FIFA, the international governing body for football, is being confronted with the possibility of legal action from FIFPro (the professional players' union) and the World Leagues Association if it fails to reschedule the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States. The joint letter written by the two organizations to FIFA, and seen by The Athletic, expresses concerns over the expansion of FIFA's international match calendar and its ramifications on player welfare and domestic league organization.

FIFPro and the World Leagues Association, which represents 46 domestic leagues, including the top five leagues in Europe and MLS, have specifically taken issue with the 2025 Club World Cup, which has been extended to include 32 teams and spans over 29 days. In the letter, they state that if FIFA is unable to find a resolution, their members will be informed of their legal options, for which external advice has already been sought.

The letter does not propose alternative dates for the tournament, which is fervently supported by many participating clubs. However, FIFPro and the World Leagues Association have also urged FIFA to reconsider its international match calendar at the upcoming FIFA congress.

The 2025 Club World Cup will be the inaugural edition of the extended tournament, set to take place every four years. The tournament will feature 12 European teams, six CONMEBOL clubs, and four teams from CONCACAF, and will be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13 next summer.

In response, FIFA emphasizes that the Club World Cup schedule has been aligned with the international match calendar to allow adequate time between the tournament final and the start of new seasons in domestic leagues worldwide, ensuring player welfare is safeguarded. FIFA also highlights that the Club World Cup and Intercontinental Cup will only constitute 2.3% of club-level matches organized throughout a four-year playing cycle.

Previously occurring annually with seven participating teams, the Club World Cup will continue as the Intercontinental Cup under its rebranded format. FIFPro and the World Leagues Association have additionally requested FIFA to reconsider this competition.

FIFPro had already expressed concerns over the Club World Cup when the new format was initially announced, stating that it demonstrated a lack of consideration for player well-being and personal/family lives. On the other hand, the European Club Association, which represents teams in UEFA club competitions, lauded the revamped competition as "fantastic news for club football in general."

Richard Masters, the chief executive of the Premier League, had previously criticized FIFA for their lack of consultation regarding the competition, citing concerns over excessive footballing commitments. Masters remarked, "If you pour more liquid into the cup that's already full, it will overflow."

The 2025 Club World Cup will feature eight groups of four teams, with each team playing one another once, and the top two teams progressing to the knockout stages. The knockout games will be single-legged, with no third-place play-off.

The international match calendar for 2025 has also been modified to include one extended international break in late September and early October, replacing the two separate windows.

Traditionally held during the European domestic season around the turn of the calendar year, the 2025 Club World Cup will now take place in the middle of the year, coinciding with the domestic seasons in North and South America.

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