October 9 – FIFA are so keen to make the expanded Club World Cup, Gianni Infantino’s pet project, be a success despite widespread opposition from player unions that they are willing to rewrite transfer rules.
With the controversial revamped 32-team tournament set to take place in the United States from June to July next year, FIFA has implemented temporary transfer regulations to facilitate player movements.
The FIFA council recently approved interim transfer market regulations enabling member federations to open a special transfer window from June 1-10. That means players whose contracts end on June 30 will be allowed to sign early as free agents with any of the 32 teams participating in the CWC.
To ensure players can take part, FIFA’s new rules also permit contract extensions of two weeks through the end of the tournament, which runs from June 15 to July 13.
Notable players with contracts ending in June who might be affected by these changes include Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich.
Additionally, FIFA has agreed to an exemption from the long-standing rule requiring clubs to release players for national duty during international fixtures.
This decision impacts players from the United States and Mexico who might have been selected for the 2025 Gold Cup, also taking place in the U.S. from June 14 to July 6.
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