Football players’ unions have taken legal action against FIFA’s decision to expand the Club World Cup. The revamped tournament, scheduled for June-July 2025 in the United States, will feature 32 teams instead of the traditional seven. This move has drawn criticism from FIFPRO (International Federation of Professional Football Players) due to concerns about the increased physical and mental demands on players.
On Thursday, the European branch of FIFPRO announced that member unions in England and France had filed a complaint against FIFA with the Brussels Commercial Court. The unions are challenging FIFA’s authority to set the international match schedule unilaterally.
The English Professional Footballers’ Association stated that the legal challenge aims to address the structure of the football match schedule and ensure players’ rights to take protected breaks. The Brussels court is expected to refer the case to the European Court of Justice.
“Players and their unions have always stressed that the current football calendar is overloaded and unworkable,” FIFPRO Europe said in a statement.
FIFA detailed its plans for the expanded Club World Cup in December, a move swiftly opposed by FIFPRO. The players’ union argued that the expansion shows a “lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as a disregard for their personal and family lives.”
FIFPRO contends that such decisions violate the rights of players and their unions. Although FIFA claims the tournament’s schedule, which occurs during the off-season of many major leagues, allows for adequate rest, FIFPRO disputes this assertion.
“Once preparation periods and travel are taken into account, the tournament is likely to create up to six weeks of additional work on top of an already busy schedule,” FIFPRO Europe noted.
FIFPRO Europe President David Terrier highlighted the union’s stance: “It is not a question of stigmatizing a particular competition, but of denouncing both the underlying problem and the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Despite opposition from FIFPRO, the European Club Association hailed the expanded Club World Cup as “fantastic news for club football in general.”
The upcoming Club World Cup in 2025 means top players will face three consecutive years of major competitions during the usual off-season, given that the European Championship and Copa América are scheduled for 2024 and the next World Cup for 2026. This situation underscores the players’ unions’ concerns about the demanding football calendar and the need to protect players’ well-being.
