International qualifiers will soon be played over six days between Thursday and Tuesday, UEFA have announced.
The move is designed to maximise television coverage and increase the amount of income received from broadcasters.
National teams will now have just a two-day break between matches in World Cup and European Championship double-headers.
"This has been unanimously supported by all 53 national associations," UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino told the Leaders in Football conference in London
"If we leave the weekend to other sports then in the medium and long-term it will be damaging."
The majority of international matches are currently played on Friday and Tuesday evenings.
