Think there’s not too many games? Ask the players.
FIFA announced that teams participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup must arrive in the United States three to five days before their opening match. This rule, detailed in the tournament regulations released on Tuesday, poses a challenge for players due to the tight schedule between international World Cup qualifiers and the club tournament’s commencement. There will be no rest.
The expanded 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 teams and 63 matches and kicks off on June 15. It will conclude on July 13 at a location yet to be disclosed, but the betting favourite is Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
FIFA has communicated the tournament’s rules to the qualified teams, which include a mandate to field their strongest lineups, with fines imposed for non-compliance, as reported by sources to ESPN.
Driven by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the tournament has sparked serious discontent among players’ unions and league associations, who are challenging FIFA in European courts. Prominent players and coaches, such as Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid, have expressed concerns about the increasing demands on their squads.
With international qualifiers scheduled from June 6-10 for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA’s requirement for clubs to arrive early in the U.S. could mean international players will have little rest before transitioning to the Club World Cup. This situation is complicated by the Champions League final in Munich on May 31, just before the international break, potentially leading players from teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich to face a grueling schedule with no respite until mid-July.
The 2025 Club World Cup schedule will also affect CONCACAF Gold Cup rosters. Alphonso Davies’ Bayern Munich, Stephen Eustáquio’s FC Porto and Tajon Buchanan’s Inter Milan have all qualified, leaving CanMNT head coach Jesse Marsch with a selection headache.
The regulations also prohibit club owners from holding stakes in multiple teams and dictate that each team must have a squad of 26-35 players, allowing for special transfer windows from June 1-10. FIFA will mediate any disputes over player selections between competing Club World Cup teams.
Given that player contracts typically expire around June 30, as Kylian Mbappé’s did before his move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain, FIFA is addressing new transfer challenges. Potential free agents from qualified teams, including Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich, and Leroy Sané, can begin negotiations with other clubs in January.
Despite the Club World Cup starting on June 15, FIFA has permitted an extraordinary transfer window from June 1-10, allowing players to potentially switch teams shortly after competing in the Champions League final on May 31. FIFA also allows mid-tournament squad changes from June 27-July 3 to replace players whose contracts have expired, but players can only represent one club in the tournament.
FIFA has yet to disclose the prize money or the details of the tournament draw, anticipated in early December. The final team from South America will be determined on November 30, following the Copa Libertadores final between Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Teams earned qualification by winning continental championships from 2020 to 2024 or through consistent performance in competitions. Each country is limited to two entries unless they have multiple title winners; Brazil will have four teams, while Mexico will field three.
In a recent move, FIFA included Inter Miami, featuring Lionel Messi, to represent the host nation based on their regular-season performance, bypassing the MLS Cup final on December 7. Inter Miami is set to play the inaugural match at the Miami Dolphins stadium.
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