FIFA set to implement controversial change which will impact Portsmouth, Southampton, Birmingham City and more
FIFA are expected to make controversial changes to international breaks from next season. Here is the latest.
FIFA are reportedly looking to implement a surprise international break over the Easter weekend from next season.
That’s according to The Daily Mail’s Mike Keeghan, who has revealed there will be no Premier League and Championship action on Good Friday and Easter Monday - something which has become a tradition in this country over the years.
The Easter weekend is one of the most hotly-anticipated dates in the English footballing calendar, but that could soon become a distant memory.
FIFA to implement Easter international break
It has been stated the two dates will now be encompassed by a two-week stoppage, with international games instead taking centre stage.
The report indicates the Premier League, EFL and other domestic leagues were not consulted by FIFA over the changes, which are expected to come into effect from the 2026-27 campaign.
Next season’s international break over the Easter period will begin on March 21 and will cover Good Friday (March 26) and Easter Monday (March 29).
Fixtures will then recommence through to the remainder of the season from April 3, with FA Cup quarter finals also taking place.
The changes will also heavily impact League One and League Two schedules, with games in the EFL’s bottom two divisions often impacted by other international breaks.
This season’s international break takes place a week before Easter, with a 13-day gap between Pompey’s trip to QPR and their crucial contest with Norwich City on Good Friday.
The Blues are then back in action three days later as they welcome relegation rivals Oxford United to Fratton Park on Easter Monday.
John Mousinho’s men, of course, are still yet to discover their destiny for next term and currently sit five points above the bottom three, with 12 games remaining.
Changes to international breaks from next season
Next season will also see the beginning of a near three-week stoppage, just a month into the new campaign.
This will grind the Premier League, Championship and other games across the EFL to a halt, less than six weeks into the season.
The two-week stoppage in November will remain on the calendar, meaning domestic action will be paused between November 9-17.
Of course, the 2026-27 Football League campaign kicks off on the weekend of August 14-16, with Carabao Cup first-round action instead taking place a week prior on August 8.
That was a decision announced by the EFL in January, with Championship, League One and League Two football all taking place on the same weekend.