Premier League and Championship football cancelled on traditional weekend as 100-year streak ends: report

Teams in England's top two divisions are set for a break over the Easter 2027 holiday weekend due to FIFA's scheduling of next season's international breaks.

According to the Daily Mail, an international window will take place towards the end of March, replacing the domestic fixtures usually played on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.

It’s a decision which could bring about considerable pushback from domestic stakeholders, due to the anticipated schedule disruption against a backdrop of fixture pressures for several teams.

FIFA enact major shift to traditional English football calendar

The top flight and the Championship, both of which are usually staples of the Good Friday and Easter Monday calendar, will be halted following March 20, 2027 fixtures.

Leagues One and Two are still expected to continue as normal. The domestic schedule is then slated to resume with the FA Cup quarter-final weekend on April 3.

According to the Mail, clubs were not consulted by FIFA in the decision to subsume the traditional Easter weekend, which is likely to rankle with executives already dissatisfied with the level of fixture congestion in England's top flight.

The move also follows a newly merged three-week international break across September and October, which comes into force next season.

This proposed shift brings a century of footballing history to an end. Since 1892, Easter Monday has been a cornerstone of the English game - now, that heritage is being sacrificed at the altar of the international calendar.

Further structural changes have also come to light, via the Mail's report. As previously suggested, the EFL’s curtain-raiser will now be on August 8 with the Carabao Cup First Round, followed by the league kick-off on August 15. Meanwhile, the Premier League’s return after the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup will be on August 22.

Fans can, however, expect a more traditional Boxing Day schedule next year, as the Saturday slot makes a return to the festive lineup with 26 December, 2026 falling on the weekend.