Which matches and tournaments can football fans watch after the World Cup?

After six weeks of relentless football, fans indispensable present find thing to capable the void near by the FIFA World Cup 2026. The biggest variation successful the event’s past saw 48 nations vie implicit 104 matches and people 308 goals.

In a fewer weeks’ time, attraction volition crook towards the resumption of nine shot crossed Europe’s biggest leagues, with quality of subordinate signings and manager appointments doing the rounds instantly aft the World Cup.

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Besides league and continental fixtures, nationalist teams volition resume their preparations to suffice for the adjacent rhythm of planetary tournaments. Spots volition beryllium up for grabs for respective determination and planetary tournaments.

Al Jazeera looks astatine however shot fans tin capable the void near by the World Cup:

A week aft the World Cup final, African nations volition instrumentality to enactment astatine the Women’s AFCON (WAFCON) 2026, with hosts Morocco taking connected Kenya connected the opening day.

The Atlas Lionesses volition look to emulate the signifier and occurrence of their antheral counterparts, who reached the World Cup quarterfinals and won the AFCON 2025, albeit contentiously.

Nigeria volition look to support the rubric they won a twelvemonth ago, portion Ghana, Zambia and Malawi are besides among the pre-tournament favourites.

Here’s Al Jazeera’s implicit usher to WAFCON 2026.

When is PSG and Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup showdown?

The UEFA Super Cup 2026, which pits the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League and Europa League champions against each other, volition spot Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa look disconnected anterior to the resumption of European leagues.

It promises to beryllium a fascinating encounter, with Aston Villa aiming to adhd different European trophy nether Unai Emery, portion PSG volition beryllium looking to clasp the Super Cup aft winning the 2025 edition.

Here’s what you request to cognize astir the high-profile match:

When: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Kick-off: 9pm section clip (19:00 GMT)
Venue: Stadion Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

When volition UEFA Champions League start?

The astir elite inter-league nine competition, wherever the apical teams from crossed the continent combat to beryllium crowned champions astatine the extremity of the season, volition get nether mode successful the 2nd week of September and reason successful May 2027.

Clubs and their supporters volition cognize their destiny connected Thursday, August 27 erstwhile the gully for the league signifier volition beryllium held successful Nyon, Switzerland.

Of the 36 teams successful the competition, 29 booked their spots astatine the extremity of past season, portion 7 volition beryllium confirmed aft a qualifying round.

When does the Premier League start?

In large quality for shot fans, the English Premier League – arguably the astir wide followed league contention crossed the satellite – is little than a period away.

Champions Arsenal unfastened their rubric defence by hosting Coventry City astatine the Emirates Stadium connected Friday, August 21, astatine 8pm (19:00 GMT).

A fewer different cardinal fixtures connected the opening play include:

• Hull City vs Manchester United connected Saturday, August 22, astatine 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
• Manchester City vs Bournemouth connected Sunday, August 23, astatine 2pm (13:00 GMT)
• Newcastle United vs Liverpool connected Sunday, August 23, astatine 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
• Fulham vs Chelsea connected Monday, August 24, astatine 8pm (19:00 GMT)

Football followers successful England tin look guardant to the resumption of the Premier League successful little than a period [Ed Sykes/Reuters]

When does La Liga start?

Several stars from satellite champions Spain volition resume their nine shot astatine the commencement of La Liga, erstwhile holders Barcelona, their archrival Real Madrid and different league teams instrumentality to action.

Record 36-time champions Madrid volition invited backmost their World Cup stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois, successful their bid to triumph different Spanish league title. But successful their mode volition basal satellite champions led by Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri and title-winning goalscorer Ferran Torres.

The play begins connected August 15 arsenic Alaves big Getafe astatine 17:30 GMT.

Atletico Madrid big Malaga connected August 19 astatine 18:00 GMT.

When bash Real Madrid and Barcelona play their archetypal La Liga games?

La Liga holders Barcelona volition commencement their play astatine Elche connected August 23, with their archetypal opener against Athletic Bilbao delayed until August 27.

Real Madrid were owed to big Real Sociedad connected the opening weekend, but the league has moved that crippled to August 26.

That means manager Jose Mourinho’s archetypal La Liga crippled successful complaint of Madrid successful his 2nd spell astatine the nine volition beryllium distant astatine Espanyol connected August 22 .

World champions Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal volition instrumentality to enactment for Barcelona adjacent period [Mike Segar/Reuters]

When is the archetypal Serie A crippled of the season?

Italian shot fans did not person overmuch to cheer for astatine the World Cup, with the Azzurri failing to suffice for the tourney for the 3rd successive planetary showpiece. However, league shot successful the state volition enactment arsenic a balm erstwhile the 2026-27 play of Serie A opens connected August 22.

Here’s a prime of the fixtures connected the opening weekend:

Saturday, August 22:

• Inter Milan vs Monza astatine 16:30 GMT
• Genoa vs Napoli astatine 18:45 GMT

Sunday, August 23:

• Frosinone vs Juventus astatine 16:30 GMT
• Atalanta vs Sassuolo astatine 18:45 GMT
• Torino vs AC Milan astatine 18:45 GMT

Monday, August 24:

• AS Roma vs Fiorentina astatine 18:45 GMT

When are the adjacent UEFA World Cup qualifiers?

The World Cup qualification process for European teams volition beryllium antithetic from erstwhile tournaments, arsenic it volition usage a two-tier league strategy alternatively than the accepted tiny qualifying groups.

The 36 highest-ranked UEFA nations volition vie successful League A, utilizing a Swiss-system format akin to the UEFA Champions League.

The remaining 19 UEFA nations volition vie successful League B.

Teams volition play six qualifying matches successful the archetypal phase, with promotion, relegation and play-offs determining the European qualifiers.

When does the UEFA Nations League begin?

European and satellite champions Spain volition pb the complaint erstwhile the continental sides instrumentality to competitory shot successful the UEFA Nations League, which besides acts arsenic a qualifying level for the World Cup and Euro 2028 championship.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal volition unfastened the adjacent matchday with their fixture against Wales connected Thursday, 24 September, astatine 18:45 GMT.

World Cup semifinalists England volition big champions Spain connected Saturday, September 26 astatine 18:45 GMT.

When does African qualifying for World Cup 2026 begin?

After a historical tally for Africa astatine the World Cup, with 10 teams representing the continent for the archetypal clip and 9 progressing to the knockouts, fans successful the portion volition beryllium anxious to spot which nations volition marque it to the adjacent edition.

Based connected FIFA’s planetary lucifer calendar and erstwhile qualification cycles, the anticipation is for the process to commencement successful September 2027 and for the qualification process to tally until 2029.

With Morocco being 1 of the 2030 tourney cohosts, they volition automatically qualify, and the remaining African places volition beryllium contested by the different CAF nations.

Africa is expected to person 9 nonstop qualification places, with the anticipation of an further spot done the inter-confederation playoffs if FIFA keeps the aforesaid allocation.

When does Asian qualifying for World Cup 2030 begin?

Asian teams had a disappointing showing astatine the caller tournament, with lone Australia qualifying past the radical stage, lone to beryllium knocked retired by Egypt successful the circular of 32.

The Asian (AFC) qualification for the 2030 FIFA World Cup is expected to statesman successful precocious 2027, with the archetypal matches apt taking spot successful October oregon November 2027. The AFC has not yet released the authoritative lucifer schedule, but its planetary calendar and readying documents constituent to that timeframe.

The apt timeline for qualification to statesman is from precocious 2027 and tally for astir 2 years.