FIFA International Match Calendar

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The FIFA International Match Calendar (sometimes abbreviated as the FIFA Calendar) is an outline agreement between FIFA, the six continental football confederations, the European Club Association, and FIFPro, [1] which sets out which dates can be used for "official" and "friendly" international matches. Individual periods of these dates are commonly referred to as "international breaks".

Contents

The current dates are within five windows: in March, May or June, August or September, October, and November. The match calendar also determines when international competitions such as the AFC Asian Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, Copa América, CONCACAF Gold Cup, OFC Nations CupUEFA European Championship, FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics can take place.

Official matches have a release period of four days, which means that players can take up to four days away from club duties to partake in national team duties. If a player participates in an official match on a different continent from his or her club's, the release period is five days. Friendly matches are deemed less important and the release period is 48 hours. [2]

FIFA insist that official and friendly matches take precedence over domestic matches. However, they state that international friendlies that take place outside the designated dates do not. [2]

Upcoming match windows

Men's International Match Calendar

Dates [3] Matches or tournaments
3–11 June 20242 (Except UEFA)
14 June – 14 July 2024 UEFA Euro 2024
15–30 June 2024 2024 OFC Nations Cup
20 June – 14 July 2024 2024 Copa América
24 July – 9 August 2024 Football at the 2024 Summer Olympics
2–10 September 20242
7–15 October 20242
11–19 November 20242
17–25 March 20252
2–10 June 20252
June – July 2025 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2025 Africa Cup of Nations
2025 FIFA Club World Cup
1–9 September 20252
6–14 October 20252
10–18 November 20252
23–31 March 20262
1–9 June 20262
11 June – 19 July 2026 2026 FIFA World Cup
21 September – 6 October 20264
9–17 November 20262
January 2027 2027 AFC Asian Cup
22–30 March 20272
7–15 June 20272

Women's International Match Calendar

The women's international match calendar sets out which dates can be used for "official" and "friendly" women's international matches.

The current dates are within six windows: in February or March, April, June or July, September, October, and November. [4]

Dates [4] Window type [lower-alpha 1] Number of matches
1–9 April 2024Type I2
27 May – 4 June 2024Type I2
8–16 July 2024Type I2
25 July – 10 August 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament
21–30 October 2024Type I or II (except UEFA)2 or 3
25 November – 7 December 2024Type I or III (only AFC)2 or 4
17–26 February 2025Type II3
31 March – 8 April 2025Type I2
26 May – 3 June 2025Type I2
June/July 2025 [lower-alpha 2] Type I or II (except UEFA) or
III (only AFC)
2 or 3 or 4
23 June – 3 August 2025Blocked for finals of the CONMEBOL championship
2–27 July 2025 UEFA Women's Euro 2025
20–29 October 2025Type I or II (except UEFA)2 or 3
24 November – 2 December 2025Type I2

Notes

  1. Players are released to national associations from Monday to either Tuesday night (Type I), Wednesday night (Type II), or Saturday night (Type III) of the following week.
  2. Window start to be aligned with the release period for the 2025 Copa América Femenina and UEFA Women's Euro 2025

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References

  1. "International match calendar – major step made towards final agreement". FIFA.com. 5 March 2012. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Release of players for national association representative matches in accordance with the Coordinated International Match Calendar" (PDF). FIFA.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. "Men's International Match Calendar 2023-2030" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Women's International Match Calendar 2024-2025" (PDF). FIFA. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.