Key Dates for upcoming International breaks during 2025/26
- 9–14 October 2025 - World Cup qualifying
- 13–18 November 2025 - World Cup qualifying
- 26–31 March 2026 - World Cup qualifying play-offs / international friendlies
What is an international break?
An international break is a gap in the domestic football season that allows countries to play international competitions.
Do football viewing figures drop during the international break?
Usually, football fans switch off during the international break, particularly during the UEFA Nations League campaign. World Cup qualifiers for home nations do attract bigger TV audiences but very few tune in to other international matches. Lower league football usually takes centre stage on Sky Sports and TNT Sports when the Premier League and Championship leagues take a break.
Why are there so many international breaks throughout the season?
Whilst fans might not appreciate so many Prem-free weekends, international breaks gives managers a good opportunity to trial players at a national level. Whilst these breaks play an important part of the qualification process for the World Cup and European Championships, it has been argued that UEFA Nations League matches have been too disruptive to the domestic league season.
Can players refuse to play during an international break?
Yes, players can opt out of playing for their country - over the years, we've seen many excuses from league managers refusing to release players from their clubs citing injury.
What football is live on TV during an international break?
Whilst the Premier League and EFL Championship pause during the international break, for League One, League Two and National League, it's business as usual - these games take up the TV slots on Sky and TNT whilst international football tends to be shown on free-to-air channels ITV and BBC.