Three-week international break questioned after Haaland, Mbappé injuries
October 5, 2026 17:20
FIFA moved the first international break of the 2026-27 season to three weeks, pausing the Premier League and Championship for longer than usual. The change — players returned to domestic action from Friday — was made partly for player welfare and to reduce the number of cross-continent journeys, with the number of in-season breaks cut from five to four.
WHY THE CHANGE WAS MADE
The switch to a three-week window across late September and early October was taken in the context of scheduling for the 2026 World Cup, whose final on 19 July was the latest summer final since 1966. FIFA and organisers also cited travel and recovery considerations, including fewer intercontinental trips for players from Africa and South America who play club football in Europe.
INJURIES DURING THE BREAK
A string of injuries while players were on international duty has prompted questions about whether the extended window has delivered on its welfare aims. Examples reported during the break include:
- Erling Haaland asked to be substituted after 67 minutes and limped off in Norway’s match against Portugal; he left camp on Monday. Team-mate Nico O’Reilly returned to Manchester City for further assessment.
- Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott withdrew from the England squad with a thigh injury; the Cherries said they were unhappy with how England handled the injury.
- Liverpool duo Cody Gakpo withdrew from the Netherlands with an ankle injury and Alexander Isak pulled out of Sweden duty with a minor thigh issue.
- Portugal boss Jorge Jesus said Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes had been playing through pain; Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey sustained hamstring problems.
- Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé sustained an injury with France, and Barcelona’s Raphinha returned from Brazil with a thigh injury.
The source noted that a number of other England players — Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice — had pulled out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad before the break began.
RESPONSES AND QUESTIONS
Norway’s players’ union (NISO) voiced concern about rising demands on top players. NISO chief Kristoffer Vatshaug said: "Over time, we have seen a worrying trend where the burden on top players has become far too high. We want clearer guidelines for workload and recovery. It is about the time between matches, consecutive rest periods, travel strain and how much time players get to recover after a long season."
England manager Thomas Tuchel has previously described the three-week break as "more challenging" than previous years, citing travel and having only two days of rest between games as problems.
CAN IT BE BLAMED?
The BBC report emphasises it is hard to say whether more injuries have occurred because the window is longer and includes more fixtures. A full and fair comparison may have to wait until the end of the season after all international breaks have been completed. There were three days of international fixtures still to be played when the report was published, leaving open the possibility of further issues before players rejoin clubs.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Players were due to return to domestic action from Friday. Clubs and managers will monitor injured players as they rejoin, and the list of absentees could change if more issues emerge from the remaining fixtures.