When do the top European leagues resume after the international break?
For fans of different clubs across Europe’s top leagues, the dreaded international break is here. This time around, the break will be longer, with no club football for nearly three weeks. This new extended window for international football is part of FIFA’s reconfigured international match calendar that was approved in 2023.
It means instead of three international breaks in the first half of the season, we will have only two. The longer window allows for national teams to have up to four matches during the break.
There are some fascinating matches awaiting fans who might still be reliving the good old days of this year’s FIFA World Cup. From Lionel Messi’s farewell to the international coaching debuts of Jurgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane, there is plenty to unpack. Both Klopp and Zidane will lead their respective countries in the UEFA Nations League.
In Africa, qualifiers for the next AFCON will be underway, with the blockbuster matchup between Ivory Coast and Ghana kicking things off. North American football will also serve up an exciting game with rivals Mexico and USA squaring off.
Elsewhere, in the UEFA Nations League, England will take on World Champions Spain and Middle Eastern football will take centre stage with the 27th edition of the Gulf Cup.
But fans of Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and other European teams will be looking at their calendars daily to check when the international break wraps up, and the action resumes in domestic leagues. Curva Global has you covered, and we will update you on when European leagues resume after the international break.
The current international break will last from September 21 to October 6. This means club football will be back during the second weekend of October. Here is when top leagues get underway and the games that kick off the action.
Dutch Eredivisie
Dutch Eredivisie will be the first top-flight domestic league to resume action. PSV Eindhoven will host SC Heerenveen on Friday, October 9. Prior to the break, PSV suffered their first defeat of the season, losing to FC Twente in a 3-2 thriller. The defending champions currently sit third in the table with 16 points.
Heerenveen have enjoyed an indifferent start to the season. They are in 10th place, having earned only 9 points from their opening seven games. Last time out, they did thump Sparta Rotterdam away 4-0.
Following their match, the rest of the teams will be in action over the weekend. Table-toppers AZ Alkmaar will travel to second-place Feyenoord in a mouth-watering clash on October 10, while Ajax will host NEC Nijmegen on the same day in the late kick-off. FC Twente will be the visitors to Fortuna Sittard, who surprisingly occupy the 6th spot.
Bundesliga
Bundesliga will also return on October 9 with a late kick-off between Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen. Dortmund eeked out a win away to Stuttgart in their last game to stay top of the table, two ahead of Bayern Munich.
Werder Bremen completed a stunning comeback to beat Augsburg from two goals down. Mitchell Weiser scored a stoppage-time goal to win the fixture 3-2 for the home side. The trip to Signal Iduna Park will be challenging, but Daniel Thioune’s side won’t give anything away.
The rest of the weekend sees Bayern Munich travel to Augsburg, and Bayer Leverkusen take on Mainz at MEWA Arena. The big game of the weekend will come on Sunday, October 10, when FC Koln will host Borussia Monchengladbach in the Rhine derby. Koln have four points from four games, while the Foals are rooted at the bottom of the Bundesliga table with zero points. Something’s got to give.
La Liga
La Liga fans will also see the league resume on October 9, Friday, with Malaga hosting Espanyol. The newly-promoted Malaga side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Getafe last time out and are at the foot of La Liga with four points from seven games.
Espanyol have had a mixed bag of results, losing 3-1 at home to Elche in the last game. They currently sit in the 15th spot with seven points. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid will hope to build on the momentum from their derby win over Real Madrid when they visit high-flying Deportivo Alaves on October 10, while league leader Barcelona host Getafe on the same day, looking to keep their 100% win record.
Real Madrid play Villarreal later that same day, having fallen six points behind their El Clasico rivals. Sevilla, who have enjoyed a surprisingly good start to the campaign, will visit Levante on Monday, October 12.
Premier League
The last weekend of action in the Premier League before the international break offered plenty of drama. And yes, you could bet that there would be more to come when hostilities resume on October 10, Saturday.
Arsenal, who suffered a three-nil defeat away to Brighton in the last game, will take on a Leeds United side defying expectations. Daniel Farke’s side are in fifth place and unbeaten so far. Mike Arteta will have his work cut out for him when they host them at the Emirates in the early kick-off.
Saturday will also see Chelsea host Bournemouth, with both teams suffering defeats in their previous games. The late kick-off pits Manchester United against bottom-of-the-table Tottenham side.
The standout fixture is on Sunday when Liverpool host leaders Manchester City. The Reds are unbeaten, but have only won twice in the league so far. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca’s side is the only one with a 100% winning record in the Premier League this season.
Serie A
Serie A has once again delivered on its promise as one of Europe’s most exciting leagues. It is the only top league yet to have a 0-0 draw, and there have already been some marquee results.
The action will resume on Saturday, October 10, when 19th-placed Genoa host 17th-placed Fiorentina. Genoa suffered a 1-0 away defeat to Parma last time out, while Fiorentina continued their turnaround under new manager Paolo Vanoli with a credible 1-1 draw at home against Napoli.
Defending champions Inter Milan are also in action on the same day when they host Parma. The late kick-off sees Napoli play Frosinone. On Sunday, a fascinating contest between Cesc Fabregas’ Como and league toppers AS Roma stars the action.
Lazio host Monza, while AC Milan travel to Sassuolo in the evening. Juventus, who have suffered an inconsistent start, will play Cagliari in the late kick-off at the Unipol Domus.
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership went into the international break with a bang as Rangers registered a vital win at the home of arch-rivals Celtic. The league will be back on October 10 with four games kicking off simultaneously.
Ninth-placed Dundee United host Hibernian, who sit a place below them in the table. Falkirk, who have not been able to replicate their last season’s form, take on Dundee at home. Under former Falkirk manager Steven Pressley, the Dark Blues sit comfortably in the fourth spot.
Hearts rescued a late draw against Kilmarnock last time out and will face St. Mirren in Edinburgh, who were humiliated by Dundee United 3-0 at home. Rangers will welcome Kilmarnock as Derek McInnes looks to build on back-to-back Old Firm wins against one of his former clubs.
On Sunday, October 11, Motherwell, who have lost three in a row, host a Celtic side increasingly under pressure despite being at the top of the table. There are doubts whether Martin O’Neill will be in the dugout for the match and while it may be early to call his status in question, a defeat at Fir Park won’t do him any favours.
St. Johnstone have equipped themselves well in the top-flight following their promotion. But now, they face an Aberdeen side steadily growing in confidence. The Dons are unbeaten in three and will eye more points at Pittodrie.
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