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The mandatory release date for clubs to allow all players competing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is Monday, 15 December.
That means players will be together six days prior to the start of the tournament on Sunday, 21 December. The final takes place on Sunday, 18 January, 2026.
Fifa have confirmed that following conversations with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the release period will start on the Monday before the tournament begins.
A Fifa statement added: "It was also determined that Member Associations participating in the CAF Afcon 2025 and clubs released players who would be playing in continental competitions during the release period be encouraged to hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions."
Fifa also said that they will "apply guidelines" to clubs in cases where there is a dispute, and mediate between clubs and national teams.
For most clubs, that means the final time players will be eligible for selection is the weekend of 13/14 December, before immediately heading to Morocco for the tournament.
However, there are a few club games scheduled on the day players are due to link up with their national squads, meaning they are now expected to miss those matches.
In the Premier League, Manchester United host Bournemouth on the final day that players are due to be with their squads.
Rangers also face Hibernian that day in the Scottish Premiership, while there are also matches scheduled in the Championship, La Liga, Serie A and top flights of Portuguese and Turkish football.
United have three players set to feature at Afcon, forward Bryan Mbuemo (Cameroon), winger Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and defender Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).
Bournemouth midfielder Amine Adli could also feature for Morocco alongside Mazraoui.
United had previously expressed concern that players would be joining up earlier than the confirmed date, calling into question whether they would feature for the trip to Wolves on Monday, 8 December.
At that time, United hoped to get an extension until at least after their home fixture against Bournemouth on 15 December.
"We have the rules for when we have to release the players [but] we are trying to have the players a bit longer," said United head coach Ruben Amorim.
"It is not just in our hands. We will see. We will try to arrange something with the federations."
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