“FIFA Drops BOMBSHELL Ruling That Will FLIP Leicester City’s 2026/27 Season UPSIDE DOWN!”
FIFA confirm new international match calendar set to significantly affect Premier League and Championship clubs from the 2026/27 season
International breaks often interrupt the rhythm managers work hard to build at the start of a season.
This campaign has already seen two such pauses — one immediately after transfer deadline day that halted momentum, and the current one.
Leicester City entered the first break on a high after a 2-0 win over Birmingham City, but returned to draw four consecutive matches.
Now, Marti Cifuentes will hope his side can carry the momentum from their 3-1 victory at Swansea into Saturday’s home clash with Portsmouth.
The early September window often feels premature for many clubs, with further breaks in October and November fragmenting the domestic schedule.
However, FIFA plans to ease that disruption in the future.
According to Birmingham Live, the governing body has approved a new format that will reduce the number of international breaks to three per season after next year’s World Cup.
The September and October windows will be combined into a single, extended period dedicated entirely to international fixtures.
This expanded 16-day window, running from 21 September to 6 October, will allow nations to play up to four matches.
It will be followed by two shorter, traditional nine-day breaks in November and March, maintaining the same number of games while minimising interruptions to club competitions.
