The 2022 FIFA World Cup is now in the play-offs and as more teams leave Qatar, many fans are beginning to wonder when club football will resume.
For the first time, this tournament has forced leagues from around the world to take a break to host the World Cup and produce so many players.
This hiatus will cause major headaches in the coming weeks and months as competitions try to make up for lost time.
Some leagues are also waiting longer than others to resume, so the resumption of top-flight club football will be on hold until late December and until January 2023.
MORE: When will the Premier League return after the winter break?
When can the leagues resume after the World Cup?
The current World Cup window runs until December 18, but there are no rules against it, and the leagues can resume if they want to.
However, competitions such as the Premier League, which have many players at the World Cup, have no choice but to wait until after the tournament to ensure their competition is not unfairly distorted.
Most of the first-division Europa League is set to resume after the Christmas holiday on December 25, giving players some time to recover from the World Cup and enjoy family holidays.
The Brazilian side is full #PL talent 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/2dMRdUViaK
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 5, 2022
MORE: Which leagues have had the most players invited to the World Cup?
When will the leagues start after the World Cup?
Among the major leagues suspended for the 2022 World Cup, Australia’s A-League Men looks set to be the first to return.
The 2022/23 A-League season resumes on December 9 — almost a week before other competitions around the world.
The Scottish Premiership kicks off on December 15, the same date as the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
Those looking to catch some Premier League action will have to wait until Boxing Day on December 26 for the matches to resume.
Germany’s Bundesliga is the latest league to return with the first game scheduled for January 20.
A number of football competitions such as the Premier League, J.League and K League are currently in between seasons and are not affected by the World Cup.
MORE: Which clubs have had the most World Cup calls?
| Competition | The country | Return date |
|---|---|---|
| A-League Men | Australia/New Zealand | December 9 |
| Scottish Premier League | Scotland | December 15 |
| Saudi Arabia Pro League | Saudi Arabia | December 15 |
| Qatar Stars League | Qatar | December 22 |
| Premier League | England | December 26 |
| League 1 | France | December 28 |
| La Liga | Spain | December 29 |
| Series A | Italy | January 4 |
| Eredivisie | Netherlands | January 6 |
| Bundesliga | Germany | January 20 |
Why is the men’s A-League restarting so quickly?
The A-League men are wasting no time in making a fresh start, seeing just eight players from the competition travel to Qatar.
The league has always intended to take a three-week break to avoid any serious setbacks after the headaches of previous COVID-19-affected seasons.
Australia’s A-League World Cup players have returned to their clubs after losing to Argentina in the Round of 16.
Some are reportedly immediately available for selection with one of them, Craig Goodwin, hoping the domestic competition will gain popularity as a result of Australia’s good results in Qatar.
“We hope that what we have achieved will help bring the game back home because the A-League is better than it is perceived to be. “The quality of Australian football is better than he thought,” Goodwin said.
“It’s been this way for a long time, but what we’ve achieved will hopefully put Australian football on the map and help the game grow.”
‘We united a nation’ 🫶
Melbourne boys are back in town after the storm @Socceroos an experience!
It’s safe to say it’s full steam ahead with the season returning this weekend 😤
They deserve a platform: https://t.co/gdJm9Vm8pW pic.twitter.com/xlyzPiVhAM
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) December 6, 2022
