above changes also stem from debates about the density of matches and the health of players. Arsene Wenger, head of FIFA's global football development department, once proposed a different model with fewer national team gatherings but each longer.
According to Wenger's idea, teams can only gather once or twice a season, thereby reducing the number of times players have to move continuously between the club and the team. However, this option also poses its own problems, especially when players are injured during long periods of gathering.
With the new schedule, fans will have to see fewer club-level tournaments continuously interrupted in the early months of the season. However, having to wait more than two weeks for the Premier League and top European leagues to return is also a change that fans need time to get used to.
