New 2026/2027 ‘merged’ international break will stop Premier League for 21 days

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There will be no Premier League or Championship football over Easter weekend next season as the calendar reshuffle around international fixtures Image Credits: Imago Images There will be no Premier League or Championship football over Easter weekend next season, as well as a 21-day break from Premier League football as the calendar reshuffle around international fixtures starts to bite for English clubs and supporters. From next season, FIFA’s revamped calendar will see the traditional September and October breaks combined into one elongated block, running from 21 September to 11 October – a full 21 days without Premier League or Championship action as clubs release players for up to four international fixtures in that period.

Normally, the Premier League would schedule one round of fixtures over the Easter weekend, while the Championship and the rest of the EFL often cram in two matches during one of the most traditional slots on the English football calendar. Those games will disappear next season, with international fixtures instead expected to be played across the Easter period.

The move also ends a streak of more than a century in which league football has been a staple of the Easter programme, with top-flight games on the holiday weekend dating back to the late 19th century. League fixtures will then begin on August 15, with the Premier League kicking off on August 22.