FA Cup
FA Cup begins
The Emirates FA Cup starts with the Extra Preliminary Round.
Season overview
Football Calendar 2026/27 Key Dates
Save the dates that shape the first full club season after World Cup 2026: league starts, UEFA nights, international breaks and the major cup finals.
At a glance
The dates most fans should save first
- First date to save
- August 21, 2026
- Longest break
- September 21-October 6
- Cup final run
- March-June 2027
- Club-season finish
- June 5, 2027
Premier League opening match round
Expanded FIFA international window
EFL Cup, FA Cup and Champions League finals
Champions League final in Madrid
Full list
2026/27 football key dates
Premier League
Premier League opening round starts
The first Premier League match round of 2026/27 starts on Friday, August 21.
Champions League
Champions League league-phase draw
UEFA draws the 36-team league phase before the September matchdays.
Champions League
Champions League Matchday 1
The league phase begins with the first three-night matchweek.
International football
Expanded FIFA international window
The new late-September and early-October window can include up to four national-team matches.
International football
November international window
National teams return for a standard two-match window before the winter club run.
FA Cup
FA Cup Third Round Proper
The round traditionally watched by Premier League clubs and lower-league sides together lands in early January.
Champions League
Champions League league phase ends
Matchday 8 closes the league phase and sets up the knockout play-off picture.
Champions League
Knockout play-offs
Two legs decide the final places in the round of 16.
EFL Cup
EFL Cup final
The League Cup final falls on the same weekend as Premier League Matchweek 30.
International football
March international window
A two-match FIFA window interrupts the late-season club calendar.
FA Cup
FA Cup final
The Emirates FA Cup final is scheduled for Wembley Stadium.
Premier League
Premier League final day
All final-round Premier League fixtures are scheduled to kick off simultaneously.
Champions League
Champions League final
The 2026/27 Champions League final is scheduled for Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
Planning notes
How to use this list
Start with release windows
International windows explain many squad absences, travel concerns and fixture moves. The September-October block is the biggest change to save.
Watch the cup-final stretch
The EFL Cup, FA Cup, Premier League final day and Champions League final all arrive between March and early June 2027.
Use competition pages for detail
This page is the quick scan. Use the Premier League, Champions League and international-break pages for deeper context around each date.
Related calendars
Go deeper by competition
Club season
Premier League 2026/27 Calendar
Track the first post-World-Cup Premier League season, from opening weekend to final day.
European nightsChampions League 2026/27 Dates
Follow UEFA dates from qualifying in July to the final at Estadio Metropolitano.
National teamsInternational Breaks 2026/27 Calendar
Map the FIFA release windows that interrupt the club season after World Cup 2026.
FAQ
Key date questions
What are the biggest football dates in 2026/27?
The biggest 2026/27 dates include the Premier League opening round on August 21, 2026, the Champions League league phase from September 8, the September-October FIFA window, the FA Cup final on May 22, 2027, Premier League final day on May 30, and the Champions League final on June 5.
When is the first international break of the 2026/27 club season?
The first major international break of the 2026/27 club season runs from September 21 to October 6, 2026.
Which 2027 cup finals should fans save?
The EFL Cup final is scheduled for March 21, 2027, the FA Cup final for May 22, 2027, and the Champions League final for June 5, 2027.