Admit it, even if you love the sport more than anything, there have been times where you’ve felt that there’s too much football.
Players and coaches have been saying it for years, and louder since the pandemic really brought the high frequency of fixtures into focus, and added more. Now FIFA is facing potential legal action from players and national leagues if it does not reconsider its decision to add new and larger competitions to the already packed men’s calendar. We know there’s a few fans that would sign a petition against the Leagues Cup…
The global players union FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association have criticized FIFA for making decisions that primarily benefit its own tournaments and financial interests, such as the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held next year in the United States, and the 2026 World Cup itself.
It is being argued that FIFA’s actions are unfair to players and leagues, who are being forced to adapt to an increasing number of matches. The revamped Club World Cup has raised concerns due to its impact on player schedules and logistics.
The tournament, which features the last three CONCACAF Champions League winning sides — Monterrey, Seattle Sounders, Club León — and this year’s Champions Cup winners, which could still be Jacen Russell-Rowe’s Columbus Crew. Top European clubs like Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Tajon Buchanan’s Inter Milan have also qualified. In the absence of the old Confederations Cup, the CWC is seen as a test for the expanded 48-team World Cup.
There’s also the Intercontinental Cup in December, which unions and leagues are calling on FIFA to reconsider as it involves many of the same teams that will compete in the Club World Cup the following year. They also want discussions to be reopened regarding the international calendar up to 2030, to address the strain on players caused by increased club competition schedules.
FIFA’s projected revenue continues to increase, and by a lot, driven largely by these new tournaments and sponsorship deals, including a recent agreement with Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco. President Gianni Infantino has defended these as necessary to promote greater competitiveness in international soccer, particularly among teams from regions outside of Europe and South America.
All we ask is that they leave the Canadian Championship alone. Because the drama, albeit it rather one sided for Toronto FC, has been incredible.
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