Is There Regular Football During an International Break?

Aside from the various international competitions, is there football during an international break?

In other words, if your trip to the UK or Europe happens to fall during an international break, is watching World Cup qualifiers, or whatever, your only choice?

It’s not. There is regular league football during international breaks — just not in the top European leagues. Let’s get into it.

What Is an International Break?

The world football calendar is more or less coordinated, and key to this are international breaks. During these breaks, countries play against each in competitions like World Cup Qualifying, regional competitions like the European Championships, or the new UEFA (European) Nations League.

Since many top teams would be without some of their best players during these breaks, it is thought that the fair thing to do is take a break from league games for a weekend, so that Liverpool, for example, won’t have to play a bunch of reserves in a league game.

Related: When are International Breaks?

These breaks are planned far ahead of time by FIFA, the sport’s world governing body. So if you are aware of when they are, you won’t find yourself planning a trip to England only to find out there are no Premier League games during your stay.

Yes, There is Football During an International Break

The top leagues like the Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, and so on pause for international breaks. In England, this also includes the second-tier Championship.

There are, of course, many international games all over the world during international breaks.

But there is also league football during international breaks. In England, for example, the Football League has games in League One and Two, the third and fourth tiers of the English football pyramid. In those leagues, though, if a team will be missing international players, they can petition for their league game to be rescheduled. In League One, this is often granted — again, out of a sense of fairness.

For everyone from the National League on down, it’s business as usual.

Domestic cup competitions also may occur during an international break, especially when they are in early stages that do not involve the top clubs. So there could well be games in the FA Cup, FA Trophy, Coupe de France, Copa del Rey, etc.

Is There Women’s Football During International Breaks?

Yes, women’s football goes on as normal during men’s international breaks. The women have their own calendar and system of international breaks, so when the top mean’s leagues are shuttered for a weekend, the women play on. This includes the English Women’s Super League, the Women’s Champions League and all other top domestic leagues.

Soccer Leagues That Play (and Don’t) During International Breaks

Aside from the cups mentioned above, the Spanish Segunda Division plays during international breaks.

Italy’s Serie B does not play. Neither does Germany’s Bundesliga 2 or France’s Ligue 2.

Everywhere, from the third tier down, football goes on during international breaks.

New, Longer International Breaks

Starting in the 2026-27 football season, FIFA is bringing in longer international breaks in the fall. During the 2025-26 season, there was a one-weekend break in September and another in October. But starting in 2026, those will be combined into a two-weekend break.

So if you’re planning a trip to watch soccer in the UK or Europe starting in 2026, understand there will be no top league games on these weekends:

• September 26 and October 3, 2026
• September 25 and October 3, 2027
• etc.

Here is the full schedule of international breaks for the next few seasons.