The FIFA World Cup which will be hosted in Qatar, will for the first time be played in November and December as against the usual time of it being played in June and July
This new date will mean that the World Cup will be played right in the middle of the football season in the major five leagues in Europe.
Here is everything you need to know about the dates and how the World Cup will affect the leagues in Europe;
Premier League:
The season will kick off on the weekend of Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7. The last round of games before the World Cup will be played on the weekend of November 12-13. The league will resume on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, which will start exactly eight days after the World Cup final. The break of 43 days for the World Cup means the season must end later than usual, on Sunday, May 28th, 2023.
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La Liga:
The Spanish League will start on the weekend of Friday, August 12 to Sunday, August 17th. The season will end over the weekend of June 3-4th 2023. The last round of games before the World Cup will be played on the weekend of Nov. 12-13 and return to action on Thursday, Dec. 29 -- a break of 46 days.
Serie A:
The new season will start on the weekend of August 13 and will end on Sunday, June 4th, 2023. The last round of games before the World Cup will be played on the weekend of Nov. 12-13. The league will resume on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, which is a 52 days break.
Bundesliga:
The new season in Germany will kick off on Friday, August 5th and end on May 27th, 2023. The last round of games before the World Cup will be played on the weekend of November 12 and 13. The league will not resume until Friday, January 20th, 2023. That means that will be a 68 days break, the longest to be experienced by any of the leagues.
Ligue 1:
The French season will start on the weekend of August 6th and August 7th, and end on June 4th, 2023. The last round of games before the World Cup will be played on the weekend of Nov. 12-13 and return to action on Wednesday, December 28th, 2022 which means the league will be shut down for 45 days.
