After six weeks of relentless football, fans must now find something to fill the void left by the FIFA World Cup 2026. The biggest edition in the event’s history saw 48 nations compete over 104 matches and score 308 goals.
In a few weeks’ time, attention will turn towards the resumption of club football across Europe’s biggest leagues, with news of player signings and manager appointments doing the rounds immediately after the World Cup.
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Besides league and continental fixtures, national teams will resume their preparations to qualify for the next cycle of international tournaments. Spots will be up for grabs for several regional and international tournaments.
Al Jazeera looks at how football fans can fill the void left by the World Cup:
What’s the first football tournament after the World Cup?
A week after the World Cup final, African nations will return to action at the Women’s AFCON (WAFCON) 2026, with hosts Morocco taking on Kenya on the opening day.
The Atlas Lionesses will look to emulate the form and success of their male counterparts, who reached the World Cup quarterfinals and won the AFCON 2025, albeit contentiously.
Nigeria will look to defend the title they won a year ago, while Ghana, Zambia and Malawi are also among the pre-tournament favourites.
Here’s Al Jazeera’s complete guide to WAFCON 2026.
When is PSG and Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup showdown?
The UEFA Super Cup 2026, which pits the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League and Europa League champions against each other, will see Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa face off prior to the resumption of European leagues.
It promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Aston Villa aiming to add another European trophy under Unai Emery, while PSG will be looking to retain the Super Cup after winning the 2025 edition.
Here’s what you need to know about the high-profile match:
When: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Kick-off: 9pm local time (19:00 GMT)
Venue: Stadion Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
When will UEFA Champions League start?
The most elite inter-league club competition, where the top teams from across the continent fight to be crowned champions at the end of the season, will get under way in the second week of September and conclude in May 2027.
Clubs and their supporters will know their fate on Thursday, August 27 when the draw for the league stage will be held in Nyon, Switzerland.
Of the 36 teams in the competition, 29 booked their spots at the end of last season, while seven will be confirmed after a qualifying round.
When does the Premier League start?
In great news for football fans, the English Premier League – arguably the most widely followed league competition across the world – is less than a month away.
Champions Arsenal open their title defence by hosting Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21, at 8pm (19:00 GMT).
A few other key fixtures on the opening weekend include:
- Hull City vs Manchester United on Saturday, August 22, at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
- Manchester City vs Bournemouth on Sunday, August 23, at 2pm (13:00 GMT)
- Newcastle United vs Liverpool on Sunday, August 23, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
- Fulham vs Chelsea on Monday, August 24, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
When does La Liga start?
Several stars from world champions Spain will resume their club football at the start of La Liga, when holders Barcelona, their archrival Real Madrid and other league teams return to action.
Record 36-time champions Madrid will welcome back their World Cup stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois, in their bid to win another Spanish league title. But in their way will stand world champions led by Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri and title-winning goalscorer Ferran Torres.
The season begins on August 15 as Alaves host Getafe at 17:30 GMT.
Atletico Madrid host Malaga on August 19 at 18:00 GMT.
When do Real Madrid and Barcelona play their first La Liga games?
La Liga holders Barcelona will start their season at Elche on August 23, with their original opener against Athletic Bilbao delayed until August 27.
Real Madrid were due to host Real Sociedad on the opening weekend, but the league has moved that game to August 26.
That means manager Jose Mourinho’s first La Liga game in charge of Madrid in his second spell at the club will be away at Espanyol on August 22 .
When is the first Serie A game of the season?
Italian football fans did not have much to cheer for at the World Cup, with the Azzurri failing to qualify for the tournament for the third successive global showpiece. However, league football in the country will act as a balm when the 2026-27 season of Serie A opens on August 22.
Here’s a pick of the fixtures on the opening weekend:
Saturday, August 22:
- Inter Milan vs Monza at 16:30 GMT
- Genoa vs Napoli at 18:45 GMT
Sunday, August 23:
- Frosinone vs Juventus at 16:30 GMT
- Atalanta vs Sassuolo at 18:45 GMT
- Torino vs AC Milan at 18:45 GMT
Monday, August 24:
- AS Roma vs Fiorentina at 18:45 GMT
When are the next UEFA World Cup qualifiers?
The World Cup qualification process for European teams will be different from previous tournaments, as it will use a two-tier league system rather than the traditional small qualifying groups.
The 36 highest-ranked UEFA nations will compete in League A, using a Swiss-system format similar to the UEFA Champions League.
The remaining 19 UEFA nations will compete in League B.
Teams will play six qualifying matches in the initial phase, with promotion, relegation and play-offs determining the European qualifiers.
When does the UEFA Nations League begin?
European and world champions Spain will lead the charge when the continental sides return to competitive football in the UEFA Nations League, which also acts as a qualifying platform for the World Cup and Euro 2028 championship.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will open the next matchday with their fixture against Wales on Thursday, 24 September, at 18:45 GMT.
World Cup semifinalists England will host champions Spain on Saturday, September 26 at 18:45 GMT.
When does African qualifying for World Cup 2026 begin?
After a historic run for Africa at the World Cup, with 10 teams representing the continent for the first time and nine progressing to the knockouts, fans in the region will be eager to see which nations will make it to the next edition.
Based on FIFA’s international match calendar and previous qualification cycles, the expectation is for the process to start in September 2027 and for the qualification process to run until 2029.
With Morocco being one of the 2030 tournament cohosts, they will automatically qualify, and the remaining African places will be contested by the other CAF nations.
Africa is expected to have nine direct qualification places, with the possibility of an additional place through the inter-confederation playoffs if FIFA keeps the same allocation.
When does Asian qualifying for World Cup 2030 begin?
Asian teams had a disappointing showing at the recent tournament, with only Australia qualifying past the group stage, only to be knocked out by Egypt in the round of 32.
The Asian (AFC) qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup is expected to begin in late 2027, with the first matches likely taking place in October or November 2027. The AFC has not yet released the official match schedule, but its international calendar and planning documents point to that timeframe.
The likely timeline for qualification to begin is from late 2027 and run for nearly two years.
