Footballers play international matches during the club league season due to the structure of the football calendar, which is managed by global governing bodies like FIFA and UEFA. FIFA sets designated periods, known as “international windows”, during which national teams can call up players for tournaments or qualifiers. These windows are planned months or years in advance, often overlapping with club league seasons, to accommodate major international competitions like the World Cup, European Championship, and Nations League. International tournaments such as World Cup qualifiers, continental championships (like the Copa América or Euro), and friendlies are crucial for national teams’ rankings and qualification for major tournaments. These games often have to fit within the club season to balance the football calendar across countries with varying schedules and climates.
Historically, international football has always taken place alongside domestic club seasons. By keeping these international matches during the season, FIFA ensures a consistent competitive balance and regular engagement between national teams, which would be difficult if they were only played in off-seasons
Also, Under FIFA regulations, clubs are required to release players for official international duty during these windows. National team football is considered a critical part of a player’s career, and clubs are obliged to comply with this, despite any disruptions it might cause to their own league schedules.
However, recent players interviews suggest a lot of them are very dissatisfied with such lengthy schedules as more injuries are seen growing up in such congested playing times in between. It’s a tough decision for FIFA as well, as more matches means more money, they also have to consider that all of these comes from players ultimately and it’s a matter of time until that cap of frustration pops out of the can.
