RealGM

FIFA will merge the September and October international breaks into a single three-week window starting next season, marking the end of the traditional October break. Tuesday\'s friendly between Mexico and Ecuador will be the final match played during an October international window in its current format.

The FIFA Council unanimously approved the changes in 2023 as part of broader reforms to the men\'s and women\'s international competition calendar. The new system takes effect for the 2026 season.

The revised international match calendar will feature three standard nine-day breaks in March, June and November. A new 16-day break spanning late September into early October will replace the existing two separate two-week breaks.

The extended window will allow national teams to schedule up to four fixtures during the combined break. FIFA aims to reduce disruption to club seasons by consolidating international dates.

Arsène Wenger, FIFA\'s chief of global football development, proposed even more dramatic reforms in 2021. The former Arsenal manager wanted to reduce the current system of five international breaks while maintaining the same number of matches.

Wenger suggested consolidating all international fixtures into one or two month-long windows per year to address player workload and fixture congestion. He acknowledged his proposal was a \"gamble\" that could leave injured players without international opportunities for extended periods.

The September-October merger will eliminate three consecutive monthly disruptions at the start of club seasons. However, the impact of a full three-week break on fan engagement and club operations remains uncertain until implementation next year.