A common question that comes up is when is the next international break for football? Specifically if you follow major European or English football (soccer) schedules. Now that we’re starting to see the big schedules for the Premier and Champions Leagues come out, we thought we would layout when the major International competitions are scheduled to take place and when your favorite club is not going to play.
Why is an International Break Required in Football (Soccer)?
Every international break that you see on the calendar is put in place well in advance. This allows all of the national teams and club leagues to play for their top men’s players to travel and play abroad. For example, we have Euro 24 and Copa America 2024 ongoing in June/July 2024, the Paris Olympics, etc. Down the road some we have the Africa Cup of Nations, CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During these breaks, the Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and others do not schedule matches.
How Long Does an International Break Last?
Normally, an international break will be booked starting on a Monday. They go through the following Tuesday. For domestic club matches, it normally means there are no games on the weekend.
The breaks scheduled for the first half of the 2024-25 Football schedule are:
- September 1-9
- October 6-14
- November 10-18, 2024
- March 17-25, 2025
- June 2-10, 2025
- September 1-9, 2025
- October 6-14, 2025
- November 10-18, 2025
When is the 2024-25 International Competition Schedule?
We start to see an uptick in the international soccer competition landscape in the 2024-25 football year. Here’s the 2024-25 International competition schedule.
- UEFA European Championships 2024, from June 14 to July 14, 2024
- 2024 Copa América, from June 20 to July 14, 2024
- 2024 OFC Nations Cup, from June 15-30, 2024
- Paris Olympics, July 24 to August 9, 2024
- 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, June to July 2025
- 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, June to July 2025
- FIFA Club World Cup 2025, June to July 2025
Build up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Now that we’re within two years of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, most of the international breaks are part of that build-up. The 2026 edition of the World Cup is the first to see expansion to 48 teams from 36. We’ll get more action on the international front of football, and more games to watch when the Cup comes to North America.
