Get ready for 16 months of nonstop football (just don’t mention it to the players).
Thomas Tuchel has concerns.
The newly appointed England men’s national team coach fears his squad will be exhausted by the time they land in North America for the 2026 World Cup next summer.
“I am not so concerned about the number of games the players play in total,” said Tuchel. “I am more concerned that they never have a real break of three to four weeks.”
Tuchel is not the first to highlight this concern.
Last year, FIFPro, the international players’ union, voiced its stance on the intense workload in men’s football, mirroring the worries of several top players—including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Rodri—who have criticized the lack of recovery time between grueling matches.
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A Relentless Schedule: Players Facing Over 100 Matches in 16 Months
Some players will bear the brunt of the packed football calendar more than others.
Take Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, for example. Sidelined since February due to injury, he is set to return soon. While it’s unlikely he will feature in every possible game, if Chelsea and Senegal go deep into all competitions, he could theoretically play more than 100 matches between now and the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi is in a similar predicament. His last extended break came last summer—about a month between Morocco’s World Cup qualifiers and PSG’s pre-season. With club and international commitments stretching deep into the 2026-27 season, he is unlikely to get another significant rest for over a year. If Morocco qualifies for the World Cup, Hakimi could also surpass 100 matches in the 480 days leading up to the tournament’s final.
FIFPro’s workload monitoring tool, which tracks 1,500 players worldwide, revealed that 54 percent of footballers faced “excessive or high workload demands” during the 2023-24 season. One standout case was Argentina forward Julián Álvarez, who was named in 83 matchday squads for club and country.
Despite FIFPro’s calls for reform to prevent burnout, football’s relentless schedule shows no signs of easing. Over the next 16 months, players will be tested with an unforgiving calendar featuring the Africa Cup of Nations, an expanded Club World Cup, high-stakes domestic and European fixtures, and the largest World Cup in history.
For fans, it will be thrilling. For players, it will be exhausting.
March to May: The Sprint to the Finish Line
As spring arrives, the football calendar shifts into overdrive with domestic leagues, cup competitions, European tournaments, and international fixtures all colliding.
Key Fixtures:
- March 17-25 – International break (World Cup qualifiers, Nations League, friendlies)
- May 6-7 – U.S. Open Cup third round
- May 17 – FA Cup final, Bundesliga & Ligue 1 seasons end
- May 20-21 – U.S. Open Cup round of 16
- May 21 – Europa League final
- May 25 – Premier League, La Liga & Serie A seasons end
- May 31 – Champions League final
Former Manchester United boss Steve Bruce often describes this period as the time “when the daffodils come out” and the season reaches another level of intensity.
With the international break concluding, clubs will embark on a relentless final stretch. Premier League teams have nine matches left, while FA Cup contenders could play three more fixtures. The title races in Europe’s top leagues will culminate by late May, while in the U.S., Major League Soccer (MLS) continues through October, with select teams also competing in the early rounds of the U.S. Open Cup in May.
It’s a relentless march toward the finish line—with little time for rest.
March to May: The Sprint to the Finish Line
As spring arrives, the football calendar intensifies with domestic leagues, cup competitions, European tournaments, and international fixtures all overlapping in a non-stop run toward the season’s conclusion.
Key Fixtures:
- March 17-25 – International window (World Cup qualifiers, Nations League, friendlies)
- May 6-7 – U.S. Open Cup third round
- May 17 – FA Cup final, Bundesliga & Ligue 1 seasons end
- May 20-21 – U.S. Open Cup round of 16
- May 21 – Europa League final
- May 25 – Premier League, La Liga & Serie A seasons end
- May 31 – Champions League final
Former Manchester United manager Steve Bruce often describes this stage of the season as the moment “when the daffodils come out” and the intensity reaches another level.
With the current international break wrapping up—including World Cup qualifiers and the latter stages of the Nations League—clubs now enter a relentless sprint to the finish. Premier League teams have nine league matches remaining, and at least two sides could play up to three more in the FA Cup.
By May 25, England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Italy’s Serie A will conclude, while France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga wrap up a week earlier on May 17. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Major League Soccer (MLS), which kicked off in February, continues through to October. Select MLS clubs will also enter the U.S. Open Cup—the American equivalent of the FA Cup—with the third round beginning in early May.
With domestic, European, and international fixtures stacking up, players face an exhausting schedule as football hurtles toward its climactic summer tournaments.
May to June: No Time to Rest
As domestic leagues conclude in May, European and North American club competitions also reach their climax, giving players little respite before international duty kicks in.
