The 2022 FIFA World Cup is in the knockout stages, and with many teams leaving Qatar, many fans are starting to wonder when club football will resume.
For the first time, this tournament forced the international leagues to take a break to include the World Cup and the release of many players.
This hiatus will cause headaches in the coming weeks and months as the competition shifts to make up for lost time.
Some leagues are waiting longer than others to resume, so top-flight club football could be expected to restart in late December and January 2023.
MORE: When will the Premier League return after the winter break?
When will the leagues resume after the World Cup?
Although the current World Cup window runs until December 18, leagues can restart earlier if they wish without any set rules.
However, competitions like the Premier League, which have many players in the World Cup, have no choice but to wait until the end of the tournament so that their matches are not affected.
Most of the first part of the European league is set to resume immediately after the Christmas break on December 25, giving players time to recover from the World Cup and enjoy family gatherings.
A Brazilian side full of #PL talent 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/2dMRdUViaK
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 5, 2022
MORE: Which leagues have the most players called up to the World Cup?
When will the leagues resume after the World Cup?
Among the top flight leagues that ended for the 2022 World Cup, the Australian Men’s A-League looks set to be one of the first to return.
The 2022/23 season of the A-League resumes on December 9 — almost a full week ahead of other competitions around the world.
The Scottish Premiership returns on December 15, the same day as the Saudi Pro League.
For those interested in some Premier League action, they will have to wait until Boxing Day on December 26th for the matches to resume.
The German Bundesliga is the latest league to return with the first match not scheduled until January 20.
Many competitions such as Major League Soccer, J.League and K League have inter-seasons and have not yet touched the World Cup.
MORE: Which clubs have had the most players called up to the World Cup?
| Competition | Country | Return date |
|---|---|---|
| People’s League | Australia/New Zealand | December 9 |
| Scottish Prime Minister | Scotland | December 15 |
| Haitian Pro League | Saudi Arabia | December 15 |
| Qatar Stars League | Catarrh | December 22 |
| Premier League | England | December 26 |
| Ligue 1 | France | December 28 |
| La Liga | Spanish | December 29 |
| Series A | Italy | January 4 |
| Eredivisie | Jordan | January 6 |
| Bundesliga | Germany | January 20 |
Why is the A-League Men restarting?
Only eight players from the tournament saw the trip to Qatar and wasted no time in reviving the A-League Men.
The regular league will take a three-week break to avoid major matches after years of being affected by COVID-19.
Australia’s A-League Men’s World Cup players have returned to their clubs following the Socceroos’ round of 16 loss to Argentina.
It is said that some will still be available for selection and one of them, Craig Goodwin, is expected to become more popular in domestic competitions given Australia’s good results in Qatar.
“Hopefully what we’ve achieved will help grow the game at home because the A-League is better than it seems. The quality of Australian football is better. as it’s called,” Goodwin said.
“It’s been a long time coming but hopefully what we’ve achieved can put Australian football on the map and help grow the game.”
‘We united a nation’ 🫶
The boys of Melbourne are back in town from the hurricane @Socceroos experience!
It’s safe to say it’s going strong ahead of time and it’s back this week 😤
The platform they deserve: https://t.co/gdJm9Vm8pW pic.twitter.com/xlyzPiVhAM
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) December 6, 2022
