When does the Premier League restart after the World Cup?
As we all know, the 2022/23 season is an unprecedented one for the European footballing calendar.
The unfeasibility of playing a Qatari World Cup in the summer means domestic competitions around the continent will grind to a halt midway through the campaign in order for the major tournament to be played in less extreme conditions.
The 2022 World Cup gets underway on 20 November with the hosts taking on Ecuador in Group A. England, meanwhile, kick-off their campaign a day later against Iran.
A multitude of Premier League stars will be competing for glory in the Middle East, but the ludicrously compact schedule means they won't be given much respite. Once their league campaign stops, they're straight into World Cup action, and almost immediately back into club colours following the conclusion of the tournament.
Table Of Contents
- 2022 World Cup news
- England's World Cup 2022 squad: Who's on the plane?
- World Cup 2022 Golden Boot contenders - ranked
When does the Premier League stop for the World Cup?
The final Premier League matchday before the 2022 World Cup will be played over the weekend of 12/13 November.
This will be the 16th round of fixtures in the 2022/23 season, with Fulham vs Manchester United being the final Premier League contest before the World Cup gets underway on 20 November.
Final Premier League games before the World Cup
- 12/11/2022 - Manchester City v Brentford (12:30) - BT Sport
- 12/11/2022 - A.F.C. Bournemouth v Everton
- 12/11/2022 - Liverpool v Southampton
- 12/11/2022 - Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace
- 12/11/2022 - Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United
- 12/11/2022 - West Ham United v Leicester City
- 12/11/2022 - Newcastle United v Chelsea (17:30) - Sky Sports
- 12/11/2022 - Wolverhampton v Arsenal (19:45) - Sky Sports
- 13/11/2022 - Brighton v Aston Villa (14:00) - Sky Sports
- 13/11/2022 - Fulham v Manchester United (16:30) - Sky Sports
When does the Premier League restart?
Over a month would've passed between United's trip to Craven Cottage on 13 November and Brentford's Boxing Day meeting with Tottenham at 12:30 GMT.
The Premier League will return for yet another busy festive period starting on 26 December, eight days after the World Cup final.
- 26/12/2022 - Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur (12:30) - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Crystal Palace v Fulham - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Everton v Wolverhampton - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Leicester City v Newcastle United - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Southampton v Brighton - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Aston Villa v Liverpool (17:30) - Prime Video
- 26/12/2022 - Arsenal v West Ham United (20:00) - Prime Video
- 27/12/2022 - Chelsea v A.F.C. Bournemouth (17:30) - Prime Video
- 27/12/2022 - Manchester United v Nottingham Forest (20:00) - Prime Video
- 28/12/2022 - Leeds United v Manchester City (20:00) - Prime Video
Why is the World Cup taking place in the winter?
When FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar, a number of logistical problems immediately surfaced. Qatar is an incredibly hot country and players would suffer if the tournament was played in the Middle East during the European summer, when World Cups are traditionally played.
To combat this problem, FIFA eventually decided to move the tournament to the winter to ensure players wouldn't be at risk or endangered by the intense weather conditions.
- Why is the 2022 World Cup in November and December?
- Why is the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar?
- What will the weather in Qatar be during the World Cup?
How has domestic football been affected?
The scheduling falls in the middle of the domestic season, so leagues around the world are being paused so the World Cup can be played in Qatar at a suitable temperature.
The Premier League is one such affected league. The division will pause for six weeks, beginning on 14 November before resuming on Boxing Day, with the final taking place on 18 December.
Has the Champions League been affected?
Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League matches have been condensed into a shorter timeframe to ensure the group stages finish comfortably before the World Cup begins.
The final UCL group stage matchday of the 2022/23 season is 1/2 November. In the 2021/22 campaign, the corresponding matchday was played on 7/8 December.