FIFA has been threatened that they could face legal actions instituted against them by players union and world leagues if it doesn’t shift the initial time frame stipulated for the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
A letter sent to Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, warns that football’s schedule is at a level “beyond saturation”.
The letter expresses that calendar changes such as the inclusion of the new 32-team Club World Cup, originally slated to take place in June and July 2025, have brought about “economic harm” to domestic leagues.
It also indicates that the key component of the sport, the players, have been pushed “beyond their limits”.
They are beckoning the FIFA Council to reschedule the Club World Cup and to reopen discussions on the international calendar for the period up to 2030.
If FIFA Refuses To Settle The Issues Amicably What Steps Are The Aggrieved Parties Willing To Take?
A section of the letter states the next action member association will be advised to take if FIFA objects to resolving the subject at hand.
The letter states: “Should FIFA refuse to formally commit to resolving the issues, as set out above, at its upcoming council, we shall be compelled to advise our members on the options available to them, both individually and collectively, to proactively safeguard their interests.”
The parties also indicated the legal actions to be taken against FIFA, which they shared that they “have now commissioned external expert advice” in that regard.
The letter has been put out by the World Leagues Association and world players union FIFPRO.
These respective groups customarily count the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association among their members.
The Current Schedule For The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2025 FIFA Club World has been slated to take place from June 15, 2025, to July 13, 2025.
The leagues and players union have accused FIFA of making decisions for its selfish interest while neglecting national leagues and the health of the players.
They also added that FIFA has been defiant to frequent attempts by leagues and unions to hold discussions on the way forward.
“Over a significant period, FIFA has ignored repeated attempts by leagues and unions to engage on this issue”, the body said.
“Leagues and players cannot simply be expected to ‘adapt’ to FIFA’s decisions, which are driven by FIFA’s business strategy.
“We have reached the point where this situation must immediately be addressed both from a procedural and substantive perspective.”
Meanwhile, Richard Masters, the chief executive of the Premier League shared the complaints of the players in April 2024, saying:
“It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion.
“The Premier League hasn’t changed shape. What has changed over the last few decades is the march of international and regional football competitions.
“It stands to reason if you overload the calendar and the players, at some point, something has to give.”
Manchester City are the current holders of the FIFA Club World Cup, the last edition before the expansion, with the Cityzens defeating Brazilian side Fluminense 4-0 to win the tournament on December 22, 2023.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Chelsea are some of the teams that will be competing for glory in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
