GENEVA: The FIFA Council approved new international match calendars, setting the date for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

A 16-day, four-match window will be implemented in late September or early October starting in 2026, as well as a nine-day, two-match window in each of the months of March, June, and November, according to the men's international match schedule 2025–2030. The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be played on July 19, 2026.
Prior to the 73rd FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council met in Kigali, Rwanda, and made several significant decisions, mainly about the future of men's and women's competitions, as per reports.

It unanimously agreed to replace the 16 groups of three with 12 groups of four for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams moving on to the round of 32.

Six international windows will be available each year for women's international matches in 2024–2025. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris' women's football competition will take place from July 25 to August 10.

The FIFA Council also gave its approval for the creation of a special task force for player welfare and other matters.

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