Yesterday, the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup resumed and the first teams to take the field were the African Nations. Then it will be the turn of all the others, in a round that, however, will be t...
Yesterday, the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup resumed and the first teams to take the field were the African Nations. Then it will be the turn of all the others, in a round that, however, will be the last of its kind. And perhaps, it's better this way.
From 2026, and at least until 2030, FIFA will indeed change the schedule of autumn matches for the Nations.
How the schedule changes
The two breaks in September and October will no longer be two, but one, longer and more intense: a longer stop to club football, within which the Nations will concentrate a greater number of matches. The total, however, will remain unchanged: 6 gamesĀ spread over two breaks instead of three.
Today teams stop 3 times:Ā in September, October and November, 6 weeks in total of āinterruptedā football. From next year it will be 5 weeks, condensed into only two windows (3 weeks between September and October, 2 in November). Less fragmentation, more continuity.
A reorganization that FIFA has already formalized until 2030, the year in which the World Cup will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with 3 matches inĀ Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay).
In 2026, the national championships will play the last round before the break on the weekend of 19-20 September. Then they will stop for twenty-one days, until they restart on 10-11 October.
Why a break was cancelled
Officially, a break was cancelled to optimize the schedule. Unofficially, in the minds of fans and fantasy managers, to save the patience of those who during the āNational breakā find themselvesĀ pretending to be interested in unlikely matches.
The truth is that the world of football - perhaps - needed a break from these breaks. At the level of popular sentiment, the most "hated" break remains and will remain that of September: in which the hype for the new championship is abruptly cut off.
With the new format - at least - it will meet the demands of coaches and clubs, who see their best players travel around the world three times in three months. It's a small logistical revolution that promises to lighten the schedules and perhaps even the legs.
In a year, we will understand if it will really be a solution to injuries or just a more efficient way to give continuity to the national leagues.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in š®š¹ here.
šø ANDREAS SOLARO - AFP or licensors
Category: General Sports
