Revealed: Football Fixtures to pause over Easter as FIFA sets international break
As of 04: 39 ET on 03 March 2026 (updated 10: 57 ET) — FIFA has set an international break that will next season encompass Good Friday and Easter Monday, meaning football fixtures in the Premier League and Championship will not take place over the Easter weekend; the decision follows a wider calendar rewrite driven by fixture pressure.
Football Fixtures blackout over Easter
FIFA’s decision places the two-week international window across Good Friday (March 26) and Easter Monday (March 29) next season, removing the traditional top-flight round and Championship programmes that usually run over the Easter weekend. Domestic competitions across the English system are likely to be affected, with EFL schedules expected to change alongside the top two tiers.
Key schedule changes and historical context
The domestic calendar outline includes a restart of club competition with the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 3. A merged international break will also create a lengthy pause early in the campaign: calendars show a gap after September 19 that does not close until October 10. The EFL season will now open with the first round of the League Cup on August 8, league matches starting on August 15 and the top flight beginning on August 22. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday next season and a normal weekend round is planned.
Football traditions are notable in this shift: the first Easter Saturday match was played in 1889 and games over the Easter period have been regular for more than a century, with top‑flight Easter Monday matches recorded from 1892. Since 2012 Premier League clubs have typically played once over Easter weekends while EFL clubs have routinely played twice; Leagues One and Two have played twice where international call-ups are limited.
Immediate reactions and operational impact
The calendar change is expected to trigger outrage among fans and clubs who view Easter fixtures as longstanding. FIFA set the break while domestic leagues were not consulted when the calendar was fixed, a move that is already changing how clubs and competitions plan matchdays and cup ties. The adjustment means that a traditional weekend of league fixtures will be replaced by international matches played mainly on the Saturday and Tuesday of the break, with the domestic schedule compressed either side of that window.
What happens next
Clubs, leagues and player representatives will now work through the practical impact of the calendar shift as the season approaches. Fixtures will restart for domestic cup competition on April 3 and league programmes will follow the revised early‑season dates, but finalised match lists and allocations of specific weekend slots remain to be published by the organizing bodies. Stakeholders will watch closely for confirmed match dates and any further calendar tweaks ahead of the new season.
Note: timing in this dispatch is given in Eastern Time (ET). The schedule details reflect the calendar set by FIFA and the outlined domestic dates for the forthcoming season.