Key Fixtures:
- May 31 – Champions League final (Munich)
- June 1 – Concacaf Champions Cup final
- June 2-10 – International window (World Cup qualifiers, Nations League, friendlies)
- June 14 – Concacaf Gold Cup begins
- June 15 – Club World Cup kicks off
The Concacaf Champions Cup, North and Central America’s equivalent of the Champions League, kicked off in February. It reaches the quarter-finals in early April, with the semi-finals following later that month and into early May before culminating in the final on June 1.
European club competitions also wrap up in May, highlighted by the Champions League final in Munich on May 31.
It was once common to see players finishing their league campaigns, slipping into shorts and flip-flops, and heading straight to sunny getaways. Not this year.
With the Champions League final and Concacaf Champions Cup final on the same weekend, players immediately face a nine-day international window. Most European nations will play two matches in either World Cup qualifying or the Nations League.
For many, there will be just a five-day break before the expanded Club World Cup begins on June 15, featuring 32 teams from across the globe.
The relentless football schedule continues, ensuring that for top-level players, true rest remains a distant dream.
July: A Summer of Football, Not Rest
There is an argument for LAFC or Alajuelense to step up, but the tournament might benefit more from the star power of Cristiano Ronaldo or even Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham).
The Club World Cup finalists will endure a grueling schedule, playing seven matches in a month—three in the group stage and four in the knockouts—with the final set for July 13 in New Jersey.
At the same time, the Concacaf Gold Cup will be ongoing across the United States and Canada from June 14 to July 6.
Even players not involved in internationals or the Club World Cup won’t necessarily get a break. Many clubs continue their commercially lucrative post-season tours:
- Manchester United will travel to Malaysia and Hong Kong for two matches.
- Liverpool will embark on a trip to Australia, flying halfway across the world.
Key July Fixtures:
- July 6 – Concacaf Gold Cup final
- July 8-9 – U.S. Open Cup quarter-finals
- July 13 – Club World Cup final
- July 29 – Leagues Cup kicks off
For European clubs, the first week of July traditionally marks the start of pre-season training, ensuring that top players will have little time for recovery before diving into another demanding campaign.
August to November: The Relentless Grind Continues
Many clubs excuse their international players from the early phase of pre-season to create an artificial break, but with the new Premier League season beginning in mid-August, opportunities for meaningful rest remain limited.
Adding to the workload, clubs are traveling extensively for pre-season games in Asia, the United States, and Australia as part of their commercial commitments. Despite access to world-class facilities and sports science, some players still seek marginal gains through personal training and recovery methods.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Leagues Cup—a competition between Liga MX and MLS clubs—will kick off in July, adding another tournament to the packed schedule.
Key Fixtures (August – November):
- August 16 – 2025-26 Premier League season begins
- August 31 – Leagues Cup final
- September 1-9 – International window
- September 16-17 – U.S. Open Cup semi-finals
- October 1 – U.S. Open Cup final
- October 6-14 – International window
- October 19 – MLS regular season concludes
- November 10-18 – International window
The 2025/26 Premier League campaign officially kicks off on August 16, with La Liga starting shortly after and the other major European leagues following suit. The calendar remains packed, ensuring little respite for players balancing club and international duties.
A Grueling Schedule from September to the 2026 World Cup
For international players, breaks will be nonexistent, with frequent long-haul travel and a packed fixture list. From September to November, up to six international matches are scheduled, leading into a relentless sequence of club games through Christmas.
October will also see the start of the MLS Cup Playoffs, where the path to the title can range from five to seven matches depending on seeding and results. The exact schedule for the playoffs is yet to be confirmed.
December and Beyond: Non-Stop Action into the 2026 World Cup
From December onwards, footballers will juggle domestic and international commitments, with major tournaments filling the calendar:
- December 21 – January 18: Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where players from top African nations will miss club duties for up to a month.
- March 23-31: International window.
- May 20-30: Europa League and Champions League finals.
- June 11 – July 19: The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
By the time the World Cup final is held in New Jersey on July 19, clubs will already be preparing for another intense pre-season, ensuring no respite for players at the highest level.
Read More: An Indian Name at the 2026 World Cup: Sarpreet Singh’s Historic Journey
FAQs
Why is the football schedule so relentless?
The modern football calendar is packed with domestic leagues, international tournaments, and club competitions, leaving little time for rest and recovery.
How does a relentless schedule impact footballers?
Players face increased injury risks, fatigue, and mental burnout due to frequent matches and limited recovery periods.
What are the major competitions contributing to fixture congestion?
Tournaments like the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and continental championships add to the heavy schedule.
How do clubs and managers handle fixture congestion?
Top clubs use squad rotation, advanced sports science, and player recovery programs to manage workloads and reduce fatigue.
Will football authorities make changes to ease the schedule?
There are ongoing discussions about player welfare, but with increasing commercial demands, a major overhaul seems unlikely soon.
