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Premier League clubs will reportedly not compete over the Easter weekend next season after FIFA moved the dates of the March international break. Consequently, the first international break of 2027 will include Good Friday and Easter Monday, hinting that no Premier League or Championship matches are anticipated to take place that weekend.

The Daily Mail claim that the break spans Good Friday (March 26) and Easter Monday (March 29), with fixtures set to resume with the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 3. The majority of international matches are expected to be held on Saturday and Tuesday.

FIFA did not consult domestic leagues and established the calendar amidst escalating fixture pressures. This latest move, which goes against British football tradition, follows a season in which only one top-flight match was played on Boxing Day.

Manchester United's clash against Newcastle was the sole game played on December 26, with the majority of matches taking place the following day.

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However, the Premier League has already confirmed that supporters can expect a return to a more traditional Boxing Day schedule next season, as this year's Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, unlike last year, when it occurred on a Friday.

Regarding international breaks for next season, it has likewise been confirmed that the Premier League and Championship will halt following September 19 before resuming on October 10.

The decision to implement an extended September break received approval from the FIFA Council in March 2023 and will additionally guarantee an extra week of domestic football in the calendar.

The inaugural Easter Saturday fixture occurred in 1889 and matches throughout the Easter period have remained a fixture for over 100 years. The FA Cup quarter-finals are scheduled for Easter weekend this season, with a set of Championship fixtures planned for Good Friday and another on Easter Monday.

There are currently five international breaks each year, in March, June, September, October, and November. Each spans two weeks and permits nations to contest a maximum of 10 matches, excluding major tournaments such as the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations, Gold Cup or Asian Cup.

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill, speaking last year, claims that alterations to the international calendar are rendering it "more challenging" for smaller nations to thrive. He said: "If we're going to be playing [four-game windows] going forward in the World Cup, which I believe we will do, that's going to be challenging.

"You need players to cover and a lot of these bigger nations can replace a Premier League player with a Premier League player.

"We don't have that depth in our squad at this minute in time. If you're thinking of covering those four games, you're probably going to pick a 30-man squad. I would probably not have anyone to leave out or very few people to leave out."

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