FIFA denies ‘imposing’ 2025 Club World Cup schedule after complaint from players’ union, leagues

FIFA’s secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, however, said that the body was ready to sit down with both FIFPRO and WLA to discuss the matter further during the close season.

In addition to the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup that is set to be hosted in the United States next year, all three European club competitions will be expanded to 36 teams from next season. | Photo Credit: AFP

FIFA will not consider rescheduling its new 32-team Club World Cup, world football’s governing body said on Friday after global players’ union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA) threatened legal action if it did not review its plans.

FIFPRO and WLA expressed their concern over the expanded competition last week in a letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General, Mattias Grafstrom.

Their letter said the global football calendar is “beyond saturation” and that national leagues are unable to properly organise their competitions, while players are being pushed beyond their limits, with significant injury risks.

In response, FIFA rejected their claims that the football body made unilateral decisions to benefit its competitions in the international calendar.

In the letter seen by Reuters, Grafstrom stated that they have regularly engaged with relevant stakeholders on the subject of the International Match Calendar (IMC).

Grafstrom said both FIFPRO and WLA were involved in discussions on the future of the calendar in 2021 and 2022.

“It should be noted that the views expressed by FIFPRO and the WLA during the consultation process influenced the IMC to such an extent that it was closer - and in many ways substantially identical - to the version which was already in place previously, as opposed to the version proposed at the start of the consultation,” Grafstrom wrote.

“Consequently, there could hardly be a clearer demonstration not only that a genuine consultation took place but also that your views were very much taken into account during the course of that consultation.”

The principles for the IMC period 2025-2030 were approved by the FIFA Council in December 2022 while the calendar itself was approved by the Council three months later.

However, Grafstrom said FIFA was ready to sit down with both FIFPRO and WLA to discuss the matter further during the close season.

In addition to the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup that is set to be hosted in the United States next year from June 15 to July 13, all three European club competitions will be expanded to 36 teams from next season.

FIFPRO and WLA are aiming to discuss their issues before the FIFA Congress at the meeting between the 211 member associations on May 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.