Global football recently experienced another pause in major league competitions due to the international break period set by FIFA, giving non-international players a rare opportunity to rest and rehabilitate before resuming the demanding season.

While national teams were busy playing World Cup qualifiers or friendly matches, several major European clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Inter Milan used the break to recharge their players’ energies and prepare them physically and mentally for the remainder of the season.

Competitions in the five major European leagues—England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France—were halted since the 5th of this month, with plans to resume on the 17th or 18th.

Experts, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca, view this period as an important opportunity for clubs to address accumulated fatigue and prevent injuries, especially for players not called up to their national teams.

Defender Vitor Reis, star of Girona FC, said, “We use the international break to rest, but we maintain a light routine of training, sleep, and nutrition. It is an important period to regain energy and prepare for the rest of the season.”

Most clubs’ coaching staff grant their players between two to five days of rest, depending on the match schedule and competition intensity.

Despite criticism from some fans who believe players do not deserve additional rest periods, sports medicine specialists confirm that the international break allows clubs to manage physical loads and improve players’ mental fitness.

André Konya, CEO of a company specialized in sports performance, said, “International players endure a stressful period due to long travel, changing training regimes, and the psychological pressure of representing their countries. For non-internationals, the break is a golden opportunity to restore physical and mental balance.”

He added, “Rest is not just stopping playing; it is an essential part of preparation. A player needs good sleep, balanced nutrition, and physical and psychological recovery to come back stronger.”

Meanwhile, Nathaniel Souza, a physiotherapist at the National Sports Therapy Association in Brazil, confirmed that the break is an ideal opportunity to reduce injury risks: “Each club must manage the training load for each player individually; some players need complete rest, while others require increased training doses to improve their readiness.”

Dr. Rodrigo Zugaib, medical affairs coordinator at Santos FC in Brazil, considered this period “a distinctive phase to reprogram training plans and organize integrated recovery, ensuring physical balance is restored before competitions resume,” according to the report.

While fans passionately follow national team matches, European clubs quietly continue to use the break to prepare their non-international players for the second half of the season, where titles are decided and football glory stories are written.