Two European football players’ unions have initiated a lawsuit against FIFA that could affect the holding of the 2025 Club World Cup. Specifically, they pointed to the decision to “unilaterally set” a competition schedule that is “overloaded and impractical”.
The trade unions of England and France are the ones who went to a court in Brussels, with the support of Fifpro, the organization that represents 65,000 professional footballers worldwide. According to the statement, they seek to reverse “decisions that violate the rights of the players”.
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The 2025 Club World Cup, for which Fluminense, Flamengo and Palmeiras have already qualified, will be held from June 15 to July 13 in the United States, with 32 teams from the different confederations. The competition in Europe ends on May 31 with the Champions League final, and there is then a window for international matches between June 2 and 10, so there will be no vacation for those who have to play the tournament with the new format.
“The most in-demand players are now part of an endless program of matches and competitions with their club and their country, whose limits are constantly being exceeded,” said Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, the trade union representing footballers in England and Wales.
“Players and their unions have not stopped insisting that the current football calendar is overloaded and impractical,” added the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, the French trade union.
Recently, FIFA argued that the main entities representing the footballers were consulted about the changes in the official calendar, which also includes the return of the Intercontinental Cup at the end of the year. While it pointed out that it is open to continuing conversations, it was categorical in confirming that it has no intention of altering the dates of the tournaments.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Watch the full series, available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel.
