What's happened
FIFA is facing pressure from global players' union and domestic leagues to reschedule the 32-team Club World Cup amid concerns over player welfare. The tournament is set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
Why it matters
The threat of legal action against FIFA by the global players' union and domestic leagues highlights the growing concerns over player welfare and the impact of an expanded Club World Cup on national leagues. The outcome of this dispute could have significant implications for the future of international football competitions and the well-being of players.
What the papers say
The World Leagues Association and FIFPRO have expressed concerns over the expanded Club World Cup, citing the strain on players and domestic leagues. FIFA has not yet responded to the request for rescheduling, raising the possibility of legal action. The international players' union and World Leagues Association are aiming to discuss their concerns at FIFA's upcoming meeting in Bangkok.
How we got here
The dispute stems from FIFA's plans to host a 32-team Club World Cup in the United States in 2025, alongside the expansion of European club competitions. The global football calendar is deemed 'beyond saturation' by FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association, leading to calls for a rescheduling of the tournament to address player welfare concerns.
Common question
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FIFA is a non-profit organization which describes itself as an international governing body of association football, fútsal, beach soccer, and efootball. It is the highest governing body of football.
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The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport's global governing body.
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The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative body for association football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe, although several member states are primarily or entirely located in Asia.
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The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport's global governin
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The Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels, generally referred to as FIFPro, is the worldwide representative organisation for 65,000 professional footballers.
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Giovanni Vincenzo "Gianni" Infantino is a Swiss–Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016.