EFL reveals next season will start in July to accommodate Qatar World Cup

The EFL season 2022-23 will start in July to accommodate the World Cup. The schedule was revealed on Monday and showed that the Championship will not break for the whole tournament in Qatar but will resume while the quarter-finals are being played.

All three Football League divisions will open on 30 July 2022, one week before the Premier League. Leagues One and Two will not stop for the World Cup but the Championship will halt after the round of games due to take place on 12 November and will start again on 10 December.

The group stage is due to end in Qatar on 2 December. The schedule raises the possibility of clubs having to play without key individuals. EFL rules allow a club to request a postponement if three players are on international duty and the league said: “Existing international calls postponement criteria will be applied throughout, where necessary.”

The EFL said its regular season would end on 6 May 2023, with the play-off finals scheduled for the 27-29 May.