The EFL has announced that next season will start on 30th July. That's ridiculous. If we get to the play-off final then there will only be 9 weeks close season break.

Has the football league season ever started in July before?

Personally, I don't mind it. Let's be honest, watching football in the sun is more fun than watching it in the cold. We've thankfully been spared the winter break that's been imposed on the top two tiers though, so we still get to have Boxing Day football as well. We've got the penny and the bun!

Presumably one less midweek Tuesday.

Is this to do with world cup

I think so, inasmuch as Championship clubs get a winter break (World Cup) so the start date has been aligned for all three EFL divisions.

The reason the season is starting early is to accommodate the World Cup which is being played in November and December.
Not sure why the lower leagues need to start early, I would of thought that they are unlikely to have too many players on international duty. (Unlike the group qualification stages where lower league players tend to play for “the lesser nations “.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, being brought up on the football season starting in the last week of August and finishing at the end of April. Then cricket from May to September.