Football supporters will once again have to navigate several international breaks throughout 2027, with men's national teams returning to action across four designated FIFA international match windows.

Although 2027 does not feature a men's FIFA World Cup, European Championship or Copa América, the calendar will still include important competitive fixtures, including the UEFA Nations League finals and the beginning of qualifying for Euro 2028.

The men's international calendar will retain the format introduced in 2026, with four regular international windows: March, June, September-October and November.

One of those periods will be particularly lengthy, with the September and October fixtures combined into a 16-day window that allows national teams to play up to four matches.

FIFA international match dates in 2027: Full schedule

There will be four designated FIFA international windows in 2027, with three lasting nine days and one extended period covering 16 days.

The full calendar is as follows:

  • 22-30 March 2027 - Up to two matches
  • 7-15 June 2027 - Up to two matches
  • 20 September-5 October 2027 - Up to four matches
  • 8-16 November 2027 - Up to two matches

The September-October window will be the longest international break of the year, giving national teams the opportunity to play up to four fixtures.

The revised calendar combines the September and October windows into one longer period, allowing national teams to play more matches while reducing the number of separate interruptions to domestic club football.

Which international competitions will take place in 2027?

The March international window will feature important competitive fixtures across several confederations, including the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals and promotion-relegation play-offs.

In Europe, the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals and promotion-relegation play-offs are scheduled to take place, while the Concacaf Nations League finals will also be held in March.

Further details of the Asian qualifying schedules for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and 2031 AFC Asian Cup will depend on the respective competition calendars being confirmed.

African teams will complete their qualification campaigns for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during the March window, with the tournament itself scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July. The Concacaf Gold Cup will also be held during the summer, running from 17 June to 11 July.

The June window will include international friendlies, while the UEFA Nations League finals will provide a major competitive highlight from 9 to 13 June. The period will also overlap with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and Concacaf Gold Cup.

Asia's leading national teams will also have the AFC Asian Cup to look forward to, although the tournament has been rescheduled. Originally planned for January and February 2027, it will now take place from 23 December 2027 to 21 January 2028 in Saudi Arabia.

The September and November windows will be particularly important for European and South American nations.

South American nations could also begin their qualifying campaigns for the 2030 FIFA World Cup during the autumn windows, although the CONMEBOL schedule has not yet been officially confirmed.

European nations will begin their qualifying campaigns for UEFA Euro 2028, which will be hosted across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The group stage is scheduled to take place during 2027, with the qualifying draw held in December 2026.

England's 2027 fixtures: Nations League and Euro 2028 qualifying

Thomas Tuchel's England side will have a busy year, with the Nations League and Euro 2028 qualifying forming the centrepiece of their international schedule.

England have been drawn in Nations League Group A3 alongside Spain, Croatia and Czechia, with the top two teams progressing to the quarter-finals in March 2027.

The Three Lions still have two group fixtures to complete in November 2026, facing Croatia at Wembley on November 12 before travelling to Spain three days later.

The Nations League finals are scheduled to take place between June 9 and 13, although the host nation has yet to be confirmed.

Attention will then turn towards qualifying for Euro 2028.

The tournament will be staged across the United Kingdom and Ireland between June 9 and July 9, 2028, with the qualifying draw scheduled to take place in Belfast on December 6, 2026.

Qualifying fixtures will run from March to November 2027, followed by play-offs in March 2028.

Despite being one of the host nations, England must still participate in qualifying. UEFA has reserved two places for the two best-ranked host nations that have not qualified directly through the group stage.

International break dates for 2028, 2029 and 2030

The international calendar has also been outlined for the following three years, providing a longer-term picture of how national-team football will fit around domestic competitions.

2028

  • March 20-28
  • May 29-June 6
  • June/July: European Championship and Copa America
  • September 18-October 3
  • November 13-21

2029

  • March 19-27
  • June 4-12
  • September 24-October 9
  • November 12-20

2030

  • March 18-26
  • June 3-11
  • June/July: FIFA World Cup
  • September 23-October 8
  • November 11-19

While the 2027 calendar will not feature a men's World Cup or European Championship, it will still be an important year for international football, with qualification campaigns beginning for the next major tournaments.

Please note that these dates cover the men's international match calendar. The women's international calendar follows a separate schedule in 2027, with the FIFA Women's World Cup taking place in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July.