Which matches and tournaments can football fans watch after the World Cup?
Al Jazeera’s guide to filling the football void with Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, UEFA Super Cup and more. After six weeks of relentless
Al Jazeera’s guide to filling the football void with Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, UEFA Super Cup and more. After six weeks of relentless football, fans must now find something to fill the void left by the FIFA World Cup 2026. The biggest edition in the event’s history saw 48 nations compete over 104 matches and score 308 goals. In a few weeks’ time, attention will turn towards the resumption of club football across Europe’s biggest leagues, with news of player signings and manager appointments doing the rounds immediately after the World Cup. Besides league and continental fixtures, national teams will resume their preparations to qualify for the next cycle of international tournaments. Spots will be up for grabs for several regional and international tournaments. Al Jazeera looks at how football fans can fill the void left by the World Cup A week after the World Cup final, African nations will return to action at the Women’s AFCON (WAFCON) 2026, with hosts Morocco taking on Kenya on the opening day. The Atlas Lionesses will look to emulate the form and success of their male counterparts, who reached the World Cup quarterfinals and won the AFCON 2025, albeit contentiously. Nigeria will look to defend the title they won a year ago, while Ghana, Zambia and Malawi are also among the pre-tournament favourites. Here’s Al Jazeera’s complete guide 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, will see Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa face off prior to the resumption of European leagues. It promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Aston Villa aiming to add another European trophy under Unai Emery, while PSG will be looking to retain the Super Cup after winning the 2025 edition. Here’s what you need to know about the high-profile match When: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 Kick-off: 9pm local time (19:00 GMT) Venue: Stadion Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria When will UEFA Champions League start?
The most elite inter-league club competition, where the top teams from across the continent fight to be crowned champions at the end of the season, will get under way in the second week of September and conclude in May 2027. Clubs and their supporters will know their fate on Thursday, August 27 when the draw for the league stage will be held in Nyon, Switzerland. Of the 36 teams in the competition, 29 booked their spots at the end of last season, while seven will be confirmed after a qualifying round. When does the Premier League start? In great news for football fans, the English Premier League – arguably the most widely followed league competition across the world – is less than a month away. Champions Arsenal open their title defence by hosting Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21, at 8pm (19:00 GMT). A few other key fixtures on the opening weekend include Hull City vs Manchester United on Saturday, August 22, at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT) Manchester City vs Bournemouth on Sunday, August 23, at 2pm (13:00 GMT) Newcastle United vs Liverpool on Sunday, August 23, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) Fulham vs Chelsea on Monday, August 24, at 8pm (19:00 GMT) When does La Liga start? Several stars from world champions Spain will resume their club football at the start of La Liga, when holders Barcelona, their archrival Real Madrid and other league teams return to action. Record 36-time champions Madrid will welcome back their World Cup stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois, in their bid to win another Spanish league title. But in their way will stand world champions led by Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri and title-winning goalscorer Ferran Torres. The season begins on August 15 as Alaves host Getafe at 17:30 GMT. Atletico Madrid host Malaga on August 19 at 18:00 GMT. When do Real Madrid and Barcelona play their first La Liga games?
The BriefWire