Did FIFA move the international break to include Easter?

There will be no Easter Premier League football next season, but claims that the international break has been moved to cause this are misleading.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Declan Rice of Arsenal gets away from Conor Gallagher of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Mike Keegan reported for the Daily Mail on Tuesday that FIFA have “shifted” the international break to include the Easter weekend next season, meaning no club football over Easter.

On the surface, this would appear to be true. Easter is on March 28th in 2027, and the international break will run from March 22nd to March 30th, encompassing the holiday.

But it’s not the international break that’s shifted, it’s Easter. The international break this year will cover exactly the same date, running from March 23rd-31st.

If Easter had been on March 29th this year, the outcome would have been the same as in 2027. But Easter is on April 5th, when club football has returned.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of England scores his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between England and Serbia at Wembley Stadium on November 13, 2025. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) — Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

So any suggestion that FIFA have shifted the international break is misleading, to say the least. The break has only shifted by one day, as a necessary consequence of the relevant weekend moving by one day.

But that’s not to say there won’t be changes to the international calendar next season.

The big one is that the September and October breaks are being combined into one big break, starting on September 21st and ending on October 6th. All four matches will be played in this one break, rather than two in the September break and two in the October break like usual.

This is set to be the new norm for the coming campaigns, with the same longer break planned in 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. The calendar hasn’t yet been determined for the years beyond that.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta gestures during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on February 03, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

The rest will stay the same. There will be a one-week break in November, a one-week break in late March (Easter or not), and a post-season break in early June.