FIFA are set to implement a new change for the 2026/27 season that will have an impact on Premier League clubs including Manchester United
After just three Premier League games, the first international break has put a pause to Manchester United’s 2025/26 campaign, as the FIFA World Cup qualifiers resume.
Despite not having the greatest of starts to the season, several United players have been called up to represent their countries, with Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot being called up to the Portugal squad, though Dalot later went on to withdraw from the squad owing to a muscle problem.
One of the standout performers of pre-season Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu was called up to the Danish side alongside loanee Rasmus Højlund, with Chido Obi getting the call up to the under-21s.
Matthijs de Ligt and new signing Benjamin Šeško were called up to the Netherlands and Slovenia squad respectively, and away from European qualifiers, Amad was called up to represent Ivory Coast, with Bryan Mbeumo and André Onana representing Cameroon.
FIFA to introduce new scheduling from next season
FIFA have confirmed that from next season, the number of international breaks during the season will be reduced from four to three. While the March and November breaks will remain the same, the September and October international breaks will be condensed into one longer break.
From September 21, 2026 to October 6, 2026, countries will be able to play four games during this condensed break, while only playing two games in the March break, which spans from the 22nd until the 30th, and the November break, which lasts from the ninth until the 17th.
In a statement released by FIFA, they said: “FIFA’s objective in this process is to make a football calendar that is “fit-for-purpose” for modern needs, contributing for the improvement of the quality of players, clubs and national teams and giving both incentive and opportunity for the detection and development of talent outside a small number of countries.
This marks a big change in the FIFA scheduling and will avoid constant disruption from international breaks in the early part of most countries’ domestic campaigns.
What this means for the Premier League and Man Utd
Many clubs in the Premier League, especially in the traditional top six have several players from across the globe playing for their clubs, with United currently having 20 non-English players in their squad.
This September however will be the last time that clubs like United will have to release their players for international duty in early September, with FIFA’s new changes set to stay in place until 2030.
United still have a number of players that are set to represent their nations before the international break comes to a close on the 10th of September, with current squad players touted to feature in 11 further international fixtures across the next three days.
Manchester United have a tough run of fixtures when the Premier League gets back underway, with Ruben Amorim’s side facing bitter rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on the 14th of September, before facing Chelsea and Liverpool within their next five fixtures.
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