Football’s governing body faces accusations of controlling the tournament’s timing without considering the global football calendar. Leagues have become increasingly concerned about how a summer tournament could disrupt their schedules and raise issues for player welfare.
Chelsea and City players, as things currently stand, will receive a three-week rest period followed by a sufficient pre-season before the 2025-26 season kicks off in August.
The release of the Club World Cup’s regulations on Tuesday heightened these concerns, stipulating that clubs are required to field their strongest teams throughout the tournament. Clubs that withdraw face a minimum fine of £445,000.
Last month, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola disclosed that his club had requested that some of their early domestic fixtures next season be postponed to manage their Club World Cup commitments. However, the Premier League turned down this request, with insiders noting that such disputes between clubs and leagues have become inevitable given FIFA’s scheduling choices.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was left out of their squad for the Conference League’s early stages this autumn due to the club’s congested schedule. The Club World Cup is slated to begin on June 15, but Chelsea must release international players like Palmer for the national team window from June 2 to June 10.
Participating clubs have the option to decline releasing players for international duty during the tournament, which is an exception to FIFA’s standard regulations. The only major tournament next summer that would typically require player releases is the Gold Cup, which involves teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Initially planned for the summer, the Africa Cup of Nations has now been rescheduled for December 2025. Clubs can include up to 35 players on their Club World Cup roster, with 26 selected for each match day.
A mid-tournament ‘window’ will be available from June 27 to July 3, allowing teams to replace players with expiring contracts and add up to two new summer signings to the 35-man squad, permitting up to six adjustments during this period.
Some players are reportedly contemplating a boycott of media and marketing activities to spotlight their concerns over the tournament’s impact on player welfare. Such actions would violate tournament rules, which mandate that clubs ensure player and staff attendance at all required events.
The regulations also restrict players and officials from displaying messages of a political, religious, or personal nature in any language or form.