Phil Parkinson has called for a major change to the international football calendar after Wrexham were left with a 16-day gap between Championship fixtures following their 2-1 win over Southampton at the Cae Ras.
The Wrexham boss has expressed doubts about FIFA’s new autumn schedule, which has replaced the separate September and October international breaks with a single extended window ahead of another in November.
Parkinson believes the previous format was too disruptive, but rather than just criticising the new system, he has put forward an alternative that would allow more domestic football to carry on during the autumn.
Phil Parkinson suggests new international break structure
Parkinson said: “I’ve always felt that having three breaks is too much disruption.”
He added: “Whether this is a better format, I think we’ll only know when we’ve all come through it and experienced it.”
Parkinson’s preferred approach would involve a full international break, followed by another period where national teams play just one midweek match while the domestic calendar continues.
“But my view on the international games before Christmas, there should be one break and then there should be another one where the international teams just have one midweek game but the fixtures are the same.
“So two of the three there’s a break and the middle one, there’s just one game for internationals and I think that would be a fairer balance, but obviously I’m not the one organising the fixtures for the relevant FAs.”
Why the international calendar changed in 2026
The new setup is part of FIFA’s revised men’s international match calendar. The old September and October windows have effectively been merged into a single 16-day period from 21 September to 6 October, during which national teams can play up to four games.
That reduces the number of international breaks before Christmas from three to two, with another window in November. The trade-off for clubs is a much longer stoppage earlier in the domestic season.
For Wrexham, it means no Championship action between the Southampton match on 19 September and the trip to Derby County on 10 October.
Wrexham face busy run when Championship returns
The long break will be followed by a packed run of fixtures, with Wrexham scheduled to play seven Championship matches before the next international window.
After Derby, Parkinson’s side face West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers before another pause in November.
The current break does give Parkinson a chance to rest regular starters, help injured squad members recover and prepare for that demanding run. Wrexham are also planning an in-house match to stay sharp before facing Derby.
Five senior players are away on international duty, including Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward with Wales, Bailey Cadamarteri with Jamaica, Issa Kaboré with Burkina Faso and Jacques Ekomié with Gabon.
Parkinson accepts the new format needs to be experienced before a firm judgement can be made. His preferred alternative is already clear, though: fewer complete stoppages and a structure that keeps more domestic football moving through the autumn.
About The Author
