The remodeling of the Club World Cup, scheduled for the summer of 2025, is still not unanimous. Criticism persists over the format and schedule, and two players’ unions have decided to take the International Football Federation (Fifa) to court over the matter.
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In a year almost to the day, in the United States, a global football event is due to open with the New Generation Club World Cup. Created in 2000, this competition was usually held over ten days in December, January or February, and only brought together six to eight clubs. It was intended to be prestigious, without being considered a supreme trophy on the world football stage.
But since his accession to the presidency of the Fifa in 2016, Gianni Infantino is working on the evolution of this Club World Cup, to make it a more important competition bringing together more clubs. Without the Covid-19 pandemic, his wish would have been granted in 2021. The new Club World Cup is finally scheduled for the summer of 2025. And it is far from unanimous.
Players already exhausted by a busy schedule
Thursday June 13, 2024, the English (PFA) and French (UNFP) professional footballers’ unions attacked Fifa before a Brussels court to contest the calendar ” fixed unilaterally » by the world body. The new Club World Cup is supposed to be held from June 15 to July 13, 2025 and will bring together 32 teams.
The PFA and the UNFP “ believe that these decisions violate the rights that players and their unions derive from the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and that they also contravene European competition law », Explains the UNFP in a press release. With the support of the Fifpro Europe union, the two unions asked the Brussels commercial court to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. by asking four questions for a preliminary ruling “, that is to say by submitting their arguments relating to European law.
The main criticism targets the schedule to which footballers are currently subjected, between club competitions and international competitions. This calendar is already overloaded and impassable », Estimates the UNFP. “ The most in-demand players are now part of a never-ending schedule of matches and competitions for their club and country, whose boundaries are constantly being pushed », Adds the PFA.
In addition, the PFA and the UNFP accuse Fifa of having “ unilaterally pursued a program of expansion of competitions, despite opposition from unions “.
Cacophony on the side of Real Madrid, CAN 2025 on hold
This action by the unions before the Brussels court is part of a series of other criticisms leveled against the 2025 Club World Cup. The most recent example is the misunderstanding around Real Madrid and its participation at the tournament in a year.
In a daily interview Il Giornale, Monday June 10 Carlo Ancelotti, the Real coach, said he was categorical: the White House would not participate in the next Club World Cup. “ A single Real Madrid match is worth 20 million euros and Fifa wants to give us this amount for the entire Cup. Negative. Like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation. FIFA can forget it. Footballers and clubs will not participate in this tournament “, he asserted.
A few hours later, the Spanish club backpedaled and assured that “ At no moment “, his participation was “questioned”. Real will take part as expected at this official competition “. For his part, on X (formerly Twitter), Ancelotti confirmed the position of the Merengue and assured that his comments Il Giornale had been ” misinterpreted “.
In Africa too, we are concerned about the holding of this Club World Cup. The continental calendar risks being modified again due to this competition. The 2025 African Cup of Nations is supposed to be held in Morocco in July and August 2025. But apart from the fact that this is the period when temperatures are the highest in the country, this calendar would clash with that of the Club World Cup.
There has been no formalization yet, but rumors of a possible postponement of the CAN 2025 in the months of January-February 2026 are increasingly pressing. This would be the third consecutive edition to be postponed for several months, after the CAN 2021 in Cameroon (postponed to January-February 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and the CAN 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire (postponed to January-February 2022). February 2024 due to high rainfall in summer in the country).
The 32 clubs planned for the 2025 Club World Cup
United States (organizing country) – 1 club to be determined
UEFA (Europe) – 12 clubs
- Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Chelsea (England)
- Manchester City (England)
- Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
- Atlético de Madrid (Spain)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- Inter Milan (Italy)
- Juventus (Italy)
- Benfica Lisbon (Portugal)
- FC Porto (Portugal)
CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 clubs
- River Plate (Argentina)
- Flamengo (Brazil)
- Fluminense (Brazil)
- Palmeiras (Brazil)
- to be determined
- to be determined
CAF (Africa) – 4 clubs
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Esperance of Tunis (Tunisia)
- Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) – 4 clubs
- Leon (Mexico)
- CF Monterrey (Mexico)
- Pachuca (Mexico)
- Seattle Sounders (United States)
AFC (Asia) – 4 clubs
- Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
- Al Ain (United Arab Emirates)
- Ulsan HD (South Korea)
- Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
OFC (Oceania) – 1 club
- Auckland City (Australia)