The European international football calendar is set to build up to Euro 2020 next summer, a unique competition that will be played all over the continent.
Qualifying for the competition will dominate the international schedule until the end of 2019, then at the beginning of the new year there will be a fresh bout of Nations League play-offs, while sides already qualified for the European Championship will be seeking to hone their squads in the arena of friendly matches.
In other parts of the world, there will be no less excitement over the international calendar as World Cup qualifying is set to begin in earnest, with teams already jostling for position to reach Qatar 2022.
But just when are the international breaks over the course of the 2019-2020 campaign?
International breaks during 2019-20
FIFA sanction international windows, during which clubs must release their players at the behest of national teams, with the exception of those who are injured. Over the course of the regular European season (August to May), there are four such periods that this will occur over the coming term.
The first of these stretches from Monday, September 2 through until Tuesday, September 10 and in Europe will be used for Euro 2020 qualifying matches.
A second begins little over four weeks later, running from Monday, October 7 through until Tuesday, October 15, with the final international recess of 2019 taking place from Sunday, November 11 and stretching until Tuesday, November 19.
| International breaks 2019-20 |
|---|
| Begins | Ends |
| September 2 | September 10 |
| October 7 | October 15 |
| November 11 | November 19 |
| March 23 | March 31 |
| June 1 | July 12 |
There will only be a single interruption to domestic calendars during the climax of the season. After four months without an international break, there is one slated to take place from Monday, March 23 until Tuesday, March 31.
This break is set to be the most decisive one in Europe, with Nations League play-offs taking place during that time to decide the remaining countries that will qualify for Euro 2020. It takes place the week after the last 16 of the Champions League concludes and finishes just a week before the quarter-finals in that same competition begin.
Finally, there is an international window scheduled throughout the summer to accommodate teams playing in Euro 2029. It will begin on June 1 and end after the European Championship final on July 12 for teams taking part in the tournament, while it will finish on June 11 for countries who do not.