How football fans can fill the post-World Cup void with upcoming tournaments and league action

After six weeks of relentless football, fans now have a short wait before the next wave of matches begins. The FIFA World Cup 2026 featured 48 nations, 104 matches and 308 goals.

In the coming weeks, attention will turn to club football across Europe’s biggest leagues, along with player signings and manager appointments after the World Cup.

Beyond league and continental fixtures, national teams will resume preparations for qualification to the next cycle of international tournaments, with spots available in several regional and global competitions.

African football returns to action a week after the World Cup final with the Women’s AFCON (WAFCON) 2026. Hosts Morocco will open against Kenya, while Nigeria will defend the title they won a year ago. Ghana, Zambia and Malawi are also among the pre-tournament favourites.

The UEFA Super Cup 2026 will bring together Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa before the resumption of European leagues. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 9pm local time (19:00 GMT) at Stadion Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria.

The UEFA Champions League will begin in the second week of September and end in May 2027. The league-stage draw is set for Thursday, August 27, in Nyon, Switzerland. Of the 36 teams, 29 had already secured places, while seven more will be decided through qualifying.

The English Premier League begins less than a month after the World Cup. Champions Arsenal open their title defence against Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21, at 8pm (19:00 GMT). Other opening-weekend fixtures include Hull City vs Manchester United, Manchester City vs Bournemouth, Newcastle United vs Liverpool and Fulham vs Chelsea.

La Liga also returns with several world champions back in club action. Barcelona, Real Madrid and other teams begin their season on August 15, when Alaves host Getafe. Atletico Madrid host Malaga on August 19. Barcelona start at Elche on August 23, while Real Madrid’s opening match against Real Sociedad has been moved to August 26. Jose Mourinho’s first La Liga game in his second spell at Madrid will be away at Espanyol on August 22.

Serie A starts on August 22, with Inter Milan vs Monza and Genoa vs Napoli on the opening Saturday. Frosinone vs Juventus, Atalanta vs Sassuolo, Torino vs AC Milan and AS Roma vs Fiorentina are among the other opening fixtures.

European World Cup qualification will use a two-tier league system rather than traditional small groups. The 36 highest-ranked UEFA nations will compete in League A, while the remaining 19 nations will be in League B. Teams will play six matches in the opening phase, with promotion, relegation and play-offs deciding the qualifiers.

The UEFA Nations League resumes on Thursday, September 24, with Portugal facing Wales. England will host Spain on Saturday, September 26.

African qualification for the next World Cup is expected to begin in September 2027 and run until 2029. Morocco, as one of the 2030 cohosts, will qualify automatically, while the remaining African places will be contested by other CAF nations. Africa is expected to have nine direct places, with a possible additional place via the inter-confederation playoffs.

Asian qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup is expected to begin in late 2027, likely in October or November, and run for nearly two years. The AFC has not yet released the official schedule, but its international calendar points to that timeframe.