Football Calendar: Key dates for the 20/21 season in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and more

After a brief interlude, a brand new football season is nearly upon us once again. But following a Covid-hit 2019/20, the current campaign will be packed into a shorter season than usual. Here are some of the key dates you need to know.

When does the 2020/21 Premier League season start?

The Premier League season kicks off slightly later than it normally would, owing to the lengthy enforced break during the spring.

The first fixtures begin on Saturday 12 September – and BT Sport is the only place to watch the first ball being kicked as we bring you coverage of the season opener between Fulham and Arsenal from Craven Cottage.

Tune in to BT Sport 1HD, BT Sport Ultimate, the BT Sport app or bt.com/sport for your first Premier League football fix of the season.

When does the 2020/21 Premier League season finish?

This year’s Premier League season will conclude on May 23 next year, just 19 days before the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament begins.

Will there be a winter break during the 2020/21 Premier League season?

Last season was the first time a scheduled winter break had been granted to help ease fixture congestion over a normally chaotic time in the football calendar.

Each team had one weekend and one full midweek off in February.

However, due to the shortened timeframe in which this season must be completed, the 2021 winter break has been scrapped.

When is the first international break of the 2020/21 season?

The UEFA Nations League gets underway once again this weekend, beginning before many of the continent’s domestic leagues have kicked off.

Nations League group stages will take place on revised dates through September, October and November, while Euro 2020 playoffs have also been pushed back until October and November.

Nations League group matches will be played on September 3/4/5 and 6/7/8; October 10/11 and 13/14; November 14/15 and 17/18.

The Euro 2020 playoffs will be contested on October 8 (semi-finals) and November 12 (finals).

No further dates have been confirmed yet.

When does the 2020/21 Carabao Cup start?

There are some minor changes to the format of this season’s Carabao Cup, the most noteworthy being one-legged semi-finals replacing the normal two-legged affairs that take place after Christmas.

The key dates for this season’s competition are as follows:

September 5: Round One*

September 15/16: Round Two

September 22/23: Round Three

September 29/30: Round Four

December 22/23: Round Five

January 5/6 2021: Semi-finals

February 28 2021: Final

*Some fixtures may be rescheduled due to the international break

When does the 2020/21 FA Cup start - and when is the 2020/21 FA Cup final?

Like the Carabao Cup, this season’s FA Cup will look a little different than normal due to the amount of games that need to be played in a short space of time.

As such, replays have been scrapped for this season only - meaning we could see more than a few giant killings in the early stages!

The first round proper begins on November 7, while the big boys join the competition in the third round, which begins on January 9.

The semi-finals are set to take place on April 17, while the tournament finale will be on May 15 at Wembley Stadium.

September 12: Preliminary round

September 22: First round Qualifying

October 3: Second round Qualifying

October 13: Third round Qualifying

October 24: Fourth round Qualifying

November 7: First round proper

November 28: Second round

January 9 2021: Third round

January 23 2021: Fourth round

February 10 2021: Fifth round

March 20 2021: Quarter-finals

April 17 2021: Semi-finals

May 15 2021: Final

When does the 2020/21 Champions League begin - and when is the 2020/21 Champions League final?

The group stages will start slightly later than their normal September date with many teams still battling to make it through the qualification stages.

For now, the tournament is set to return to two-legged knockout ties after the sudden-death style fun we enjoyed in Lisbon over the summer. However, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has hinted the one-legged format could return in future.

September 15/16: Third qualifying round

September 22/23 & 29/30: Play-offs

October 20/21: Group stage matchday 1

October 27/28: Group stage matchday 2

November 3/4: Group stage matchday 3

November 24/25: Group stage matchday 4

December 1/2: Group stage matchday 5

December 8/9: Group stage matchday 6

February 16/17, 2021: Round of 16

April 6/14, 2021: Quarter-finals

April 17 & May 5, 2021: Semi-finals

May 29, 2021: Final

When does the 2020/21 Europa League start - and when is the 2020/21 Europa League final?

The 2020/21 Europa League will mirror the Champions League campaign as closely as is possible, beginning with its group stage during the same week in October.

The final, which will take place in Gdansk next year – the venue originally intended to host the tournament showpiece last season – is set for May 26, three days before the Champions League final.

September 17: Second qualifying round

September 24: Third qualifying round

October 1: Play-offs

October 22: Group stage matchday 1

October 29: Group stage matchday 2

November 5: Group stage matchday 3

November 26: Group stage matchday 4

December 3: Group stage matchday 5

December 10: Group stage matchday 6

February 18 & 25, 2021: Round of 32

March 11 & 18, 2021: Round of 16

April 8 & 15, 2021: Quarter-finals

April 29 & May 6, 2021: Semi-finals

May 26: Final