Reaction of Premier League devices: Liverpool against Bournemouth as Arsenal heads for Man Utd
A season between the World CupsPosted at 08:50 British summer time
Sam Drury
BBC Sport
An increasingly hectic football calendar means that this season is reserved for a pair of World Cups – the first 32 -team club World Cup this summer, and the more familiar international tournament in 2026.
As always, keeping the players in good shape will be crucial for managers of the League and with nine Premier League clubs in competition in Europe also this year, for almost half of them, it will be even more delicate.
“The start date of August 16 allows the rest time for the maximum available players – 83 clear days – from the end of the 2024-25 season,” said the Premier League.
“The end date of the season of May 24, 2026 ensures that the Premier League season ends before the FIFA World Cup call period 2026.”
But not all clubs will get these 83 clear days.
If Manchester City or Chelsea are reaching the club World Cup final, they could be faced with the first match of the 2025-26 season only 34 days after the end of that of 2024-25.
At least there should be a respite at Christmas and the new year with the calendar ensuring that no luminaire tour takes place within 60 hours of each other – and no match on Christmas Eve.
