Be warned: the first international break of 2026/27 is almost here!
The Nations League and AFCON qualifiers take centre stage as domestic football pauses after Gameweek 5.
In this brief article, we look at when the big breaks are in the current season.
WHEN ARE THE INTERNATIONAL BREAKS IN 2026/27?
Usually, there are four breaks per season that affect Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers. Not this time, however.
In 2026/27, there’ll only be three, because the September and October interruptions are merging into one big break.
A whopping three weeks separate Gameweeks 5 and 6 due to international action:
| Year | Dates | Gaps between Gameweeks |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 September – 6 October | 3 weeks between GW5 and GW6 |
| 2026 | 9 November – 17 November | 2 weeks between GW10 and GW11 |
| 2027 | 22 March – 30 March | 3 weeks between GW30 and GW31 |
We also get a three-week pause in March, but only because of domestic cup competition tagged onto the end of the internationals.
WILDCARDING FOR GAMEWEEK 6?
Looking at the ‘jump on, jump off’ approach, some managers might chase the strong early schedules, before using this large three-week gap to Wildcard into new fixture swings, from Gameweek 6 onwards.
Expect that to be a popular strategy for those yet to use their Wildcard.
ANOTHER LONG SPRINGTIME GAP
That’s what around 500,000 managers did back in March and April, when the combination of an international break and FA Cup quarter-finals created a three-week build-up to Gameweek 32.
This time, there’ll be the same gap and the same reasons, but leading into Gameweek 31. Get ready for an identical chip strategy dilemma!
ASIAN CUP INSTEAD OF AFCON
In response to AFCON taking dozens of players away for a month in 2025/26, FPL gave its managers five additional free transfers before Gameweek 16.
This biennial tournament won’t take place during 2026/27 – but the AFC’s Asian Cup will.
There’s no international break for this, either, with the tournament taking place from 7 January to 5 February. That covers Gameweeks 20-24.
There’ll be fewer English-based individuals participating than at AFCON, however, hence no FPL freebies this season!
